Dr Tien Huynh

Dr Tien Huynh is passionate about environmental sustainability, enriched quality lifestyles and equality for the underprivileged. This is the driving force that underpins her research and teaching for over 20 years.

Tien was born in Vietnam and immigrated to Australia with her mother and sister as an asylum refugee from the Vietnam War with no English speaking skills and nothing but the clothes on her back.

Tien found her passion in science at university under the tutelage of an amazing mentor, Professor Ann Lawrie.

From there, Tien went on to complete her doctorate at the University of Melbourne and postdoctoral research overseas (England and Italy) in Evolutionary Phylogenetics and Conservation Biology before returning to Australia to focus on her postdoctoral research in Cancer, Tissue Repair, Neuropharmacology and Drug Discovery Technologies.

Tien is co-founder with A/Professor Danilla Grando of the Centre for Health and Biological Innovations Lab at RMIT and the principal supervisor for postgraduate students from Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Medical Sciences, Manufacturing Materials Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

She has established industry and community transformative projects for endangered and medicinal plants, environmental sustainability and agricultural upcycling.

She is a regular invited speaker and advisor for government, business and entrepreneurial ventures in ASEAN with collaborations in Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.

Tien coordinates outreach programs to inspire young minds in STEM and work integrated learning programs overseas to bridge the gap between gender, age and cultural differences.

She is an inaugural Superstar of STEM and currently mentors female Asian students and academics to inspire greatness and overcome challenges in life and careers.