Voluntary Faculty
Voluntary faculty are typically clinicians or others who are employed outside of the School but make significant contributions to department programs at the medical center or at affiliate institutions.
Voluntary rank detailsMellisa Pensa, MD, MPH
Assistant Clinical ProfessorDownloadHi-Res Photo
About
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Titles
Associate Program Director
Biography
Mellisa received her MD from the University of Connecticut and trained in a combined Family Medicine-Preventive Medicine Program at Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU). She has an MPH with a concentration in health policy. She practiced academic and private family medicine and also served as a clinical epidemiologist for the OHSU Center for Evidence-based Policy prior to completing Yale's fellowship in Occupational and Environmental Medicine . Mellisa enjoys practicing clinical Occupational and Environmental Medicine, teaching and performing research within the field of OEM.
Last Updated on May 07, 2025.
Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Fellow
- Yale University School of Medicine (2017)
- Resident
- Oregon Health and Science University (2012)
- MPH
- Portland State University, Health Management and Policy (2012)
- Resident
- Oregon Health and Science University (2011)
- MD
- University of Connecticut (2008)
- BS
- College of William and Mary, Biology (2004)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Environment and Public Health; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Mellisa Pensa's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Mellisa Pensa's research output by year.
Carrie A Redlich, MD, MPH, BA
Benjamin Oldfield, MD, MHS, BA
Kasia Lipska, MD, MHS, BS
Margaret Pisani, MD, MPH, FCCP
9Publications
151Citations
Publications
2025
Navigating Access to Medications for Diabetes Mellitus in the Era of 340B Drug Pricing Program Restrictions: A Bilingual Qualitative Study of Patients’ Perspectives
Lalani S, Kapadia V, Lipska K, McKevitt C, Montosa A, Ochoa-Prieto M, Pensa M, Oldfield B. Navigating Access to Medications for Diabetes Mellitus in the Era of 340B Drug Pricing Program Restrictions: A Bilingual Qualitative Study of Patients’ Perspectives. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2025, 1-8. PMID: 40866750, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-09795-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsBehavioral Model of Health Services UseAndersen's Behavioral ModelMedication accessPharmacy staffAndersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services UseModel of Health Services UseType 2 diabetesStudy of patient perspectivesHealth service useCommunity health centersHealth center settingConstant comparative methodExperiences of individualsDesignQualitative studyThematic saturationService usePatient perspectiveHealth centersCode teamAndersen modelLifestyle changesUnderinsured adultsLoved onesPharmacy policiesStructural competency
2016
Community-based Participatory Research Is Needed to Address Pulmonary Health Disparities
Harris DA, Pensa MA, Redlich CA, Pisani MA, Rosenthal MS. Community-based Participatory Research Is Needed to Address Pulmonary Health Disparities. Annals Of The American Thoracic Society 2016, 13: 1231-1238. PMID: 27249657, DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.201601-054ps.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCommunity-based participatory researchHealth disparitiesPulmonary diseaseHealth equityPediatric asthma outcomesOutcome of treatmentAmerican Thoracic SocietyAdult asthmaAsthma outcomesMedical managementLung diseaseThoracic SocietyPulmonary medicineHealth behaviorsSpecific interventionsRacial disparitiesParticipatory researchCommunity healthHealth careDiseaseNational InstituteOutcomesSustainable interventionsCommunity-based approachHealthPatterns of Energy Drink Use and Associated Symptoms Among a Population of Connecticut Factory Workers
Pensa MA, Galusha DH, Stowe MH, Lefkowitz RY, Redlich CA. Patterns of Energy Drink Use and Associated Symptoms Among a Population of Connecticut Factory Workers. Journal Of Occupational And Environmental Medicine 2016, 58: e188-e190. PMID: 27158968, DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000000728.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMortality risk from comorbidities independent of triple-negative breast cancer status: NCI-SEER-based cohort analysis
Swede H, Sarwar A, Magge A, Braithwaite D, Cook LS, Gregorio DI, Jones BA, R. Hoag J, Gonsalves L, L. Salner A, Zarfos K, Andemariam B, Stevens RG, G. Dugan A, Pensa M, A. Brockmeyer J. Mortality risk from comorbidities independent of triple-negative breast cancer status: NCI-SEER-based cohort analysis. Cancer Causes & Control 2016, 27: 627-636. PMID: 27000206, PMCID: PMC5591028, DOI: 10.1007/s10552-016-0736-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCharlson co-morbidity indexRisk of deathBreast cancer patientsB patientsCCI scoreHazard ratioCancer patientsTriple-negative breast cancer subtypeTriple-negative breast cancer statusWhite breast cancer patientsCo-morbidity indexConnecticut Tumor RegistryEstimated hazard ratioBreast cancer statusBreast cancer subtypesAA/BCause mortalityClinicopathological factorsTumor RegistryAmerican/BlackCancer populationHigh prevalenceBreast cancerCohort analysisCancer status
2013
Integrating improvement learning into a family medicine residency curriculum.
