Dr Thi Thu Hao Van is a molecular microbiologist and is a research-intensive academic staff member within the Discipline of Biosciences and Food Technology, School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Australia. She has led impactful industry related research which has been recognized nationally and internationally. Her areas of expertise include gut microbiota characterisation and manipulation, genomics, identification of bacterial pathogens and deciphering their biology, and developing intervention strategies to combat bacterial diseases and improve gut health, including development of probiotics, antimicrobial compounds and vaccines.