About Me
Melissa is originally from Steamboat Springs, Colorado and is a third year MD-PhD student at the University of Utah. She has bachelor’s degrees in biomedical engineering and flute performance from the University of Arizona. As a Nordic combined athlete growing up, she was drawn to orthopaedics through sports medicine, but has since developed an interest in rehabilitation after conducting biomechanics research with amputees. She worked in the Human Movement and Biomechanics Lab at the University of Arizona, was a 2019 National Institutes of Health Biomedical Engineering Intern, and has worked in the Orthopaedic Research Lab since 2020. Her PhD research is focused on computational modeling of foot deformity associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which compliments her clinical interests in neuromusculoskeletal diseases with a focus on pediatric populations. Outside of her studies and research, Melissa is involved in leadership for the Utah Medical Orchestra and enjoys playing flute, hiking, baking, skiing, and getting outdoors with her dog, Artemis.