UK-based Dr Serena Nik-Zainal becomes first M’sian to win global oncology award, S’wakian Dr Voon Pei Jye recognised for advancing research

Dr Serena (centre) receiving the prestigious ESMO Award for Translational Research in the ceremony at Barcelona, Spain.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 17: Professor Dr Serena Nik-Zainal, a Malaysian scientist based in the United Kingdom, is the first Malaysian to be awarded the prestigious European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Award for Translational Research, which was presented during the ESMO Congress 2024 opening ceremony held recently in Barcelona, Spain.

According to a media release, the award recognises individuals with outstanding achievements in translational research on an international scale.

Dr Serena, a Professor of Genomic Medicine and Bioinformatics and an Honorary Consultant in Clinical Genetics at the University of Cambridge, UK, is celebrated for her groundbreaking research in mutational signatures and her contributions to accelerating the translation these findings into clinical applications.

At the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, she leads the Genomic Medicine theme, advancing the whole cancer genomics field through both computational and experimental approaches to ultimately transform these discoveries into clinical practice.

Other notable achievements by Malaysians in the field of oncology include contributions from Dr Voon Pei Jye, a medical oncologist at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), and Prof Ho Gwo Fuang, a clinical oncologist formerly at University Malaya Medical Centre that was presented as an oral presentation.

Dr Voon (sixth right) in a photo with Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian during the latter’s visit to Sarawak General Hospital in April this year. Photo credit: Dr Sim Kui Hian Facebook

Dr Voon also co-authored a First-in-Human trial for a lung cancer study (ARTEMIDE-01) as well as became the first author for another early phase lung cancer trial (PolyDamas) that was presented at the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) that was held in San Diego from Sept 7 to 10.

These contributions further solidify Malaysia’s growing capabilities and achievements in early-phase drug development.

Globally, oncology has become a key focus of research and development for pharmaceutical and biotech companies, with the field recording the highest growth rate annually.

In Malaysia, approximately 20 per cent of over 2,000 sponsored research studies are in oncology.

Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM), a government-established entity facilitating sponsored clinical research, aims to attract more such studies to the country, showcased through its presence at ESMO 2024.

CRM’s mission revolves around providing opportunities for cancer patients in local hospitals to access novel trial therapies through clinical trial participation.

Established by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in 2012, CRM operates with core values of humanity, stability, and sustainability, ensuring a robust clinical research ecosystem in the country. — DayakDaily