Melissa Bauer, D.O., is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Duke University. She completed her residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. She subsequently completed a fellowship in Critical Care at New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia, followed by a fellowship in Obstetric Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan.

She is funded by the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Child Health and Development) to work to reduce mortality and morbidity from maternal sepsis. Her research is centered on the early identification and treatment of maternal sepsis. She has published multiple studies identifying the differences within and difficulties of diagnosing sepsis in pregnant women and highlighting opportunities for improvement in maternal sepsis care. She served as an editor for the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative Maternal Sepsis toolkit, which provides step-by-step instructions for hospitals on how to implement screening and treatment for maternal sepsis. She serves on the Advisory Board for Sepsis Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating patients and providers about sepsis to improve outcomes. She currently serves as Chair for the national Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Sepsis in Obstetrical Care Patient Safety Bundle Workgroup with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health.