Melissa Marie D'Andrea, MD

Hometown: Middletown, Connecticut
Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Hobbies: Ice skating; walking, running, and hiking outdoors with my dog, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel; cooking vegetarian foods; composting and gardening.
Clinical/Research Interests: Reducing health disparities in patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI), applications of the WIfI score as a classification system in peripheral arterial disease (PAD), comorbid depression with CLTI effect on amputation outcomes, anticoagulation treatment for thromboembolic events in COVID-19 patients, predictors of long term mortality after AAA repair, and predictors of decline in renal function after EVAR.
Why University of Arizona? I was impressed with the faculty, residents, and fellows working together, the case volume and breadth, the balance of endovascular and open cases, research opportunities, and the emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion. Training at multiple clinical sites including the VA, collaborating with SALSA, the well established limb salvage program, the application of Spanish speaking skills where needed to connect better with patients, and participating in outreach clinics to improve access to care were all strong interests of mine that University of Arizona Tucson offered in their training program.