Melissa Armstrong, MD, MSc, FAAN : Bio and credentials

My name is Melissa Armstrong, MD, MSc, and I am the Director of the UF Health Mangurian Clinical-Research Headquarters for Lewy body Dementia at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases.

I received my medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and later completed my neurology residency there. Following my residency, I completed my movement disorders fellowship at Toronto Western Hospital and my Master of Science in clinical epidemiology and healthcare research at the University of Toronto, both in 2011.

Patients see me for various conditions in the Parkinson family, such as Parkinson disease, Lewy body dementia, and the atypical parkinsonisms (corticobasal syndrome, progressive supranuclear palsy, and multiple system atrophy.

My goal is to partner with people living with these conditions and their families to determine the best approaches for each unique person. Care is driven by the goals of the person living with the condition and their support network.

While there are no cures for these conditions, there are strategies we can take to improve quality of life. I use medications if they will be helpful, work with our amazing therapy, dietary, and social work team members to find non-drug approaches and discuss what to expect in the future.

With funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Florida Department of Health, I also conduct research at my lab, the LBD Life Lab, on the lived experiences of people living with parkinsonisms and dementia and their care partners and caregivers.

My research includes investigating causes and outcomes of hospitalization in Lewy body dementia; studying how clinicians, individuals with memory problems, and caregivers discuss a diagnosis of dementia; finding better ways to diagnose and treat dementia with Lewy bodies; identifying the clinical and research priorities of people living with dementia with Lewy bodies and their caregivers; and learning more about the moderate-advanced stages of dementia with Lewy bodies.

When I’m not working with patients and families or conducting research in clinic, I am the Associate Chair of Faculty Development for the Department of Neurology at the University of Florida. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, sewing and photography.