A 2021 Portland Monthly "Top Doctor," Alison Christy, M.D., PhD, is the only pediatric neuroimmunologist in Oregon. She serves as the clinical director for Providence Pediatric Neurology. Dr. Christy is actively establishing the Providence Center for Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology, one of the only centers in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to pediatric neuroimmunology. The Center conducts research and provides clinical trials to offer improved care for pediatric patients with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune or neurological diseases, including PANDAS/PANS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infection/pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome). The Center is funded by a generous grant from a grateful patient’s family. She is editor-in-chief of the Child Neurology Open, which is an open-access sister journal of the Journal of Child Neurology, one of the premier journals in pediatric clinical neurology. Dr. Christy also serves as the director of the Residents and Fellows Board for the Journal plus she interviews other pediatric neurologists in podcasts for the Journal to spread information about current research and developments in pediatric neurology. Dr. Christy received a Bachelor of Arts in neurosciences at Amherst College in Massachusetts. She studied medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where she also received a PhD in immunology for her research on immune cells in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. She completed her residency in child neurology at Oregon Health and Sciences University, where she was active in teaching, medical ethics and medical humanities, and received the Dr. Cheryl Hanna Humanism Award “in recognition of her compassion, selflessness and concern for patients’ spiritual and emotional well-being.” Dr. Christy continues to research, publish and present on pediatric neuroimmunological diseases. She is interested in community education on pediatric neurological disorders and protection of the brain, and has presented in schools, at juvenile detention centers, and to nursing and physical assistant groups. Her areas of expertise include: pediatric neurology; neuroimmunological disorders, including multiple sclerosis, white matter disease and leukodystrophies; headaches (including Botox injections and occipital nerve blocks); epilepsy and seizure disorders; and movement disorders. In her spare time, Dr. Christy loves playing the ukulele and singing, reading and writing fiction, running, and hanging out with her two elementary-school-aged children. She has lived and worked for a year each in Germany and Russia, and speaks a lot of German and a little Russian.
Medical School
Northwestern University Feinberg 2012
Residency
Oregon Health Sciences University Child Neurology 2017
Training
Northwestern University Immunology
Professional Associations
2021 Portland Monthly "Top Doctor"
Editor-in-chief, Child Neurology Open
Director of the Residents and Fellows Board for the Journal of Child Neurology
Podcaster for the Journal of Child Neurology
Board Certifications
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology
Hanging out with her two elementary-school-aged children
Community Reviews
This was a neurology visit to address our child's somewhat new diagnosis of an intellectual disability. Dr. Christy was great! We look forward to talking with her about the results of the imaging and other testing she ordered.
4.6
Providence Patient
This was our visit visit with Dr. Christy. She was very attentive and caring. She took our complaints seriously while making us feel like everything was fine.
5
Providence Patient
Dr.Christy is always kind and caring. My son has trust issues, but he likes Dr. Christy. He knows that she made him better and back to a normal kid. We highly recommend her to any parent with no answers.
5
Providence Patient
Provider spent 20 minutes w/us, my co-pay ($50.00) she said nothing about the condition of my child. Gave us advice that if she's not sitting, rolling by age 2 then we should run more tests. EEG & MRI = normal/Lots of effort and we got no answers. Dr. Christy never emailed me back on MyChart.
2.4
Providence Patient
The only issue I had was in scheduling the appointment. When I called to make an appointment, I was told the referral expired the next day, and she had to call my daughter's primary doctor to get a new referral and she'd call me back. A week later, I still had not heard from them, so I called them again. I was told: "Who did you talk to?" "I don't see a problem with the referral, etc." and then they scheduled the appointment for my daughter. It was frustrating to be dealt with in this manner.
5
Providence Patient
Excellent neurologist. Really took the time to listen and understand the issue and offer meaningful help and advice.
4.6
Providence Patient
Dr. Christy is excellent with my daughter - explains things well to her & is very respectful. Does everything she can to get her feeling better.