Neurologist Who Diagnoses ALS Patients Receives Own Diagnosis, Reflects on Impact of Disability

Dr. Christopher Campos, a neurologist and assistant professor at UC Davis Health, disclosed that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2025 after a decade of delivering the same diagnosis to patients.

He grew up in South Florida, became the first in his family to attend college, and built a career that included patient care, research, and an active personal life of cooking, swimming, yoga, and biking. In the fall of 2023 he first noticed weakness in his right hand, then his left, and a change in his voice.

Although his medical training let him recognize the warning signs, it still took two years before a formal ALS diagnosis was confirmed.

His experience on the opposite side of the conversation has taught him that society often equates physical dependence with diminished personhood, underscoring the need for greater empathy toward people living with progressive diseases.