Dr. Melnikow is the Director of UC Davis’ Center for Healthcare Policy and Research as well as a Professor of Family and Community Medicine. She currently serves on the Executive Committee for the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and is also a member of the US Preventive Services Task Force. Additionally, she serves on CHBRP’s medical effectiveness and public health teams. 

Dr. Melnikow’s research focuses on cancer prevention and women’s health, primarily with regard to comparative effectiveness, cost effectiveness, and decision making and patient preferences. She has received funds from the American Cancer Society, the California Breast Cancer Research Program, the National Cancer Institute, and private foundations to research the effectiveness, preferences, decision making, and cost-effectiveness of preventive treatments for breast and cervical cancers.

Dr. Melnikow received her MD from UC San Francisco and her MPH in Epidemiology from UC Berkeley. Prior to working at UC Davis in 1992, she completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, worked for the Indian Health Service, and was on the faculty of Case Western University’s MetroHealth Medical Center.