Melissa obtained her Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (Honours I) in 2014 through The University of Sydney. From there, she began her first job as a veterinary nurse with her local general practice veterinary hospital, and quickly fell in love with everything that veterinary nursing had to offer. While studying for her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, Melissa also spent time conducting research in animal welfare and behaviour sciences. She has since published research papers on zebrafish personality and enrichment strategies for zoo-housed birds. Melissa joined the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UVTHS) Primary Care team in 2018 and became Primary Care Nurse Unit Coordinator in 2022. Melissa adores working with the DVM students at the UVTHS, and especially loves sharing her practical skills and knowledge about wildlife care, dentistry, and canine behaviour with students during their placements or clinical rotations. In 2024, Melissa transitioned to the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden (UVTHC), where she now works as a Veterinary Nurse with the Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital (WHCH).