Merline holds a BA in Biology from Bowdoin College and an MSc in the Control of Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is currently a first-year PhD student in the Institute for Global Pandemic Planning at the University of Warwick. Her interest and research in planetary health focuses on how emerging infectious diseases are influenced by climate and ecosystem change, with the ultimate goal of informing prevention and preparedness policy and decision-making. She is also passionate about science and public health communication, aiming to incorporate these aspects into her PhD research through her role as a Planetary Health Alliance campus ambassador.