Melissa received her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Arizona. In 2006, she joined Genentech. During her 13 years with Genentech, Melissa has held a wide variety of positions including; Medical Science Liaison, Medical Science Director on HER2 Medical Teams, a Managed Care Liaison Field Manager, and most recently Inclusion Principal in the Chief Diversity Office. Melissa is focused on developing external partnering strategies to address health equity issues and ensure patients of color have access to clinical trials and quality care by Advancing Inclusive Research.