Melissa obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with Geography and Resource Development from the University of Ghana in Accra-Ghana, completed an International master’s degree in Child Development at the University of Haifa, Israel, and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, U.S.A. Her research focuses on investigating cultural and contextual factors influencing the cognitive and socio-emotional development of vulnerable children such as children with developmental disabilities to develop evidence-informed, culturally relevant, quality of life-improving interventions. She employs participatory approaches in her work and has been involved in projects in the U.S., Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Additionally, she has developed and taught courses in Developmental Psychology and Clinical Trial Methodologies targeted at undergraduate and postgraduate students and early career researchers. Currently, she serves as a postdoctoral research associate on the SPARK project, a collaborative research project aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of children with developmental disabilities and their caregivers in Kenya and Ethiopia.
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