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Department
LocationTexas Medical Center
Specialty
Pathology
Phone: 832-824-8257
Fax: 832-825-1032
Address
6621 Fannin Street
AB1-195.14
Houston, TX 77030
Melissa M. Blessing, DO
Pediatric Pathology and Neuropathology
Texas Children's Hospital
Assistant Professor Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine
Education
| School | Education | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Children's Hospital | Fellowship | Pediatric Pathology | 2020 |
| Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences | Fellowship | Forensic Pathology | 2019 |
| Mayo School of Gradate Medical Education | Fellowship | Neuropathology | 2018 |
| Mayo School of Gradate Medical Education | Residency | Anatomic and Clinical Pathology | 2016 |
| A.T. Still University of Osteopathic Medicine | Medical School | Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine | 2012 |
| Northern Arizona University | Bachelors | Bachelor of Science in Biology | 2008 |
About
I treat each patient as a unique individual with an important story.
Clinical Interests:
Neuropathology, autopsy pathology, and general pediatric pathology
Research Interests:
Autopsy: Sudden Unexpected Infant Death / Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood, academic and forensic collaboration, protocols for oncologic research
Neuropathology: Epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, developmental and neurodegenerative disease, embryonal tumors, oncologic molecular biology
Organizations
| Organization Name | Role |
|---|---|
| American Academy of Forensic Sciences | Member |
| American Association of Neuropathologists | Member |
| International Society for the Study and Prevention of Perinatal and Infant Death | Member |
| National Association of Medical Examiners | Member |
| National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) | National Faculty Member |
| Society for Cardiovascular Pathology | Member |
| Society for Pediatric Pathology | Member |
| United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology | Member |
Selected Publications
Blessing MM, Alexandrescu, S. Embryonal tumors of the Central Nervous System: An Update (in: Current Trends in Neuropathology). Surgical Pathology Clinics 2020 Jun;12(2):235-247. PMID: 32389264.
Bieniek KF, Blessing MM,* Heckman MG, Diehl NN, Serie AM, Paolini MA 2nd, Boeve BF, Savica R, Reichard RR, Dickson DW. Association between contact sports participation and chronic traumatic encephalopathy: a retrospective cohort study. Brain Pathology 2020 Jan; 30(1):63-74. PMID: 31199537 *Shared first authorship.
Smith KM, Blessing MM, Parisi, JE, Britton JW, Mandrekar J, Cascino GD. Tau deposition in young adults with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Epilepsia 2019 Dec;60(12):2398-2403. PMID: 31663115.
Blessing MM, Blackburn PR*, Krishnan C, Harrod VL, Barr Fritcher EG, Zysk CD, Jackson RA, Milosevic D, Nair AA, Davila JI, Balcom JR, Jenkins RB, Halling KC, Kipp BR, Nageswara Rao AA, Laack NN, Daniels DJ, Macon WR, Ida CM. Desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma: A MAPK pathway-driven and microglia/macrophage-rich neuroepithelial tumor. Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology 2019 Nov 1;78(11):1011-1021. PMID: 31562743 *Shared first authorship.
Jones AL, Britton JW, Blessing MM, Parisi JE, Cascino GD. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy in an epilepsy surgery cohort: Clinical and pathologic findings. Neurology 2018 Feb 6;90(6):e474-e478. PMID: 29321231.
Romano RC, Allen TC, Blessing MM. The essential role of pathologists in health care and health policy. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2015 Apr;139(4):441-4. PMID: 25822761.
Blessing MM, Reichard RR. Critical diagnoses in forensic pathology: ethics of disclosure. Acad Forensic Pathol 2013 Sept;3(3):289-293. NLM ID: 101596736.
* Texas Children's Hospital physicians' licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician's office and were not verified by Texas Children's Hospital.