Yayu Indriati Arifin was born and raised in Indonesia, received her Master’s degree in Geophysics from Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, and later earned her PhD degree in the field of Geosciences from Ehime University, Japan. "The Medical geology of Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) polluted areas in Gorontalo Utara regency" was the title of her PhD thesis under supervision of Prof. Masayuki Sakakibara. Yayu Indriati Arifin is an associate Professor in the field of medical geology at State University of Gorontalo (UNG). Her current research activities are mainly in the field of geodiversity, where she identifies and quantitively analyzes the potential of each geotourism destination. In the field of medical geology, she continues to study the complexity of ASGM-related issues related to reducing poverty. The idea of using geotourism activities for reducing poverty is being developed through the transdisciplinary research of SRIREP (Sustainable Regional Innovation for Reducing Environmental Problem) in Southeast Asia. Her work is published in many international journals; among them, her publications in the field of medical geology have been highly cited, followed by her publications in the fields of geodiversity and geotourism. Recently, she published a book on geotourism as a solution to ASGM-related problems in Gorontalo. She is the mother of three children, who were each born during the pursuit of her degrees in Bandung, Germany, and Japan.