UK's Royal Society Welcomes First-ever Malaysian Scientist

PETALLING JAYA: The Royal Society, which serves as the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences, has admitted Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi as its first Malaysian scientist into its membership.

In a statement today, the academy said this years cohort of researchers includes trailblazers across a wide range of fields, from artificial intelligence and electron microscopy to global health and neuroscience.

They include a public health expert working to prevent HIV in young women, and a Nobel Prize winner whose team created the transformative AI model AlphaFold.

Adrian Smith, who leads the Royal Society, highlighted that these accomplishments exemplify the pinnacle of scientific efforts, ranging from fundamental discoveries to studies that significantly affect various domains such as healthcare, technological advancements, and policymaking.

A resident of Petaling Jaya who was born in Johor Bahru in 1955, Ravigadevi will turn 70 this year when she celebrates her birthday in London. This event occurs just two days following her induction into the Royal Society on July 11.

I am privileged to sign the Royal Society Charter Book, an ancient ledger containing the signatures of eminent scientists from the last three hundred years, such as Isaac Newton, she informed FMT.

Currently serving as a scientific consultant for the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Ravigadevi earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and microbiology from Universiti Malaya in 1979, followed by a PhD in biochemistry from University College London in 1983.

In addition to her position at MPOB, she leads the Biological, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences section at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and serves as a trustee on the boards of both the Malaysian Invention and Design Foundation and several other organizations.

Ravigadevi refused to take the full credit for her recognition, calling it a shared honour with the exceptional team I had the privilege of leading at MPOB.

Real progress in science seldom occurs alone; her achievements were the result of smooth teamwork with global allies and a deep, collective dedication to making sure that scientific discoveries benefit humankind and the Earth, she stated.

The academy mentioned that individuals selected for this year’s cohort come from various nations such as Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, China, and Switzerland.

The fellows and foreign members join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin, it said.