About

Dr. Diaz is an assistant professor of neurology in the Division of MS/Neuroimmunology at UNC. She sees patients in the MS and transverse myelitis clinics of UNC, providing care to patients with multiple sclerosis and autoimmune and infectious diseases affecting the nervous system. She completed her neurology residency at Yale and neuro-infectious/MS/neuroimmunology fellowship at UC San Diego. Dr. Diaz has lived and worked in Peru intermittently since 2019 through an NIH Fogarty fellowship and continues to lead studies in Peru with the goal of improving neurological outcomes in Latin America, including studies on epidemiology/risk factors for dementia, cognitive impairment in Peruvians living with HIV and transverse myelitis in Peru. She is the co-director of a bilateral neurology resident rotation between UNC and Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru.

Awards and honors

• American Academy of Neurology Clinical Research Training Scholarship, July 1, 2022-June 30, 2024
• 2021 Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar, NIH National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, August 2021
• University of North Carolina Simmons Scholar Award, July 1, 2021
• American Academy of Neurology, Training in Research for Academic Neurologists to Sustain Careers and Enhance the Numbers of Diverse Scholars (TRANSCENDS) Scholarship, June 2019
• Johnson & Johnson Global Health Scholars Award, Yale University School of Medicine, September 2016

Memberships

• Elected Vice-Chair, Global Health section, American Academy of Neurology; 2022-2025 (current, 3 year term)
• Elected Member, Global Engagement Committee, American Neurological Association; November 2022-current
• Elected Member, Advancing Women in Academics Subcommittee, American Academy of Neurology; 2021-present
• Elected member, Neurology Collaborative Science Group, AIDS Clinical Trials Group; 2018-2021; 2nd elected term: 2021-current (2 year term)
• Elected member, Capacity Building Sub-Committee and Research Committee; Consortium of Universities for Global Health Education Committee, 2019-present

In the news

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  Diaz Receives Grant to Study Brain Function and the CNS HIV Reservoir

  Monica Diaz, MD, assistant professor of neurology, and Eran Dayan, PhD, associate professor of radiology, received an NIH (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) grant to study: Brain structure and function and the CNS HIV reservoir in older people living with HIV. People living with HIV (PWH) often exhibit a spectrum of cognitive, motor … Read more

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  Update on Neurological Complications of HIV

  The prevalence of neurological complications among people with HIV (PWH) is expected to increase as PWH live longer due to increased access to antiretroviral treatment (ART). In a study conducted by Monica Maria Diaz, MD, MS, some findings highlight the need for comprehensive healthcare strategies to manage neurological complications in PWH, including targeted interventions for … Read more

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  Chronic Meningitis: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges

  Monica Maria Diaz, MD, MS and Deanna Saylor, MD, MHS, are reviewing recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of chronic meningitis, focusing on tuberculous meningitis (TBM), cryptococcal meningitis (CM), syphilitic meningitis, neuroborreliosis, and recurrent chronic meningitis. Diagnosis and management of chronic meningitis remain significant challenges, and further research is needed to improve our diagnostic and therapeutic … Read more

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  UNC Neurologists Lead Global Research in HIV-Associated Cognitive Disorders and Multiple Sclerosis

  Two UNC neurologists are making significant strides in understanding neurological disorders across diverse global populations, from Latin America to Sub-Saharan Africa.  Monica Diaz, MD, MS, and Deanna Saylor, MD, MHS, are neuro-infectious diseases and neuro-immunology specialists. They are the newest members of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, combining their expertise to address … Read more

Education