Melinda Schneider, MD, MSc
Resident
Neurology
School of Medicine

Melinda is a Pediatric Neurology resident at UCSF. She currently serves as chief resident for diversity equity and inclusion within the neurology residency and outpatient clinic chief at UCSF Mission Bay and San Francisco General Pediatric Neurology clinics. She is enthusiastic about working towards creative, cross-disciplinary strategies to address health disparities, chronic care management and childhood trauma.

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Melinda is an alumnus of UC Irvine School of Medicine, where she developed her passion in pediatrics as an avid volunteer with children’s organizations. She also conducted research evaluating the use of dance as a rehabilitation strategy for children with cerebral palsy, and implemented a novel medical education curriculum on trauma-informed care that has been presented to trainees across the state. Prior to medical school, Melinda completed her undergraduate studies in biology, dance and music, and a Master’s degree at UC San Diego in stress neurobiology studying the gut-microbiome’s regulation of mood, learning and memory. She intends to pursue fellowship in pediatric epilepsy at Children's Hospital of Orange County/UC Irvine beginning in July 2025.

Awards

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• Lucy S. Crain Award for providing exceptional primary care to children with special needs, UCSF Pediatrics Residency, 2022
• National Scholar Award, Philanthropic Education Organization, 2019
• Associated Medical Students' Service Award, UC Irvine School of Medicine, 2018
• Gold Humanism Honor Society, UC Irvine School of Medicine, 2018
• Medical Humanities Research Fellowship, UC Irvine Medical Humanities Initiative, 2016
• Research Recognition Award in the Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology Section, American Physiological Society, 2015
• Research Excellence Fellow, American Physiological Society, 2014
• Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, UC San Diego, 2013

Education & Training

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• Pediatrics UCSF Pediatrics Residency 2022
• MD Medicine UC Irvine School of Medicine 2020
• MSc Biology: Microbiome-gut-brain axis UC San Diego 2015
• BS Human Biology, Dance, Music UC San Diego 2014
• Pediatric Neurology UCSF Pediatric Neurology Residency

Interests

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• Trauma-Informed Care
• Dance Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Gut-Microbiome-Brain Axis
• Pediatric Neurology
• Stress Biology
• Communication in Healthcare

Publications (4)

Top publication keywords:
AnxietyNod1 Signaling Adaptor ProteinMice, Inbred C57BLNeurogenesisIntestinal AbsorptionBrainIntestinal MucosaKeloidNod2 Signaling Adaptor ProteinHypothalamo-Hypophyseal SystemSerotoninStress, PsychologicalCells, CulturedCognitionSynaptic Transmission

• Nod-like receptors are critical for gut-brain axis signalling in mice.
  The Journal of physiology 2019 Pusceddu MM, Barboza M, Keogh CE, Schneider M, Stokes P, Sladek JA, Kim HJD, Torres-Fuentes C, Goldfild LR, Gillis SE, Brust-Mascher I, Rabasa G, Wong KA, Lebrilla C, Byndloss MX, Maisonneuve C, …
• A Six Week Therapeutic Ballet Intervention Improved Gait and Inhibitory Control in Children With Cerebral Palsy-A Pilot Study.
  Frontiers in public health 2019 Lakes KD, Sharp K, Grant-Beuttler M, Neville R, Haddad F, Sunico R, Ho D, Schneider M, Sawitz S, Paulsen J, Caputo K, Lu KD, Aminian A, López-Ortiz C, Radom-Aizik S
• The Gut-Brain Axis: Dietary, Probiotic and Prebiotic Interventions on the Microbiota
  Altering the gut microbiome for cognitive benefit? 2016 Huynh, K, SCHNEIDER, M, & Gareau, M.
• Keloids: Which treatment is best for your patient?
  The Journal of family practice 2013 Schneider M, Meites E, Daane SP