Dr Melissa Claus completed her veterinary training in the United States. After receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Florida, and completing a 1-year small animal internship at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr Melissa went on to complete her residency in Emergency and Critical Care at the University of California Davis.

Shortly after becoming a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, she moved to Perth, Australia where she has spent over ten years as an academic at the Murdoch University School of Veterinary Medicine. Here she has focused on teaching future veterinarians and training new specialists in the field of Emergency and Critical Care, as well as performing transformative research in several of her areas of interest: transfusion medicine, shock, and fluid therapy.

Dr Melissa also has a passion for extracorporeal organ support, including dialysis and therapeutic plasma exchange, leading her to complete an intensive year-long course on the theory, logistics, and practical application of extracorporeal therapies with the Haemodialysis Academy based at the University of California Davis. With this training, Dr Melissa developed a haemodialysis program at The Animal Hospital at Murdoch University, and has plans to develop a similar program at VES.

Outside of work, Dr Melissa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, loves immersing herself in the beauty of nature, and is learning to play the guitar. She is also a wizard at jigsaw puzzles.