Melissa Santos, Ph.D.
(she/her)
Principle Investigator, Project Lead

Connecticut Children’s
Dr. Santos is the PI of the Beaqen project. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, the Division Head of Pediatric Psychology and the Scientific Director for the Child Health Excellence Research and Innovative Outcomes Center at Connecticut Children's. She also leads Connecticut Children's work on healthcare inequities as part of its DEI initiatives. Her research is focused on improving quality of life for groups of kids that often aren't studied or treated well by society with a particular focus on the mental health of transgender youth.