Dr. Lech received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Melbourne, Australia in 1992. From 1993 to 1997 she was a Research Scientist with the University of Melbourne, Monash University, the Bionic Ear Institute, and the Co-Operative Research Centre for Cochlear Implant, Speech and Hearing Research, Melbourne, Australia. From 1998 she has held an academic position with the RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Lech has published over 130 research papers in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and signal processing. Her research has focused on speech and image processing for human-machine interfaces. She has developed novel techniques for the automatic detection and prediction of mood, emotion and clinical depression from speech signals. She has pioneered the modelling and analysis of emotional interactions in conversations. Dr. Lech is the recipient of numerous academic research rewards and grants (ARC Linkage, VPAC, DSI, AOARD and DSTG). She works as a review board member of IEEE Access, IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing and the Journal of Acoustical Society of America.