Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr. Melissa Do has joined IHMC as a postdoctoral research fellow working with the Healthspan, Resilience, and Performance (HRP) team. She specializes in how biomedical engineering approaches can directly support human resilience and enhance a person’s quality of life.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a master’s degree in health physics from the University of Alabama Birmingham. Her Ph.D. in neuroengineering is also from UAB.

Dr. Do’s dissertation research integrated noninvasive neuromodulation, autonomic physiology, inflammation, and multimodal biosensing to investigate how targeted interventions, such as vagus nerve stimulation, can improve insomnia and cancer-related fatigue, brain health outcomes and overall quality of life.

She has contributed to multiple research initiatives focused on bioimaging, neuromodulation, brain-computer interface as well as translational research and development. She is actively involved in developing closed-loop biofeedback systems that integrate real-time physiological signals with adaptive stimulation. Her work emphasizes both mechanistic rigor and translational impact, bridging experimental neuroscience with engineering design and human-centered applications.

Dr. Do’s commitment to resilience and human performance is deeply personal. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, she witnessed her parents rebuild their lives in the United States and pursue careers in engineering and computer science as a way of giving back to the country that gave them freedom and opportunity. Both of her parents went on to dedicate decades of service supporting the Department of Defense as engineers and scientists, instilling in her a strong sense of discipline, service, and mission-driven impact. This foundation shaped her path into engineering and continues to drive her work developing technologies that enhance human health, operational readiness, and performance in demanding environments.

Looking forward, Dr. Do aims to advance research at the intersection of health, neuromodulation, and performance optimization with a focus on developing next-generation bioelectronic and closed-loop systems for real-world environments.

In 2017, she served as a Community Outreach Ambassador as Miss Globe Alabama, where she was named Miss Globe US 1st Runner-Up and Miss Congeniality. In this role, she led outreach initiatives focused on engaging and inspiring girls and students from underserved communities to pursue education and careers in STEM. She is a passionate advocate for equitable access to education and science, with a strong commitment to supporting today’s youth.

Outside of her research, she enjoys golf, traveling and taking her yellow lab, Bogey, to the beach. She also enjoys exploring new experiences, learning new skills, and staying active.