Professor Leo Yee Sin served as the Executive Director of Singapore's National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) from 2017 to 2023. During her tenure, she established NCID as an innovative institution integrating clinical care, public health, research, training, and community outreach. Recorded during International Women's Month, Prof Leo discusses the importance of mentorship (and luck) when it comes to developing a research career, and how we can support clinicians in pursuing this career path, despite their gender.