Melissa Nelson, M.D.
Dr. Melissa Byrne Nelson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Virginia Tech in 1992. She received her Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University (MCV/VCU) and completed her residency training at the Weill Cornell University Medical Center at the New York Presbyterian Hospital. She has additional fellowship training in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics from the Rose F. Kennedy Center at Albert Einstein University. In 2004, Dr. Nelson moved to Richmond with her family, where she joined Pediatric Associates of Richmond until February 2023.
Recognizing the increasing need to support children and young adults with mental and behavioral health challenges in her community, Dr. Nelson returned to her original fellowship training skills and began formally retooling with the support of the University of Virginia in 2019. In addition to her coursework, she became a Blue Ridge LEND Fellow (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities).
As a board certified pediatrician with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Melissa Nelson is dedicated to providing a comprehensive approach to children, teens and young adults facing behavioral and mental health challenges. Her expertise includes treating anxiety, depression, and attention deficit disorders, managing behavioral problems, providing parenting skills, and evaluating and diagnosing autism spectrum disorders.
Dr. Nelson currently serves at the vice-chair for the Virginia State Board of Health and the chair of the Richmond Pediatric Society. She served on Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors and currently serves on Virginia Tech’s Alumni Board of Directors. Dr. Nelson has served on various other boards and councils in her community including ChildSavers, the Medical College of Virginia’s Alumni Board of Directors. and the Governor’s PANDAS/PANS Advisory Council.
Dr. Nelson has been recognized by her peers in Richmond Magazine’s annual Top Docs issue (2010, 2013, 2016 – 2024) and appointed as the Walter Bundy, MD Professor at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU from 2023-2025. She received one of the YWCA’s 2015 Outstanding Women Awards for her dedication and efforts to establish an independent children’s hospital in Richmond.
In her free time, Dr. Nelson and her husband, Dr. Kinloch Nelson, enjoy spending time with their children and tandem cycling.