Research Faculty Spotlight: Melissa Bent, MD
For Melissa Bent, MD, attending physician and investigator in the Jackie and Gene Autry Orthopedic Center at CHLA, finding opportunities to fit together her various interests and skills has guided her throughout her career. “I want to interweave health equity with my efforts to bring new technology to populations that are often marginalized to improve mobility in children with neuromuscular conditions and other orthopedic conditions,” she explains.
Dr. Bent was interested in a scientific career since middle and high school, when she competed in local and state science fairs. During her undergraduate studies, Dr. Bent had a summer research internship at the NIH. She later received a diversity supplement to work in collaboration with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and conduct continued research with adults dealing with stroke and spinal cord injuries.
After completing medical school and residency, Dr. Bent came to CHLA to work in non-operative pediatric orthopedic medicine. “In orthopedics, there are usually orthopedic surgeons or primary care sports medicine physicians,” Dr. Bent explains. “My fellowship in non-surgical orthopedics focused on a wide spectrum of pediatric orthopedics, which is what CHLA was looking for. I interviewed here and it was a great fit.”
Currently, Dr. Bent is partnering with a former KidsX startup company that has developed a mobile application based on augmented reality with games adapted to encourage movement and mobility in children with mild cerebral palsy. “We’re testing to see if children with mild cerebral palsy find the games engaging and are encouraged to get moving. Our goal is to take this testing from the hospital to the home setting to see if patients can adopt and use the app to supplement the other therapies they’re receiving and increase their amount of physical activity at home,” she says.
Health equity is also embedded in much of the work Dr. Bent has done at CHLA. “I’ve also researched how children with clubfoot are impacted in terms of transportation options and other access issues, depending upon their socioeconomic means and social disadvantages,” she explains. “These projects have shown me how to come up with creative solutions to address challenges and barriers.”
When she’s not at work, Dr. Bent enjoys spending time with her family, including her three-year-old daughter. Last year, she published a children’s book about women in medicine.
