Feature writer, Australian Rural Doctor and Australian Doctor magazines
Feature writer, Australian Worker magazine
Occasional contributor to the British Medical Journal, The Medical Journal of Australia, Australian Prescriber, Australian Nursing Journal and other professional publications
Occasional contributor to general news media
Provision of reports and conference reports. Clients have included the Milbank Memorial Fund and Centers for Disease Control in the United States (http://www.milbank.org/reports/0712populationhealth/0712populationhealth.html), the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, the Australasian Society of HIV Medicine, the Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee, The National Institute of Clinical Studies, The Committee of Presidents of Medical Councils, The Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils, Coalition for Research to Improve Aboriginal Health, National Prescribing Service, and NSW Health.
Other Associations
For three months in early 2008, Melissa was acting director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma – Australasia, while Cait McMahon was on study leave
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Public Health, University of Sydney. 2006- present
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Sydney Campus. 2007-present
Member, Communication and Education Working Group, Australian Screening Advisory Committee. 2004-2006
Member, Advisory Committee to a joint inquiry into the protection of human genetic information by the Australian Law Reform Commission and the Australian Health Ethics Committee. 2002-2003
A travelling fellowship to research quality and safety in health care in England. The John Douglas Pringle Award, jointly awarded by The National Press Club and the British Government. 2003
Occasional guest lecturer at University of Sydney to medical and public health students and at Insearch, University of Technology Sydney, to journalism students
Member, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA)
Regularly invited to address conferences and groups. These have included the NSW Health Promotion Symposium, the Effective Public Health Advocacy Conference, International Cochrane Collaboration, Guidelines International Network, Beyondblue, Australian Gastroenterology Institute, the Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, the Australian Pharmaceutical Physicians Association, Divisions of General Practice, and the Australian Medical Writers Association
In 2008, Melissa was invited to participate in the Australian Davos Connection’s Future Summit in Sydney.
Previous Work History
Columnist, Independent Weekly, a Sunday newspaper in Adelaide 2004-2005
Columnist and feature writer for The Bulletin magazine 1998-2003
Medical writer, Sydney Morning Herald 1994-1998
Columnist, Good Weekend magazine 1997-1998
Senior account manager (healthcare), Hill and Knowlton 1993-1994
Medical writer, Australian Associated Press 1987-1993
Qualifications
Master of Arts (Science and Technology Studies), Deakin University.
1997
Bachelor of Arts (distinction) with a double major in journalism
and agriculture. Western Australian Institute of Technology
(now Curtin University of Technology), Perth. 1984. Received
WAIT Academic Staff Association Medal for top graduating student.
