Melissa A. Elafros, MD, PhD
University of Michigan
Melissa Elafros, MD, PhD, is the Andrea and Lawrence A. Wolfe Research Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan. With a focus on improving access to quality neurologic care for resource-limited populations in the US and low- and middle-income countries, she conducts epidemiologic, health services and clinical research aimed at determining risk factors for neurologic morbidity and mortality in these settings.
In 2009, Dr. Elafros began conducting research in Zambia focused on the medical and psychosocial burden of neurologic disease. Since then, she has been continuously involved in research with patients, caregivers and healthcare workers regarding the most pressing neurologic concerns in sub-Saharan Africa. Her first NIH-funded study examined barriers to care for meningitis, a condition that continues to cause significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. In August 2023, she launched the Zambian Cohort of Healthy Aging and Dementia (Z-CHAD) study in collaboration with Zambian neurologists and neuropsychologists. This study is determining the prevalence of dementia and associated risk factors in Zambia while also characterizing the burden and barriers to care faced by these patients and their caregivers.