Dr. Melzer is an Assistant Professor and health services researcher with a focus on improving care for tobacco-related pulmonary diseases and enhancing early lung cancer detection through implementation science. Dr. Melzer has served as a site-PI and co-investigator for several multi-site trials testing methods for integrating smoking cessation into lung cancer screening and lung nodule evaluation (the PLUTO trial, TeaM-OUT trial). She is a current VA Health Services Research Career Development Awardee, studying the use of technology to perform tobacco treatment outreach for smokers with COPD. She is a co-investigator for the VA Lung Cancer Precision Oncology Program, working on regional and national efforts to increase implementation of high-quality lung cancer screening.

Dr. Melzer holds several leadership positions within the American Thoracic Society, currently serving on the Behavioral Sciences and Health Services Program Committee and the Tobacco Action Committee. She serves as faculty for evidence-based medicine for the VALUE longitudinal medicine clerkship.

Current Mentees: Dr. Bethlehem Atoma (Resident)

Selected publications:

• Melzer AC, Golden SE, Ono SS, Datta S, Crothers K, Slatore CG. “We Just Never Have Enough Time”: Clinician Views of Lung Cancer Screening Processes and Implementation. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. June 4, 2020

• Hegland AJ, Bolduc J, Jones L, Kunisaki KM, Melzer AC. Pharmacist-Driven Deprescribing of Inhaled Corticosteroids in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2021 Apr;18(4):730-733. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202007-871RL. PMID: 33171064.

• Melzer AC, Golden SE, Ono SS, Datta S, Crothers K, Slatore CG. What Exactly Is Shared Decision-Making? A Qualitative Study of Shared Decision-Making in Lung Cancer Screening. J Gen Intern Med. 2020 Feb;35(2):546-553. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05516-3

• Aase A, Fabbrini AE, White K, Averill S, Gravely A, Melzer AC. Implementation of a Standardized Template for Reporting of Incidental Pulmonary Nodules: Feasibility, Acceptability and Outcomes. J Am Coll Radiol. 2020;17(2):216-223. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2019.11.013

• Melzer AC, Clothier BA, Japuntich SJ, Noorbaloochi S, Hammett P, Burgess DJ, Joseph AM, Fu SS. Comparative Effectiveness of Proactive Tobacco Treatment among Smokers with and without Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2018 Mar;15(3):341-347. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201707-582OC

• Melzer AC, Ghassemieh B, Gillespie SE, Lindenauer PK, McBurnie M, Mularski RA, Naureckas ET, Vollmer WM, Au DH. Patient characteristics associated with poor inhaler technique among a cohort of patients with COPD. Respiratory Medicine.123 (2017) pp. 124-130 doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2016.12.011

• Melzer AC, Feemster LC, Collins MP, Au DH. Utilization and effectiveness of pharmacotherapy for Tobacco use following admission for exacerbation of COPD. J Hosp Med. 2016 Apr; 11:257-63 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jhm.2519