Susan Lim earned her reputation as a talented surgeon after performing the first successful liver transplant in Asian history in 1990.

Born in Singapore in 1955, Lim studied medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia on a Colombo Plan scholarship in 1974.

While at Monash, she won the David Rosenthal Memorial Prize for the highest aggregate marks in the first three preclinical years, before graduating with first-class honors in 1979.

Early on in her training, Lim decided to pursue a career in surgery. She was awarded a fellowship with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1984 and won the GB Ong Gold Medal for most outstanding candidate in general surgery in that same year.

"It was clear to me from the start that I would need to combine both a medical degree with a research qualification, to keep at the cutting edge of medical science and technology," Lim said in an email interview with The Jakarta Post.

After completing her surgical degree, Lim was granted a Winston Churchill Scholarship and pursued a Ph.D. in cell immunology at Cambridge University in the UK, which she completed in 1988.

She said the potential stem cells provided in the treatment of devastating and incurable diseases drove her to specialize in the field.

"This was the best decision I made. It opened the doors for me to enter and pioneer organ transplantation, and now I'm moving from whole organ transplants to cell transplants.

"Unlike whole organ transplants, with cells, we have the choice of not only allogeneic (from another person), but also autologous (from self) cell transplants. It's great to have a wide variety of stem cell types to choose from, and current research is focused on the best cell type for clinical applications in a particular disease," Lim said.

During her time at Cambridge, she was awarded an Ethicon Traveling Scholarship to Minneapolis to study islet cell transplantation and participate in a human pancreas transplant program.

Lim returned to Singapore in 1990 to assume the position of senior lecturer and consultant in surgery at the National University Hospital.

In the same year, Lim, who is also the director of the Liver Transplant Program at the National University Hospital, made medical history when she successfully performed the first liver transplant in Asian history. This month marks the "18th year alive" anniversary for the patient who received the transplant.

At the age of 36, Lim rose to the prestigious position of associate professor in surgery.

Between 1990 and 1995, Lim was the principal investigator in a pioneering National Science and Technology Board-funded research project into islet cell transplantation from tissue derived from human fetal pancreases.

Lim, who is also a volunteer captain in the Singapore Armed Forces, said it was difficult for her to be a surgeon, a researcher and a lecturer all at once. She left the university in 1995 and went into private practice.

"I left to concentrate on clinical work and research without the teaching obligations. I divide my time equally between teaching and research," said Lim. A further accolade, Lim was named the country's "Spirit of the Century" in 2000 following a national contest to select a role model for the 21st century.

Lim, whose hands have been replicated for display at Madame Tussaud's Exhibition in Singapore is also the founder of various surgical practices including the Susan Lim Surgery, the Center for Breast Screening & Surgery, the Center for Advanced laparoscopic Surgery and the Lifestyle Surgery.

Stem Cell Technologies, a biotech company founded by Lim in 2003, researches the use of adult stem cells for application in cell therapy and regenerative medicine.

Lim said clinical trials using adult stem cells for orthopedic, cardiac and reconstructive applications were currently underway.

"We look forward to seeing the availability of stem cells for repair of some degenerative diseases in the near future."

Lim is also active in general surgery at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital and the Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore, both premier facilities.

She founded the Center for Robotic Surgery and spearheaded the robotic general surgery program for Singapore in October 2004. The center has one of the leading clinical robotic surgery programs.

In recognition of her achievements in medical science, practice and research, Lim has received a string of awards and prizes.

The United Nations, which held a Regenerative Medicine Conference on Sept. 22, invited Lim to speak at the prestigious UN Palais des Nations in Geneva.

In 2005, Lim became the youngest-ever elected Fellow of Trinity College at the University of Melbourne. A year later, she was awarded the Monash University Distinguished Alumnus and in the same year, appointed visiting professor at the Institute of Cell and Molecular Science at Barts and Queen Mary's School of Medicine in London.

In November 2007, the U.S. Committee for Review & Recognition named the 28th American Academy of Continuing Medical Education award "the Susan Lim Award". It recognizes achievement in the advancement of laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgeries.

Lim said she has made a huge personal commitment in her research, traveling almost every month to collaborate with other scientists.

"I guess the scholarship to undertake a PhD in transplant and cell immunology was what made me a different type of surgeon, more academic.

"And right now, to be engaged in stem cell research with the ability to translate this science from bench to bedside, to help needy patients, is consuming most of my time, and providing me with the biggest inspiration and challenge in my professional life.

"I am so honored to be able to be a part of this revolutionary research."

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