Melissa Bent

Melissa Bent is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, affiliated with Lurie Children’s Hospital. She completed her pediatric training at the University of California, San Francisco, and a fellowship in non-operative pediatric orthopedics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Bent co-directs and serves as site principal investigator for the FDA-funded Consortium of Technology in Pediatrics (CTIP 3.0).

• Pediatric orthopedic surgery specialization
• Focus on non-operative interventions and augmented reality
• Leadership role in pediatric medical device innovation

Her research spans augmented reality in cerebral palsy rehabilitation, health equity in orthopedics, and pediatric medical device development. Key clinical interests include clubfoot outcomes and techequity. Bent's publications highlight interdisciplinary collaboration, medical device innovation, and addressing disparities in pediatric orthopedic care.

Bent contributes to pediatric gait analysis accessibility studies and smart device implementation for spina bifida patients. Her work intersects with

• augmented reality applications
• medical device regulatory processes
• social determinants of health

in pediatric populations.