Joanna Hellmuth

Dr. Joanna Hellmuth is a neurologist who specializes in caring for adult patients with cognitive disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. She has a subspecialty focus in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder.

Hellmuth studies how HIV causes brain changes leading to problems with memory, attention and problem solving. Specifically, she examines how HIV-related brain inflammation is associated with neuron degeneration. The National Institute of Mental Health has honored her with a four-year Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award on this topic. She also participates in research on acute HIV infection in Bangkok, Thailand.

Hellmuth earned a master of health science degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She then completed her medical degree at the Robert Larner, MD College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, followed by a residency in neurology and a fellowship in behavioral neurology at UCSF. During her residency, she spent six months in rural Haiti with the nongovernmental organization Partners in Health, working alongside local health practitioners to improve delivery of neurologic care.

Hellmuth belongs to the American Academy of Neurology and International Antiviral Society – USA.