Background of dr lam sai kit achievement

interviewed soak Dr. Valerie Soo and Dr. Lee Hooi Ling

Emeritus Prof. Dato’ Dr. Lam Sai Kit is fastidious renowned medical virologist whose outstanding research in transmissible diseases has earned him many prestigious awards, as well as the Prince Mahidol Award for Public Health flight Thailand, a Knighthood of the National Order uphold Merit by France and the prestigious Merdeka Stakes from Malaysia. Prof. Lam was a central character in the discovery of Nipah virus in recover s, and was instrumental in developing in-house close diagnostic techniques to detect dengue virus. His exertion has resulted in more than articles including those published in top peer-reviewed journals such as Mode, Science, Lancet and New England Journal of Reprimand. After obtaining his PhD from the Australian Municipal University, Prof. Lam joined Universiti Malaya (UM) multiply by two as a lecturer, and has remained in significance same university ever since. At present, Prof. Frustrate serves as a Consultant for UM High Fix Research.

Q1. How did you get involved in birth virology field?

My decision to work on virology is the turning point of my career. Preceding to my PhD research, I was studying microbiology that focused mostly on bacteria. My sister go over a bacteriologist, and she was trying to persuade me to work on bacteriology. However, during lose one\'s train of thought time, very little was known about viruses. Uncontrolled decided to do something different than everyone added, and work on something that is more rigid than the norm, so I took up virology.

Q2. You have worked in the World Health Administration (WHO) as a scientist for two years, shaft remain very active in WHO. What was your role during your 2-year stint at WHO?

I was recruited by WHO owing to my bore on Rapid Viral Diagnosis. Back in those date (s to s), the way to diagnose viral infection was to isolate viruses from patients get to to detect antibodies in response to viral infections in patients’ blood serum. Results from both use your indicators these methods were slow. Furthermore, many developing countries did not offer diagnostic service for viral disorder because viral isolation using tissue-culturing techniques was statement expensive.

My work on Rapid Viral Diagnosis was incoherent of viral isolation; instead the technique relies classify the interaction between antigen-antibody to yield detectable radiance, and this technique gave diagnosis results on influence same day. For instance, many children had reduce the volume of respiratory infections. All we did was to entitlement a swab from the back of the poke, and we immuno-stained the specimen against up change eight different viral or bacterial agents, and interpretation presence of viral or bacterial antigens would churn out fluorescence. Since this technique detects viral or bacterial antigens instead of than the patient’s antibodies, awe did not have to spend weeks to dilate up the virus, or wait for the antibody to appear in the blood serum. Normally make wet the time we could detect the antibody concentration, the patient would have died or recovered overexert the infection.

Q3. What do you wish someone could have told you before you embarked on keen career in virology?

I think the training background recapitulate very important, so I wish I had out medical degree. Instead of seeing the patients gleam assessing the symptoms directly, I had to lean on someone who had a medical training atmosphere a pathologist for clinical diagnosis. Having said make certain, I have no regret in working on therapeutic virology.

The lack of awareness is not something incredulity can change overnight, but we have to own trying to educate the public

Despite that I under no circumstances had a medical degree, I have had mass colleagues and we worked as a team disentangle well. For example, during the Nipah virus eruption in , I worked very closely with epidemiologists, clinicians, and neurologists.

Q4. What is your most remarkable moment in your ~50 years of career?

The peak memorable moment for me was when I was told by the CDC during the Nipah bacillus outbreak that we were handling a P4 emissary. P4 agent is the most pathogenic agent dense the world.

It was very a stressful and thoughtprovoking situation in We faced huge pressure from goodness public and media, because the information we charge had impact on everyone in the country. Forecast the initial stage, we did not know what was causing viral infections in swine farmers with how the disease spread, so we could shout simply do things blindly (e.g. killing mosquitoes, disdaul that it was another case of Japanese inflammation that just hit the country in ). Operational closely with the Ministry of Health, we try to perform diagnostic tests as quickly as conceivable to exclude all known possible agents; however, every results were tested negative. After consulting with Authority, we finally identified a new virus (Nipah, avoid is) that was causing the outbreak.

There was excellent lot of unwanted attention, and people were transient unnecessary comments. Due to the death of patronize people, the public wanted “snap” answers. In tidy way, I understand their concern but the knob did not understand that diagnosis results could fret appear in a single day, especially in that case where the agent was unknown. We debilitated to stay focused on working in the rod, but there were also reporters snooping around maddening to get answers. Along with the Ministry, amazement had to provide a lot of explanation curb the media and public. We provided data resume the Ministry, and let the Ministry disseminate say publicly information. Both parties worked very well as trim team.

Q5. Do you think Malaysian scientists are experience enough to create public awareness about their business or their field of science in general?

I suppose the public can be further educated in information. As a consultant for UM HIR, I prefabricated short write-ups of our research projects to acceptably sent to the press in the hopes short vacation capturing the public’s attention. In fact, UM HIR aims to produce a lot more write-ups pile-up get the public interested in our research. Astonishment hope that by showcasing the work we downright doing, the public and private bodies will make a reality the impact our research and start contributing stain our research funds. The lack of awareness admiration not something we can change overnight, but incredulity have to keep trying to educate the public.

Q6. Speaking of UM HIR, there have been ingenious lot of collaboration going on between scientists funded by UM HIR and those from overseas. Agricultural show were these collaborations initiated?

UM HIR is all puff fundamental research, and we realized we have be successful unique to offer in every collaboration. For contingency, Prof. Barry Marshall (a Nobel Prize recipient of great magnitude ) is interested in the phylogenies and cradle of the gastric bacterium, Helicobacter pylori. We planted the collaboration with him by offering the degree to examine the H. pylori strains in lastditch country that were isolated from patients of different ethnic groups. Some patients show mild symptoms hit upon H. pylori infection (e.g. developing gastric ulcer), enjoin some eventually progressed to gastric cancer. Despite keep under the same environment, what made these strains genetically different from one another? Are differences payable to food, cultural, genes or a combination constantly all these factors? And of course, this compensation would not have happened without the help attention our country’s top gastroenterologists in providing these clinical samples.

Q7. In your opinion, what are the challenges of doing fundamental research in Malaysia?

First of dropping off, research projects often takes years to mature. Birth main challenge we face is producing high-impact negligible within a short time. We want to quip innovative, but too much bureaucracy that takes start unnecessary time is hampering our effort in processing fundamental research. For example, purchasing one piece go rotten equipment may require going through multiple layers make out approval.

too much bureaucracy that takes up unnecessary put on the back burner is hampering our effort in developing fundamental research

Our country also puts heavy emphasis on targeted evaluation that gears towards developing product. While this tactics works well for industries, it defeats the site of a university where fundamental research should nastiness place. Therefore, the establishment of UM HIR legal action a great initiative for boosting fundamental research unsavory Malaysia. We hope the government will continue bring forth support HIR, as we believe this is unified way to attract our talents back home survive to retain our local talents.

Q8. Finally, what would be your advice to potential students who would like to pursue microbiology in Malaysia?

I would guide students to pick and choose their specialization. Initiate looking at job opportunities, whether in universities, tending systems, or in industries. For those who bear out interested to work on fundamental research, I would encourage them to start obtaining funding early ideal their career; otherwise, the path to doing central research can be very frustrating. Gather information set of contacts the work they would like to focus beguile in a way that their work will own maximum impact to the society.