Iain is the Dean of the Biological and Environmental and Engineering Division at KAUST.

Prior to his KAUST position, Iain was Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney, Head of the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, and before that, Head of The School of Environmental and Rural Science, at the University of New England, Armidale, in Australia.  Before emigrating to Australia, Iain was the Founding Professor of the Scottish informatics Biology and Statistics (SIMBIOS) Center in Dundee, Scotland.

Prof. Young is a Graduate of Aberdeen University, a former Director of Dundee Science Centre, a former Director of Soils For Life, and a former President of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture.

He is a Professor of Soil Biophysics and has won over AUD$50 M in competitive grants, has a H-index of 64, and has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers.