Melissa Sur
Papers
1
Total Citations
8
H-Index
1
About
Melissa Sur is a health services researcher whose work exposes critical inequities in access to advanced surgical technologies. Her most-cited study, “Socioeconomic, rural, and insurance-based inequities in robotic lung cancer resections” (2020, 8 citations), reveals a troubling paradox: while robotic surgery offers improved outcomes for lung cancer patients, its adoption widens existing disparities. Sur demonstrates that poor, rural, and underinsured patients are systematically excluded from these cutting-edge procedures, meaning technological progress can inadvertently deepen treatment gaps rather than close them. This foundational paper has shaped conversations around equitable implementation of surgical innovation. Beyond this work, Sur’s research consistently examines how patient demographics—including income, geography, and insurance status—influence access to high-quality cancer care. Her findings serve as a critical call to action for policymakers and clinicians to ensure that advances in surgical oncology benefit all patients, not just those with privilege. For students and researchers, Sur’s work offers a powerful model of how health services research can illuminate hidden injustices in modern medicine.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1