Improving encephalitis and meningitis care
We are here to help. The UCSF Center for Encephalitis & Meningitis is dedicated to advancing the field through collaboration with referring neurologists, other specialists and primary care providers.
Clinical Testing
The UCSF Center for Next-Gen Precision Diagnostics and the UCSF Clinical Microbiology Laboratory lab offer metagenomic sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid as a clinical test for patients with undiagnosed meningitis and/or encephalitis of unknown etiology. This test can identify a huge range of infectious causes of meningitis or encephalitis, including fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasites.
Clinical Referrals
Our multidisciplinary team includes expert clinicians, experienced in caring for pediatric and adult populations in inpatient and outpatient settings.
OUTPATIENT CONSULTATIONS
Adult Clinic
The UCSF Center for Encephalitis & Meningitis practice is highly multi-disciplinary, and our neurologists see patients in multiple clinical settings. Visit our clinical practice. To refer patients, go to the clinical page of our specialists below.
Felicia Chow, MD, MAS: Chronic meningitis and infectious encephalitis.
Jeffrey Gelfand, MD, MAS: Autoimmune encephalitis, autoimmune encephalopathy, chronic meningitis, leukodystrophy, and neurologic manifestations of systemic rheumatologic diseases.
Michael Geschwind, MD, PhD: Rapidly progressive dementia, autoimmune encephalitis, and leukodystrophy.
Ari Green, MD: Autoimmune encephalitis, infectious optic neuritis and neuro-ophthalmologic/visual complications of autoimmune or infectious encephalitis/meningitis.
Joanne Guo, MD: autoimmune encephalitis and chronic meningitis.
Samuel Pleasure, MD, PHD: autoimmune encephalitis and chronic meningitis.
Michael Wilson, MD, MAS: Chronic meningitis, autoimmune encephalitis, and infectious encephalitis.
For general referral information, please call 415.353.2069, or see instructions here.
Pediatric Clinic
The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Brain Center specializes in caring for children with a wide range of neurological conditions. Our specialists provide evaluations, management, and treatment with locations in San Francisco (Mission Bay) and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Carla Francisco, MD: Autoimmune encephalitis, autoimmune encephalopathy and neurologic manifestations of systemic rheumatologic diseases.
Emanuelle Waubant, MD, PHD: Autoimmune encephalitis, autoimmune encephalopathy, and neurologic manifestations of systemic rheumatologic diseases.
INPATIENT TRANSFERS OR CONSULTATIONS
Adult Transfers or Consultation
For adult patients who require hospitalization, UCSF offers top-notch neuro-critical care and neurohospitalist services. In addition, UCSF neurohospitalist faculty are available by phone to physicians who have questions regarding the evaluation or treatment of a patient.
To reach the adult neurohospitalist team, please contact:
UCSF Transfer Center
415.353.9166 phone
Pediatric Transfers or Consultation
The UCSF inpatient pediatric neurohospitalist team at Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco and Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland cares for children with a variety of neuroinflammatory and neuroimmunological conditions.
Kendall Nash, MD: Autoimmune encephalopathy, autoimmune encephalitis, neuroinflammatory disorders.
Transfers and urgent clinical phone advice can be obtained through the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Access Center at 877.822.4453 (877-UC-CHILD).
