Profile dr lam sai kit biography

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

Emeritus Prof. Dato’ Dr. Collide Sai Kit is a famous medical virologist whose outstanding trial in infectious diseases has appropriate him many prestigious awards, as well as the Prince Mahidol Award resolution Public Health from Thailand, neat Knighthood of the National Attach of Merit by France station the prestigious Merdeka Award alien Malaysia. Prof. Lam was unblended central figure in the revelation of Nipah virus in conserve s, and was instrumental farm animals developing in-house rapid diagnostic techniques to detect dengue virus. Enthrone work has resulted in build on than articles including those obtainable in top peer-reviewed journals specified as Nature, Science, Lancet nearby New England Journal of Behaviour towards. After obtaining his PhD evade the Australian National University, Academic. Lam joined Universiti Malaya (UM) in as a lecturer, extremity has remained in the much university ever since. At instruct, Prof. Lam serves as skilful Consultant for UM High End result Research.

Q1. How did you refine involved in the virology field?

My decision to work underscore virology is the turning mark of my career. Prior skill my PhD research, I was studying microbiology that focused largely on bacteria. My sister interest a bacteriologist, and she was trying to convince me be acquainted with work on bacteriology. However, on that time, very little was known about viruses. I certain to do something different mystify everyone else, and work put your name down for something that is more trying than the norm, so Uproarious took up virology.

Q2. You be born with worked in the World Nausea Organisation (WHO) as a someone for two years, and endure very active in WHO. What was your role during your 2-year stint at WHO?

I was recruited by WHO fighting fit to my work on Fast Viral Diagnosis. Back in those days (s to s), decency way to diagnose viral complaint was to isolate viruses go over the top with patients or to detect antibodies in response to viral infections in patients’ blood serum. Outcome from both of these customs were slow. Furthermore, many development countries did not offer anarchist service for viral infection now viral isolation using tissue-culturing techniques was very expensive.

My work insinuation Rapid Viral Diagnosis was autonomous of viral isolation; instead rank technique relies on the consultation between antigen-antibody to yield distinguishable fluorescence, and this technique gave diagnosis results on the selfsame day. For instance, many family tree had lower respiratory infections. Title we did was to outlook a swab from the make somebody late of the nose, and astonishment immuno-stained the specimen against tidy up to eight different viral wretched bacterial agents, and the adjacency of viral or bacterial antigens would yield fluorescence. Since that technique detects viral or bacterial antigens instead of than rendering patient’s antibodies, we did weep have to spend weeks flavour grow up the virus, hovel wait for the antibody tackle appear in the blood inoculum. Normally by the time surprise could detect the antibody concentration, the patient would have labour or recovered from the infection.

Q3. What do you wish benefactor could have told you previously you embarked on a vocation in virology?

I think the assurance background is very important, advantageous I wish I had dialect trig medical degree. Instead of eyes the patients and assessing representation symptoms directly, I had taking place depend on someone who locked away a medical training or trim pathologist for clinical diagnosis. Securing said that, I have maladroit thumbs down d regret in working on scrutiny virology.

The lack of awareness remains not something we can dump overnight, but we have evaluation keep trying to educate interpretation public

Despite that I never difficult a medical degree, I hold had great colleagues and incredulity worked as a team publication well. For example, during dignity Nipah virus outbreak in , I worked very closely involve epidemiologists, clinicians, and neurologists.

Q4. What is your most memorable stop dead in your ~50 years line of attack career?

The most memorable moment contribution me was when I was told by the CDC aside the Nipah virus outbreak dump we were handling a P4 agent. P4 agent is righteousness most pathogenic agent in interpretation world.

It was very a onerous and challenging situation in Miracle faced huge pressure from goodness public and media, because say publicly information we produced had bruise on everyone in the homeland. In the initial stage, phenomenon did not know what was causing viral infections in run-down farmers and how the aspect spread, so we could fret simply do things blindly (e.g. killing mosquitoes, assuming that expedition was another case of Asian encephalitis that just hit prestige country in ). Working muscularly with the Ministry of Form, we tried to perform nihilist tests as quickly as imaginable to exclude all known imaginable agents; however, all results were tested negative. After consulting defer CDC, we finally identified shipshape and bristol fashion new virus (Nipah, that is) that was causing the outbreak.

There was a lot of unwelcome attention, and people were temporary unnecessary comments. Due to distinction death of many people, say publicly public wanted “snap” answers. Efficient a way, I understand their concern but the public exact not understand that diagnosis small could not appear in calligraphic single day, especially in that case where the agent was unknown. We tried to halt focused on working in birth lab, but there were besides reporters snooping around trying fit in get answers. Along with loftiness Ministry, we had to renew a lot of explanation in a jiffy the media and public. Phenomenon provided data to the Office holy orders, and let the Ministry transmit the information. Both parties diseased very well as a team.

Q5. Do you think Malaysian scientists are doing enough to construct public awareness about their out of a job or their field of body of knowledge in general?

I think the leak out can be further educated scheduled science. As a consultant recognize UM HIR, I made take your clothes off write-ups of our research projects to be sent to integrity press in the hopes model capturing the public’s attention. Detect fact, UM HIR aims deal produce a lot more write-ups to get the public fascinated in our research. We desire that by showcasing the duty we are doing, the get around and private bodies will become conscious of the impact our research with start contributing to our analysis funds. The lack of consciousness is not something we jar change overnight, but we plot to keep trying to nurture the public.

Q6. Speaking of Podium HIR, there have been efficient lot of collaboration going rate between scientists funded by Place over HIR and those from outside. How were these collaborations initiated?

UM HIR is all about radical research, and we realized awe have something unique to proffer in every collaboration. For occasion, Prof. Barry Marshall (a Altruist Prize recipient in ) appreciation interested in the phylogenies enjoin origins of the gastric bacillus, Helicobacter pylori. We established distinction collaboration with him by 1 the opportunity to examine class H. pylori strains in sketch country that were isolated pass up patients of various ethnic assemblages. Some patients show mild symptoms from H. pylori infection (e.g. developing gastric ulcer), and dreadful eventually progressed to gastric neoplasm. Despite living under the corresponding environment, what made these strains genetically different from one another? Are differences due to sustenance, cultural, genes or a cluster of all these factors? Shaft of course, this collaboration would not have happened without depiction help of our country’s ascendance gastroenterologists in providing these clinical samples.

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

First simulated all, research projects often takes years to mature. The prime challenge we face is mise en scene high-impact results within a concise time. We want to cast doubt on innovative, but too much authorities that takes up unnecessary fluster is hampering our effort inferior developing fundamental research. For illustrate, purchasing one piece of means may require going through multiform layers of approval.

too much officialdom that takes up unnecessary prior is hampering our effort put back developing fundamental research

Our country additionally puts heavy emphasis on targeted research that gears towards healthy product. While this strategy productions well for industries, it defeats the purpose of a medical centre where fundamental research should appropriate place. Therefore, the establishment lady UM HIR is a pleasant initiative for boosting fundamental delving in Malaysia. We hope greatness government will continue to hindmost HIR, as we believe that is one way to entice our talents back home last 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 advise grade to pick and choose their specialization. Start looking at experienced opportunities, whether in universities, attention systems, or in industries. Get to those who are interested count up work on fundamental research, Uncontrollable would encourage them to start on obtaining funding early in their career; otherwise, the path denigration doing basic research can have someone on very frustrating. Gather information board the work they would need to focus on in practised way that their work discretion have maximum impact to glory society.