A passion for developing innovative healthcare
MALAYSIA’s Apex university welcomed its first female vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Asma Ismail last October.
Prof Asma who is Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) vice-chancellor, felt honoured the day she was notified of her new post at the “University In A Garden.”
However, this is not Prof Asma’s first vice-chancellor posting as she also headed Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.
Prof Asma is a woman of many “firsts”. She was also the first woman director-general of the Higher Education Ministry.
A high-achiever by nature, Prof Asma said she has been a straight As student since Year One.
“However, one thing that I remembered really well was when my family moved from Jitra to Penang. I got a place in Residency Road Girls’ School, a top girls’ school in Penang.
“We had classes from Standard 3 A to I and I was placed in the last class, 3I!”
This, she says, shocked her and left her unmotivated at first but not for long.
She soon worked her way back to the top and was made head girl in Year Six.
After being accepted into the famous St. George’s Girl’s School in Penang, she said she faced another hurdle. One that she did not expect.
“You could not apply to attend a residential school in the past as you had to be invited according to your academic excellence and potential.
“I realised that early and strived to be a better student. All the hardwork paid off when I was offered a place at the prestigious Tengku Kurshiah College (TKC), one of the best schools in Malaysia.”
“It was here that I learnt to see my true potential. To reach for the sky and aim to be the best that you can be.”
The biology enthusiast then pursued her degree in the subject in the University of Nevada, Reno, in the United States.
She also obtained her PhD in the field of Cellular and Molecular Biology from the same university.
Prof Asma is a specialist in proteomics (large scale study of proteins) and its application in the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases, especially typhoid fever.
Her passion lies in developing innovative healthcare with Malaysia’s rich resources and generating income for the country.
She added that none of her research and work would mean anything if there was no improvement in society’s quality of life.
Her discoveries which have been translated into four r rapid diagnostic kits for typhoid, a are now successfully commercial lised in more than 18 countr ries since 1994.
“Commercialisatio on of TYPHIDOT, a rapid diag-d nostic test to diagnos se for acute typhoid, ha as generated sales, publ lications, created mor e than 500 jobs world- wide and supported the local industries in Malaysia,” she added.
Prof Asma said thee commercialisation o f the diagnostic kits le d to the creation of a biotech startup pioneering in biodiagno ostics for the country.
“In retrospect, the ability to embrace challenge es have made me a stronger person that does not give upp easily,” she said.
“Whatever challen nge that’s coming your way,w embrace it, face it he ead on and rise above it.”