Melanie has experience in sub-Saharan Africa and worked in Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania supporting the Institutional Learning team of an international peacebuilding organisation. Prior to ODI, she lived in the Central African Republic as part of her assignment with the UN peacekeeping operation. Aside from her field experience, Melanie contributed to the creation of the first student-led think tank in London and to the implementation of a children and youth evidence hub supporting the youth sector to produce, use and share high-quality evidence.

Melanie holds a BA in War Studies and is completing a MA in Theology at the University of Uppsala. Her current research focus is at the nexus of gender, radicalization and countering violent extremism in programming. Her recent publication include Measuring unintended effects in peacebuilding: What the field of international cooperation can learn from innovative approaches shaped by complex contexts in Evaluation and Program Planning.