Dr. Aneela Yasmeen is a biochemist and molecular biologist currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, since 2023. She began her professional journey at CEMB in April 2008 as a Research Officer. Over the years, she has gained extensive experience in various research laboratories, including the Immunology Lab, HBV/HCV Diagnostics Lab, Medical Genetics Lab, and Plant Biotechnology Lab. She is now an active member of the Plant Biotechnology Research Group, working toward the development of genetically engineered crops to support sustainable agriculture and economic growth. Her research primarily focuses on the genetic improvement of crops, particularly potatoes, targeting disease resistance against fungal, viral, and bacterial pathogens. She is also engaged in the biofortification of potatoes to enhance their nutritional value by increasing vitamin and mineral content, as well as improving agronomic traits such as post-harvest shelf life. She received a Technology Development Fund (TDF) grant for the development of genetically engineered potatoes with extended shelf life. In addition to potatoes, her research extends to cotton, lentils, alfalfa, and Brassica species, with her contributions reflected in multiple research projects funded by organizations such as the Islamic Development Bank, Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Science Foundation, and Health Security Partners (HSP), USA, where she serves as a Co-Principal Investigator or team member. Dr. Yasmeen completed her M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees at CEMB. Her Ph.D. dissertation, titled “Cas9-mediated gene knockdown of the Vacuolar Invertase (VInv) gene of Solanum tuberosum to reduce tuber sweetening during cold storage,” stands among the first successful examples of genetically engineered crop development in Pakistan. This work laid the foundation for the use of CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing in plants at CEMB. During her doctoral studies, she was awarded the Mevlana Exchange Program scholarship and conducted a part of her research at Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Turkey. In addition to her academic and research roles, Dr. Yasmeen has significant administrative experience. She served for over a decade as Assistant Superintendent at the University’s girls’ hostel. She is currently the Events Coordinator at CEMB and also serves as Chairperson of the CEMB Journal Club. She actively participates in various departmental and university-level committees. Dr. Yasmeen is a strong advocate for science outreach and youth engagement in research. She is the founder of the Gulls’ Association-Pakistan and has served as Events Coordinator for both CEMB and the Congress of Molecular Biology (CMB). She also served as Executive Member and Vice President of the National Academy of Young Scientists (NAYS), Pakistan. She has organized over 75 events across the country, including scientific conferences, seminars, workshops, and training sessions. In recognition of her efforts, she was selected to attend the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2019 held in Singapore.