Contact Information
Education
NIH KL2 Scholar, Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Clinic
PhD (Nursing Science), University of Louisville
MSN, University of Louisville
BSN, University of Louisville
Biography
Dr. Melissa Pinto joined the Indiana University School of Nursing in June 2026 as a tenured professor and associate dean for the Indianapolis campus. In this role, she serves as a senior academic and administrative leader, advancing faculty success, academic operations, strategic initiatives, and innovation in support of the School's mission across Indianapolis and the state of Indiana.
Prior to joining IU, Dr. Pinto served in scientific and executive leadership roles at Mayo Clinic, including director of nursing research. In these roles, she provided strategic leadership for nursing research initiatives, advanced interdisciplinary scientific collaboration, and contributed to the growth of a robust research enterprise within one of the nation's leading academic health systems. She is an internationally recognized nurse scientist, academic leader, and mentor with a distinguished record of funded scholarship, scientific productivity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and systems-level leadership.
Dr. Pinto's research advances whole-person health through discovery science and intervention development. Her work focuses on symptom science, chronic disease, mental health, artificial intelligence, and personalized approaches to care, with the overarching goal of improving quality of life, promoting longevity, and extending health span. Her scholarship has made significant contributions to the understanding of long COVID, symptom trajectories, cognition and mood, depression, adolescent and young adult mental health, and mobile health interventions. She also develops innovative, technology-enabled interventions to improve symptom management and chronic disease outcomes, including emerging research on culinary and lifestyle interventions designed to enhance daily functioning and well-being.
As a principal investigator and co-investigator, Dr. Pinto has led and contributed to research supported by the National Institutes of Health, foundations, academic medical centers, health systems, and private-sector partners. Her research has informed clinical practice, health policy, and public discourse through extensive national dissemination and media engagement. Notably, her work on long COVID symptom clusters and risk factors was cited in U.S. Congressional briefings focused on addressing the impact of long COVID. Her research on adolescent and young adult mental health has also been presented to national leaders and policymakers, including invited presentations at the White House and the CDC.
Dr. Pinto is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, one of the profession's highest honors, and serves as editor-in-chief of Clinical Nursing Research: An International Journal (SAGE Publishing). Her scholarship has been published in leading journals, including Scientific Reports, Vaccine, Journal of Adolescent Health, Journal of Affective Disorders, Journal of Clinical Nursing, and Issues in Mental Health Nursing. Her contributions to nursing science have been recognized through numerous national awards for research excellence.