Melissa joined the US Bureau as a correspondent in November 2013. She has worked at The Straits Times since 2005 at various desks, including the Newsdesk, Life! and The Sunday Times. 

Over the years, she has covered topics ranging from foreign labour and community to lifestyle and social media.

Melissa received a Singapore Press Holdings scholarship in 2001. She has a bachelor's degree in economics from the London School of Economics and a master's degree in humanities from the University of Chicago. 

When she isn't writing for the paper, she is still writing. She writes and directs plays and is a huge fan of the arts.