Sierin Lim and her team work to invent technologies for solving some of the challenges in human and planetary health. An advocate for interdisciplinary science, her lab combines approaches in biology, chemistry, and engineering to engineer biological systems aimed to repurposing nature’s toolbox towards industrial translation.
As a life-long learner, Sierin is acutely aware that exploration at the boundary of disciplines requires an open mind and willingness to stretch one’s comfort zone. She encourages the practice of thoughtful inquiry stemming from curiosity and appreciates grit as the driving force throughout the learning process.
An academic with a strong sense of community, she spearheaded several grassroot initiatives, including Biomedical Engineering Society Singapore Student Chapter, Society of Women Engineers (Singapore), and Women@NTU. She is a Fellow of the L’Oreal-UNESCO Singapore for Women in Science and is the co-chair of Promotion of Women in Engineering, Research and Science (POWERS) programme that aims to create a supportive environment to empower women and girls to pursue and succeed in STEM. She co-founded POWERS with an initial grant from the Singapore Ministry of Education.
Born and raised in Jakarta, she trained at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) as a chemical and biomedical engineer and did a post-doc in materials science at UC Irvine. Upon returning to Southeast Asia to start her academic career at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, she experiences unique conditions and resources. Through the book, Women of POWERS: 25 Stories that Spark STEM in Asia, Sierin hopes to bring the work of women in STEM in Asia to light.
