Prof Fernández-Melleda’s research focuses mainly on contemporary Chilean literature and culture, inclusive of Film and Memory Studies, among other cognate disciplines. Her most recent research endeavour, since taking the post at The University of Hong Kong, explores the cultural relationship between China and Latin America, more specifically with Chile through poets Pablo Neruda, Armando Uribe, and Pablo de Rokha. 

She was the recipient of the Luis Cha Fund for East/West Studies to begin research investigating the great friendship between Chilean Nobel Prize poet Pablo Neruda and Chinese poet Ai Qing. In 2024, Prof Fernández-Melleda was awarded the General Research Fund (GRF) grant by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) for her project Pablo Neruda in China, which will be completed over 3 years, starting in 2025.

As a Latinamericanist, Bárbara’s teaching portfolio is broad. She has lectured on Chilean culture, canonical authors from the Latin American Boom and Nobel Prize winners, Latin American visual culture and fine arts, and Latin American cultural theory. 

At HKU, Bárbara is devoted to the development of Latin American-themed courses. For example, “Cultural Approaches to Dictatorship in Chile and Argentina”; “Global Latin America”; “Latin American/US Cultural Relations”; “Magical Realism in Literature and Film”; and more research-led courses are in preparation for the coming academic years.