Melissa Cedars, MS, MLS(ASCP)

I worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientist for approximately 17 years in both hospital and clinic laboratories across rural and urban Minnesota and Wisconsin. As a generalist, I gained experience in all areas of the clinical laboratory at Amery Regional Medical Center (Amery, WI), Essentia Health St. Mary’s (Duluth, MN), and Lake View Hospital (Two Harbors, MN). I also spent seven years in the HLA/Immunology Laboratory at the University of Minnesota Medical Center Fairview (Minneapolis, MN), where I performed HLA antibody and antigen characterization, as well as compatibility testing for solid organ and bone marrow transplantation.

In 2021, I joined Jean Regal’s laboratory at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus, as a bench researcher. My work focused on investigating the mechanisms contributing to hypertension during pregnancy and its associated maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. This research also examined the development of Type 2 diabetes in offspring using rodent models.

I have since returned to the Department of Biomedical Sciences as an anatomy instructor after earning a Master of Science in Modern Human Anatomy from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. My capstone project explored vulvar anatomy education within healthcare programs across the United States. I remain committed to advancing education and advocacy related to female pelvic anatomy, promoting greater awareness, reducing stigma, and encouraging comprehensive anatomical education across healthcare disciplines and society more broadly.

In addition, I serve as a member of the Duluth Lions Gift of Sight ocular recovery team, where I assist with corneal tissue recovery from deceased donors.