Melinda Martinus is a lead researcher in socio-cultural affairs at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies - Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS), Singapore. Melinda's research interests revolve around regional integration, sustainable development, smart city initiatives, digitalization, institutional framework, and policy for advancing climate ambitions in ASEAN countries. Melinda is the production editor of ISEAS' biannual flagship magazine, ASEANFocus. In addition, she is the co-editor of the institute's two annual survey reports, the State of Southeast Asia and the Southeast Asia Climate Outlook, which serve as barometers to gauge geostrategic affairs, development, and sustainability issues in the region. Before joining ISEAS, she was a program manager at Kota Kita Foundation, Indonesia, and a researcher at the Center for Metropolitan Studies at Tarumanagara University Jakarta, where she led research projects on urban resilience, housing and slum upgrading, and urban governance in Indonesian cities. Melinda completed her bachelor's and master's degrees in urban planning from Tarumanagara University, Jakarta, and Columbia University, New York.