Pensa M, Frew P, Gelmon SB. Integrating improvement learning into a family medicine residency curriculum. Family Medicine 2013, 45: 409-16. PMID: 23743941.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsImprovement curriculumFamily medicine residenciesFamily medicine residency curriculumSystems-based practiceGraduate Medical EducationMedicine residencyFamily medicine residency programsLocal health care settingsFamily medicine residentsLongitudinal instructionAcademic yearLevel of trainingMedical educationCurriculumCritical skillsMedicine residency programsResidency educationAccreditation CouncilCore competenciesResidency curriculumImprovement knowledgeResident confidenceResidency programsDidacticsMedicine residents
2011
Prevalence and Prognostic Role of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Race: A Surveillance Study
Swede H, Gregorio DI, Tannenbaum SH, Brockmeyer JA, Ambrosone C, Wilson LL, Pensa MA, Gonsalves L, Stevens RG, Runowicz CD. Prevalence and Prognostic Role of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Race: A Surveillance Study. Clinical Breast Cancer 2011, 11: 332-341. PMID: 21729670, PMCID: PMC4459583, DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2011.04.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsConnecticut Tumor RegistryTN breast cancerBlack patientsBreast cancerSurvival disparitiesWhite patientsLocal diseaseHER2 statusTN statusNational Cancer Institute's Surveillance EpidemiologyPrimary invasive breast cancerTriple-negative breast cancerAdvanced breast cancerInvasive breast cancerTriple-negative subtypeRisk of deathStatewide cancer registryAdvanced diseaseDuctal tumorsLobular cancerPrognostic roleTumor RegistryCancer RegistryHistologic subtypeRegional disease
2009
Patterns of HER2 testing in the management of primary breast cancer
Pensa M, Swede H, Brockmeyer JA, Gregorio DI. Patterns of HER2 testing in the management of primary breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiology 2009, 33: 113-117. PMID: 19679057, DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2009.06.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsLymph node statusHER2 testingNode statusTumor gradeBreast cancerHuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) statusEpidermal growth factor receptor 2 statusPrimary invasive breast carcinomasWhite womenReceipt of testingConnecticut Tumor RegistryYear of diagnosisInvasive breast cancerPopulation-based patternsPrimary breast cancerTime of diagnosisBreast cancer patientsEstrogen receptor statusTumors of patientsInvasive breast carcinomaAfrican American womenWomen’s prognosisClinicopathologic factorsER statusReceptor status
2006
Oral Bromelain Attenuates Inflammation in an Ovalbumin‐Induced Murine Model of Asthma
Secor ER, Carson WF, Singh A, Pensa M, Guernsey LA, Schramm CM, Thrall RS. Oral Bromelain Attenuates Inflammation in an Ovalbumin‐Induced Murine Model of Asthma. Evidence-based Complementary And Alternative Medicine 2006, 5: 61-69. PMID: 18317550, PMCID: PMC2249734, DOI: 10.1093/ecam/nel110.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsAcute allergic airway diseaseMurine modelAAD miceOral bromelainMethacholine sensitivityTh2 cytokines IL-5OVA aerosol challengeOVA/alumAllergic airway diseaseFemale C57BL/6J miceIL-13 concentrationsCytokines IL-5Beneficial therapeutic effectsAirway reactivityOVA aerosolLung histologyAirway diseaseBAL eosinophilsOral treatmentAerosol challengeImmunomodulatory effectsIL-13C57BL/6J miceIL-5T cells
2004
Trophic Transition in a Lake on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Pensa MA, Chambers RM. Trophic Transition in a Lake on the Virginia Coastal Plain. Journal Of Environmental Quality 2004, 33: 576-580. PMID: 15074809, DOI: 10.2134/jeq2004.5760.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsVirginia Coastal PlainCoastal plainTrophic statusNutrient depositionChesapeake Bay drainage basinOrganic matter depositionBiogenic silica concentrationsYears of depositionAnalysis of sedimentsLake trophic statusBiogenic silicaDrainage basinSurface sedimentsStream deltasStream dischargeAllochthonous contributionsSediment analysisSmall lakesMatter depositionVertical profilesSpatial surveyDownstream watersP loadingSilica concentrationAlgal production
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