Melis N. Anahtar, MD, PhD
manahtar@mgh.harvard.edu / CV / LinkedIn / 
@melisanahtar
I am currently conducting research on machine learning-guided antimicrobial discovery for Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Jim Collins' lab at the Broad Institute, Wyss Institute, and MIT. My graduate work in Doug Kwon's lab was focused on understanding how vaginal bacteria impact genital inflammation and HIV acquisition risk. I am clinically trained and board-certified in Clinical Pathology and Medical Microbiology. I co-founded and continue to consult for Day Zero Diagnostics, a Boston-based company that is developing an in vitro diagnostic to rapidly identify the species and antibiotic susceptibility of pathogens directly from blood using whole genome sequencing and machine learning.
Research Interests
Antibiotic discovery, antimicrobial resistance, diagnostic development, machine learning, vaginal microbiome, host-microbiome interactions.
Clinical Interests
Genomic sequencing, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, molecular testing.
Education and Training
Research Fellowship, Collins Lab, MIT (with NIH T32 and K08 support), Current
Clinical Fellowship, Medical Microbiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2020
Clinical Residency, Clinical Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2021
MD, Harvard Medical School, Harvard/MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, 2017
PhD, Immunology, Harvard University (supported by a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship), 2015
MSc, Integrated Immunology, Oxford University (supported by a Rhodes Scholarship), 2009
SB, Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 2008
Honors and Awards
NIH K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award Recipient, 2024-present
NIH T32 Training Grant Recipient, MGH Pathology Department, 2021-2024
Translation Science Award, MGH Clinical Research Day, 2020
Pathology Research Department First Place Award, MGH Clinical Research Day, 2018-2019
Leon Reznick Memorial Prize for excellence and accomplishments in research, HMS, 2017
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship, 2010
NIH Medical Scientist Training Program Grant Recipient, 2009
Wunsch Foundation Silent Hoist and Crane Award for Academic Excellence, MIT, 2008
Rhodes Scholarship, 2008
John C. and Elizabeth J. Chato Award for Excellence in Bioengineering, MIT, 2007
Glamour Magazine's Top 10 College Women, 2007
Last updated on Mar. 13, 2024.