Puneet Opal, MD, PhD, is a board-certified neurologist that specializes in genetic movement disorders including ataxias, dystonias, and Parkinson disease. He has been practicing medicine for 27 years and is a research professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, which encompasses both basic and translational science to develop therapeutic avenues.

He has received research awards from the NIH, the American Cancer Society, the National Ataxia Foundation, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, and the Brain Research Foundation. He is a director of the Northwestern University Physician Scientist Training Program and an elected member of the American Neurological Association and the American Society of Clinical Investigators.

He has also contributed op-eds for national publications including The Atlantic.