Melinda’s research interests revolve around the creative industry, smart city initiatives, urban resilience, and institutional framework and policy for advancing climate ambition in Southeast Asia. Melinda co-edits ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Intitute's flagship magazine ASEANFocus, and the annual survey reports, the State of Southeast Asia and Climate Change in Southeast Asia. Before joining ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, she was a program manager at Kota Kita Foundation, Indonesia and a researcher at the Center for Metropolitan Studies (Centropolis) at Tarumanagara University Jakarta. Melinda studied urban planning at Tarumanagra University Jakarta and Columbia University in the City of New York.