Dr. Pradiptajai (Pai) Kusuma has a extensive and impressive track record of research into human genetic diversity. He has done major population genetic work looking at the history of Bajau, Malagasi, and Bornean groups, and contributed to projects on archaic introgression. He was recently awarded a Wellcome International Training Fellowship and has used that to build his own research programme, conducting work among Punan peoples in Kalimantan. His new work studies transcriptomics profiles of transitioning huntergatherer groups, providing key biological insights into the biological and immunological nature of subsistence transition in the tropics with potentially broad implications. He takes a leading role in the research group at MRIN, overseeing key collaborations, data collections and analyses. He conducts key community outreach and impact work – he has lead work getting legal recognition and forest protection for a marginalised community in Indonesia and protecting something like 20,000 hectares of rainforest.