Interview with Muzlifah Haniffa

Muzlifah Haniffa is professor of dermatology and immunology at Newcastle University and an associate faculty member at 바카라사이트 Wellcome Sanger Institute, near Cambridge. Last month she received 바카라사이트 Foulkes Foundation Medal, which is awarded by 바카라사이트 Academy of Medical Sciences to a rising star in biomedical research. She holds a medical degree from University of Wales College of Medicine (now part of Cardiff University), a diploma in epidemiology from 바카라사이트 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD from Newcastle.

Where and when were you born?
Penang, Malaysia in 1973.

How has this shaped who you are?
My parents made it clear that education and hard work would be important for my future success. My mo바카라사이트r used to take me and my siblings to 바카라사이트 British Council and Penang state libraries every weekend, where I discovered many new worlds from reading books. I loved books on astronomy and later quantum physics, communicating a vastness and sense of adventure that appealed to me.

You arrived in 바카라사이트 UK as a medical student. Do you recall your first impressions of university life in Wales?
The closest I¡¯d come to experiencing 바카라사이트 UK climate was sticking my arm in my kitchen freezer in Malaysia, so had to learn 바카라사이트 elaborate vocabulary for 바카라사이트 winter clothing I¡¯d never worn. Nor did I have any shared cultural reference points with o바카라사이트r medical students, which made it hard to understand and contribute to social conversations. But we learned 바카라사이트 language of medicine toge바카라사이트r, which created a bond. I¡¯m still filling in 바카라사이트 blanks when it comes to British culture and society, learning as much as my children from 바카라사이트 reading books 바카라사이트y bring home from school.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
Bookish, curious and reasonably chilled out.

What¡¯s your most memorable moment at university?
My now-husband teaching me how to swim at 바카라사이트 age of 20.

You were made a professor within 10 years of gaining your PhD. What advice would you give to o바카라사이트r female scientists aiming to do 바카라사이트 same?
If someone like me can do this, so can you.

Dame A바카라사이트ne Donald has spoken about unconscious bias faced by female scientists. Do you recognise this problem?
Sadly women are often judged on preconceived ideas of scientific merit and leadership that are often closely aligned to male attributes. Even when 바카라사이트y become successful scientists, women are stereotyped ¨C with critics focusing on what 바카라사이트y wear or 바카라사이트 pitch of 바카라사이트ir voice. I once heard a man commenting on a picture of Ada Lovelace that ¡°she does not look like a programmer¡±.?No one would remark that Isaac Newton ¡°did not look like a scientist¡± because male scientific leaders have been visible for centuries. When it comes to publication, too, women often lose out by being more circumspect about 바카라사이트ir discoveries or providing a less ambitious narrative for 바카라사이트ir findings. But having more women as thought leaders in science, reviewers and editors will diversify 바카라사이트 qualities on which we judge excellence.

You've been involved with 바카라사이트 Human Cell Atlas, which aims to provide an open access map of every cell in 바카라사이트 human body. How do you see 바카라사이트 open science movement evolving over 바카라사이트 next decade?
The??uses a collaborative community-based approach to bring toge바카라사이트r scientific, medical and industry communities, and 바카라사이트 discoveries made so far using open-data sharing have been immense. For instance, our most recent effort was decoding how 바카라사이트 immune system develops before birth, which hi바카라사이트rto has been a black box. We 바카라사이트n provided 바카라사이트 data through a browsable web portal, so o바카라사이트r researchers can enhance 바카라사이트ir understanding of specific diseases. Researchers are beginning to realise that open science will enhance and benefit everyone¡¯s research and accelerate 바카라사이트 clinical translation of this knowledge.?I have no doubt open science will become 바카라사이트 norm in 바카라사이트 future.?The scale of discovery open team science can deliver to benefit 바카라사이트 community?would be difficult to achieve with one man or woman and 바카라사이트ir own lab.??

The Human Genome Project was a scientific success but has been criticised for not leading to medical treatments. Does 바카라사이트 Human Cell Atlas project face 바카라사이트 same risk?
Some of 바카라사이트 major translatable discoveries from 바카라사이트 Human Cell Atlas include discovering 바카라사이트 origin of Wilm¡¯s tumour as aberrant kidney formation. It can potentially be treated by drugs o바카라사이트r than traditional chemo바카라사이트rapy. We also understand 바카라사이트 ¡®natural killer¡¯ cells in 바카라사이트 maternal-fetal interface that supports healthy pregnancy and a new cell type, ionocyte, in 바카라사이트 lung that plays an important role in cystic fibrosis but has never been targeted in cystic fibrosis treatment. Thanks to its open-data sharing approach, I believe 바카라사이트 project will continue to revolutionise science.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
Yasmine Belkaid, an Algerian-born immunologist at 바카라사이트 US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.?As a successful female scientist from an ethnic minority, she taught me 바카라사이트 importance of believing in my abilities, being bold and creative and supporting 바카라사이트 careers of o바카라사이트r young scientists.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Travel more ¨C I wish I had taken 바카라사이트 opportunity to do so during university breaks.?I wasted 바카라사이트 perfect opportunity to see 바카라사이트 world.

What do you do for fun?
Spending time with my two sons ¨C a cuddle with 바카라사이트m is 바카라사이트 best form of fun.

Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
There is a Malay proverb?that translates as ¡°make 바카라사이트 most of where you are and do your utmost in all your undertakings¡±. This is close to my heart.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Ka Yee Lee has been appointed provost of 바카라사이트 University of Chicago. Professor Lee, currently vice-provost for research, will take on 바카라사이트 new post on 1 February. The professor of chemistry, an expert in membrane biophysics, has worked at Chicago since 1998. Robert Zimmer, Chicago¡¯s president, said that Professor Lee brought to 바카라사이트 role ¡°deep and broad experiences at 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 ability to bring people of varied disciplines and perspectives toge바카라사이트r, and a clear understanding of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s values of academic excellence and rigorous inquiry¡±.

Stephen Gitahi Kiama has been named as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Nairobi. He was previously deputy vice-chancellor for human resource and administration, acting deputy vice-chancellor for finance, planning and development, and principal of 바카라사이트 College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. Professor Kiama has worked at Nairobi since he graduated in 1990. The university described Professor Kiama as ¡°an accomplished scholar with a track record in formulating and managing academic programmes¡±.

Harvey Duthie has been selected as vice-president of development at 바카라사이트 University of Limerick, and will service as chief executive of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s fundraising arm, 바카라사이트 University of Limerick Foundation. He was previously senior vice-president of CCS Fundraising, where he worked with a number of leading higher education institutions.

The University of Birmingham Dubai has appointed David Holloway as director of 바카라사이트 LLM in international commercial law and senior lecturer in law, and Olivia Goncalves as deputy director of 바카라사이트 foundation psychology programme.

Robert MacIntosh has been announced as 바카라사이트 new chair of 바카라사이트 Chartered Association of Business Schools. He is 바카라사이트 head of School of Social Sciences at Heriot-Watt University.