SCELSE Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Hie Lim Kim, was recently honored at the Venus International Women Awards (VIWA) 2024 for her exceptional contributions to the field of population genomics. Recognised as the ‘Outstanding Woman Researcher in Population Genomics’, Asst Prof Kim’s groundbreaking work has significantly advanced our understanding of genetic diversity and population dynamics.

VIWA celebrates and acknowledges the remarkable achievements of women across various domains, highlighting their invaluable contributions to society. Asst Prof Kim’s receipt of the award not only represented her personal success but also served as inspiration for aspiring scientists and researchers worldwide.

During the event, Asst Prof Kim shared her insights and expertise through a compelling talk, further enriching the discourse on population genomics. Her dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and fostering inclusive research environments embodies the spirit of VIWA’s mission to empower and recognize women’s excellence.

(In first photo, from L-R): Dr. Ramakrishnan Sathishkumar (chairman of the Venus International Foundation), Dr Mathilde Simon Mahe (École Normale Supérieure, France), Asst Prof Kim Hie Lim (SCELSE PI & ASE Asst Prof), Dr. Nancy Lombard (Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland)

Speaking to us, Asst Prof Kim graciously shared her thoughts on receiving this prestigious award, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts and perseverance in scientific endeavors.

Can you give us a quote on your thoughts of winning this award?

I am honoured to win the award and was really happy to participate in the award ceremony. I was greatly inspired by phenomenal woman scientists from around the world.

Are there people you’d like to thank?

I would like to express my gratitude to my PopGen group members and students. Together, we have worked diligently as a team and achieved outstanding results. I also extend my thanks for the support from my colleagues at SCELSE and ASE.

And how would you like to encourage women in research?

Could you give us the synopsis of your talk at VIWA 2024?

The title of the talk was “Environmental Changes and their impact on Genome Evolution” and I listed my research achievements so far to describe how environments interact with genome evolution.

Kudos to Asst Prof Kim on her amazing achievement and for flying the SCELSE flag high!