Overview
Dr. Wright established and serves as the Director of the Pediatric Autoimmune Neurology and Neuroimmunology Program at Primary Children’s Hospital, the first of its kind in the Intermountain West. This program consists of a rapidly expanding outpatient clinic, weekly inpatient consultations, and robust research efforts bridging pediatric and adult autoimmune neurology. Completing her residency in pediatric neurology and then a fellowship with an adult autoimmune neurology program, Dr. Wright has a unique expertise and perspective regarding patients across the age span. Her clinical interests focus on unmet needs and improvement in diagnosis and consistency of treatment for rare neuroinflammatory conditions in children. In particular, she has a special interest in the barriers that patients face as they transition from pediatric to adult clinics, and she has also founded the Autoimmune Neurology/Neuroimmunology Transition of Care Clinic at the University of Utah.
Her areas of clinical and research focus include autoimmune encephalitis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), demyelinating diseases, multiple sclerosis (MS), opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia symptoms (OMAS), CNS vasculitis, and central nervous system complications of rheumatologic diseases.
Please view her faculty profile here.
Current Research Projects & Funding
Dr. Wright will be mentoring Dr. Zhang, the upcoming neuroimmunology fellow, as their project was selected for the I’M IN EMD Serono sponsored fellowship to investigate an intervention to improve transition of care of pediatric MS patients moving to adult care.
She additionally serves as a Site Investigator and Pediatric Lead for the NeuroNEXT ExTINGUISH Trial for NMDA receptor encephalitis.
I see patients at . . .
- Primary Children’s Hospital
- Primary Children’s Hospital, Eccles Outpatient Building
- University of Utah, Imaging and Neuroscience Center
Key Publications
Published Work in MyBibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/melissa.wright.4/bibliography/public/
Awards, Honors, & Recognitions
- AAN Neurology Resident & Fellow Section Writing Award
- University of Utah Pediatrics Medical Student of the Year
- Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Junior Member Inductee
- Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) Inductee
Professional Affiliations & Leadership Roles
Member: American Academy of Neurology, Child Neurology Society
Why choose Autoimmune Neurology at Utah?
The collaborative approach fostered by the University of Utah Autoimmune Neurology group is one that is quite unique. In rare disease research, it is essential to work together and have trusted and hard-working colleagues, and this groups offers that. Beyond the team approach within the group, we also work closely with other specialists and value multi-disciplinary care for our complex patients to ensure the best care.
Because of our geographic location and large catchment area, we have experience with even the rarest of conditions. As we see a wide variety of patients, including from urban, suburban, rural, and frontier communities, we are adept at personalizing treatment plans and care to fit individual needs. Additionally, our pediatric and transition of healthcare autoimmune clinics allow for seamless care across the lifespan of patients with rare immune mediated neurologic conditions.
