In this episode Krissy Dilger met with Dr. Melissa Wright of the University of Utah and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, a designated Center of Excellence in Rare Neuroimmune Disorders. Dr. Melissa Wright shared how her training in neuroscience and personal experiences as a parent led her into pediatric neurology and rare neuroimmune disorders [00:01:32]. She discussed her research focus on improving pediatric-to-adult healthcare transitions and advancing clinical trial readiness through implementation science to bring meaningful evidence-based care to patients [00:06:17]. Dr. Wright described how patients connect with her multidisciplinary neuroimmunology clinic, the team-based supports available (including nursing coordination, social work, and subspecialists), and her hope for more prospective studies and randomized controlled trials to guide future treatment [00:12:48]. View the medical profile of Dr. Melissa Wright:

https://healthcare.utah.edu/find-a-doctor/melissa-wright

Melissa A. Wright, MD is a pediatric autoimmune neurologist at the University of Utah and serves as Director of the Pediatric Autoimmune Neurology and Neuroimmunology Program at Primary Children’s Hospital. She completed medical school and child neurology residency at the University of Utah, followed by fellowship training in Autoimmune Neurology.

Her clinical and research efforts focus on improving the diagnosis and care of children with neuroinflammatory conditions. She is committed to advancing care that reflects the needs of patients, families, and caregivers, with particular emphasis on improving healthcare transitions for adolescents and young adults living with rare autoimmune neurologic diseases.

00:00 Meet Dr. Wright

01:32 Dr. Wright’s Journey

03:43 Why Neuroimmune Disorders

06:17 Research Focus Areas

10:26 Clinic Access and Referrals

12:48 Multidisciplinary Care Team

16:17 Self Care Outside Medicine

18:10 What Families Should Know

22:27 Hope for the Future

24:26 Closing