Professor Dr. Yvonne Lim Ai Lian currently serves as the Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) at Universiti Malaya. She holds the position of Senior Professor in the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and is a member of the University Senate. A Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), she also co-chairs the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership Programme and is a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. Her research focuses on unravelling the complex host-parasite-environment interactions that contribute to diseases among indigenous and underserved communities, aiming to develop multi-targeted solutions. Additionally, she studies the diversity of gut and skin microbiomes across communities spanning diverse socioeconomic and ecological gradients, ranging from traditional to industrialized societies. Her work is supported by numerous national and international grants, including the prestigious US NIH R01 grant. Dr. Lim has received a host of accolades, including Top Research Scientists of Malaysia Award, Fulbright Scholar Award, and most recently, Sandosham Gold Medal Award. She has also been recognized by Stanford University as one of the top 2% of scientists globally in her field for several consecutive years. She is deeply passionate about nurturing the next generation.