Ka Keat Lim CV- Click Here!
Hi, I’m Ka Keat Lim. Originally trained as a pharmacist, I pursued an MSc in health economics, before a PhD in health services research. Since graduated from the PhD, I have worked in the academia, first as a research fellow at King’s College London (2020-2024), and later (2024-now) as a lecturer at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). In this statement, I would like to share two reasons that motivate me to serve on the IHEA Board as an ECR Director for the Global North, along with my experiences.
First, I hope to gain strategic insights of the operations and management of IHEA as an international association representing health economists. This will broaden my horizon and sharpen my communication and management skills, especially in working with diverse stakeholders – senior researchers, other board members and the global ECR community alike. Having worked and studies in four countries (Malaysia, Singapore, UK and Canada), I am willing and able to learn from others and to build consensus. Through the 4-year term, I hope to hone my strategic thinking skills, with the hope that the skills will help me grow my career.
Second, and most importantly, I would like to continue the work I have done in the last 1.5 years in the ECR Special Interest Group (SIG). As a Co-convener, I led the organisation of two events – an online panel on career switch between sectors, and the ECR session in IHEA Bali. The responses I received from both events encourage me to stand as a candidate to oversee events and policies concerning ECRs across IHEA. This will build on my experience representing ECRs in the Global North, including being the Communications Lead, then Co-Chair of the ECR Network at King’s College London School of Life Course & Population Sciences. Besides organising social and professional events for ECRs at the School, I actively engaged the School leadership on issues such as training support, and ECR representation at the School’s Development, Diversity and Inclusion (DDI) Committee. I hope to leverage on these experiences and track records at my workplaces to work with ECRs in IHEA, including the ECR Director from the Global South.
Having been a member of IHEA for several years and served as an IHEA ECR SIG co-convener, I have observed how IHEA has consistently supported ECRs by providing opportunities to discuss ongoing work through its SIGs, by providing financial support to attend the biennial IHEA Congress, and by organising professional development opportunities such as the mentoring programme (which I benefited from previously) and the ECR session at IHEA congress (which I co-organised). If fortunate to be elected to the position, I would like to ensure these initiatives are strengthened across IHEA. I am confident my personal qualities, track records and skills will allow me to work well with other IHEA board members and contribute meaningfully to the IHEA’s mission in fostering an inclusive global community of health economists.
Thank you very much for your consideration.