Melissa was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where most of her family still lives. She earned a B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University and decided to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and research. Subsequently, she moved to Philadelphia where she earned a Veterinary Medicine Doctorate (VMD) and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from UPenn. Her thesis research focused on the immune response after infection with West Nile virus in animals. She is currently an Anatomic Pathology resident at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UPenn. She loves animals, the outdoors, the beach, and warm weather, as well as traveling around the world with Juan, her husband. Some of her traveling goals include visiting the Middle East and all the National Parks in the US. She also loves to chat so stop by anytime you need a break!Previous | Staff List | Next