USM lecturer is best science communicator
UNIVERSITI Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer Dr Siti Khayriyyah Mohd Hanafiah was named the World’s Best Science Communicator at the 2018 FameLab International competition held at Cheltenham, in the United Kingdom last week.
The USM Biological Sciences lecturer made Malaysia proud in the international arena through her research on the use of antibodies-antigens to diagnose tuberculosis titled, “To Find a Hidden Killer”.
According to a statement by USM, in the final round Dr Siti Khayriyyah defeated 11 other finalists from various countries including Egypt, Poland, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Greece and Cyprus.
Dr Siti Khayriyyah said the victory marks a new chapter as it showed the world that Malaysians too have the capability and talent to excel in science and technology.
“It was a most meaningful and valuable experience because I managed to attract the attention of the audience and jury, as well as receive encouraging and positive feedback,” she said.
She advised researchers and lecturers interested in taking part in such competitions to share their research findings with the public.
FameLab is a global science communication competition to test oral proficiency of young scientists in conveying science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) theories and concepts in easy-to-understand and creative style within three minutes.
Presentations are judged on content, clarity and charisma. FameLab was introduced in Malaysia in 2015 by the British Council with the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology. — Bernama