Rate My Professor Rebecca Lim

Associate Professor Rebecca Lim is a faculty member in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy at the University of Newcastle, where she holds the position of Associate Professor in Anatomy. She earned a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Newcastle, followed by a PhD from the Australian National University. Her early career included a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle from 2000 to 2003. Lim’s research expertise centres on sensory neurobiology, with a primary focus on the physiology and anatomy of the peripheral and central vestibular systems, including the function of vestibular hair cells, primary afferent neurons, and central vestibular neurons in the brainstem that influence postural and motor activity. She employs techniques such as fluorescent immunolabeling and advanced microscopy to investigate synaptic and neuronal proteins in the inner ear and brain. Lim also maintains a background in auditory research and collaborates with international vestibular experts as well as researchers affiliated with the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

In her teaching role, Lim coordinates courses in gross anatomy and neuroscience for undergraduate students in biomedical sciences and supervises Honours and PhD students. She serves as a faculty member of the Australian Course in Advanced Neuroscience and is a member of the University Chemical Radiation Technical Committee. Her scholarly contributions include co-authored chapters on the vestibular system and central vestibular signal processing in major reference works such as The Mouse Nervous System and the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Lim is the Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Biomedical Science and continues to advance understanding of balance mechanisms through NHMRC-funded projects on vestibular development and function.