Melissa Lutz

Melissa Lutz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her work focuses on addressing social determinants of health, food insecurity, and clinic-community partnerships to improve pediatric care.

• BS in Biopsychology and Spanish, Tufts University (2013)
• MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine (2018)
• MHS in Clinical Investigation, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2022)

Her research emphasizes the intersection of social drivers of health and pediatric primary care, with a focus on food insecurity and community-based interventions. Recent publications highlight the impact of television exposure on dietary habits in toddlers and strategies for integrating social support into clinical practice.

Dr. Lutz has received multiple awards, including the Susan K. Makoroff Award for compassionate care (2021) and Fellow’s Research Awards from the Academic Pediatric Association (2022, 2024). She was awarded the American Academy of Pediatrics Health Equity Grant (2024) to support her work on pediatric health disparities.