Dr. Yasmin, is an experienced Academic & Researcher and an Innovation and commercialization manager in the Life Sciences domain. She is a Chevening Alumni and obtained her PhD in plant molecular biology in the UK in 1994. She is also a council member of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya having served the University as an academic, scientist and administrator for more than 30 years. Her research explored the application of molecular tools to facilitate solutions for agriculture particularly of tropical crops including on plant pathogens, genetic technologies and plant produced recombinant proteins. Concurrently she works in the areas of biosafety, bioethics and biopolicies. Dr. Yasmin was recently reappointed to a second term as chairman of MRANTI Corporation, a National Technology Commercialization Accelerator and Technology Park initiative reflecting her experience in this area. This included a 4-year secondment as Undersecretary of the National Biotechnology Division at the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation and appointments as Director of the University’s tech transfer office (UMCIC) and as Associate Vice Chancellor (Industry and community linkages). As Undersecretary she was involved in the launch of the National Bioeconomy Transformation Programme and was responsible for the formation of the National Bioethics council. She is currently on the board of Xeraya Capital and other Life Science Venture firms and recently founded Leaf Edge Technologies, an innovation platform focusing on promoting uptake of advances in biotechnology R&D. She is also an adjunct Professor at UM-Wales.