Melena Bellin, MD
Co-Medical Director, Clinical Translational Research Services
Dr. Melena Bellin serves as Co-Medical Director of CTSI’s Clinical Translational Research Services (CTRS) core, a role she shares with Dr. Joanne Billings.
In this role, Dr. Bellin collaborates with CTRS managers and leaders to grow CTRS services and support its teams, which provide a wide range of clinical and translational research services and expert consultations. Dr. Bellin works closely with the Clinical Research Support Center (CRSC) and the Research Preparation Group (RPG) to provide customized support to investigators navigating the research environment, to facilitate success of clinical research at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Bellin is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, with a joint appointment in Surgery. She also serves as a faculty member with the PhD Program in Integrative Biology and Physiology.
Dr. Bellin’s research focus is islet transplantation — transplantation of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas — for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and patients whose pancreas has been removed to treat severe chronic pancreatitis.
Dr. Bellin received her MD from the University of Minnesota Medical School, where she also completed her pediatric residency and pediatric endocrine fellowship training. She is a graduate of CTSI’s K-R01 Transition to Independence career development program.