Melissa is graduated in Biomedical Sciences (Anatomic Pathology) and has a MSc in Molecular Biology in Health, specialized in oncobiology. 

She was a research fellow at CEDOC (Centro de Estudos de Doenças Crónicas) in Lisbon and Ricardo Jorge Nacional Institute of Public Healthcare, in Porto. For a few years, Melissa also worked as a R&D Scientist at the biotechnology company biosurfit, and since the beginning of 2020 has joined to Microbes & Cancer group at i3s, where she is currently developing her PhD thesis.