Melissa completed her PhD in Epidemiology and Population Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2017. Her thesis focused on the various factors that influence ovarian cancer survival world-wide. 

Prior to starting her PhD, Melissa graduated (2013) with an MSPH in Epidemiology from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, USA and worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Melissa also holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Denver (Colorado, US; 2009), where she worked with the Multi-Country Studies Unit at the World Health Organisation on the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE).