Faculty Directory

Melissa Pérez Capotosto

Associate Professor of the Practice

Photo of Melissa Pérez Capotosto

Melissa Pérez Capotosto

Ph.D., WHNP-BC

Contact

Maloney Hall 356

Telephone: 617-552-4258

Email: melissa.perez@bc.edu

Education

  • B.S.N. Villanova University
  • M.S. Boston College
  • Ph.D. Boston College
  • Post Doctorate Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute (Life course Epidemiology)

Research Interests

Pre-conception counselling, fertility-awareness based methods, maternal/child health

Expertise

  • Maternal Care
  • Health Equity Minority Health

Profile

Melissa Pérez Capotosto, Ph.D., WHNP-BC, is an associate professor of the practice at the Connell School of Nursing. She earned a master's degree and a doctoral degree from Boston College. Pérez Capotosto works as a women's health nurse practitioner in the obstetrics and gynecology departments at Daniel Driscoll-Neponset Health Center and Tufts Medical Center. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, she worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Boston Medical Center and at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Pérez Capotosto’s program of research is the examination of fertility-awareness based method (FABMs) use among women seeking pregnancy.

Awards

  • 2023 Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching, Connell School of Nursing 
  • 2022 Doctoral Dissertation Award, Connell School of Nursing
  • 2022 Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching, Connell School of Nursing
  • 2022 Mentorship Award from Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing Program, Connell School of Nursing
  • 2021 Spirit of Sigma Award, Alpha Chi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau
  • 2021 Excellence in Teaching & Clinical Practice, Connell School of Nursing
  • 2020 Eastern Nursing Research Society Poster Award

Selected Publications

  • Capotosto, M. P., Soria-Contreras, D. C., Burgess, A. W., Rifas-Shiman, S. L., Fitz, V. W., Shifren, J., Chavarro, J. E., & Oken, E. (2024). Associations of History of Infertility with Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression among Parous Women during Midlife in Project Viva. Women’s Health Reports, 5(1), 936–944. DOI: 10.1089/whr.2024.0034
  • Pérez Capotosto, M., Lee, C. S., Jurgens, C. Y., Wang, S., Mitsunami, M., Charlton, B. M., & Chavarro, J. E. (2023). Predictors of Fertility-Awareness-Based Method Use among Women Trying to Conceive and Women Contemplating Pregnancy. Nursing Research, 72(5), 355–362. DOI: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000666
  • Pérez Capotosto, M., Corcoran, E., Burgess, A., Rifas-Shiman, S., Chavarro, J.& Oken, E. (2023) Anxiety and depression symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum among parous women with history of infertility. Fertility and Sterility 120(6) 1252-1254.
  • Stujenske, T., Mu, Q., Pérez Capotosto, M., & Bouchard, T. (2023). Survey analysis of quantitative and qualitative menstrual cycle tracking technologies.  Medicina 2023, 59, 1509.
  • Wang, S., Minguez-Alarcon, L., Pérez Capotosto, M., Mitsunami, M., Gaskins, A., Charlton, B., Hart, J., Rich-Edwards, J. & Chavarro J. (2023). Pregnancy intention, changes in pregnancy intention, and pregnancy incidence among female nurses in North America. JAMA Netw Open,6(5):e2311301. 
  • Pérez Capotosto, M., & Fu, M.R. (2022). A pilot qualitative case study of women's experiences with fertility-awareness based methods to achieve pregnancy. The Linacre Quarterly,90 (1) 82-93
  • Pérez Capotosto, M. & O’Reilly-Jacob M. (2021). Promoting fertility awareness to improve the appropriate use of infertility treatment: considerations for the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act. Women’s Healthcare, 9 (5) 18-21. 
  • Pérez Capotosto, M., Lee, C. S., Jurgens, C. Y., Wang, S., Mitsunami, M., Charlton, B. M., & Chavarro, J. E. (2022). Predictors of Fertility-Awareness-Based Method Use among Women Trying to Conceive and Women Contemplating Pregnancy, Nursing Research, 72(5) 355-362. DOI: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000666
  • Perez Capotosto, M. (2021). An Integrative Review of Fertility Knowledge and Fertility-Awareness Practices among Women Trying to Conceive. Nursing for Women’s Health, 25 (3) 198-206.
  • Perez Capotosto, M. & Jurgens, C. (2020). Exploring Fertility Awareness Practices among Women Seeking Conception. Nursing for Women’s Health, 24 (6) 413-420.

Clinical Practice

  • Daniel Driscoll- Neponset Health Center
  • Tufts Medical Center
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