University of Otago, New Zealand

New Zealand Youth Steering Committee

APECS Education and Outreach Committee Co-Chair

Melianie completed her undergraduate studies in Zoology at the Universities of Otago (New Zealand) and Copenhagen (Denmark), during which she became interested in Polar Biology. She is currently studying towards her PhD, focusing on the adaptations that enable Antarctic nematodes to survive intracellular freezing. Her field work has taken her to Cape Hallett supported by a Kelly Tarlton' s and Antarctica New Zealand scholarship, and to Gondwana Station for two seasons as part of Antarctica New Zealand's event K066. She is the chair of the NZ YSC, and involved in coordinating Education and Outreach activities for APECS.