Posted in: 100 Scientists of Malaysia Facebook

Source: https://www.facebook.com/109427157091712/posts/240496927318067/

Credit to the Editors of 100 Scientists of Malaysia Facebook

As a little girl who was brought up by parents with careers in medicine, the hospital compound was my playground. I witnessed many cases of trauma involving bone fractures, blood, and the acrimonious smell of drugs. The most chilling sight was when patients lost some of their bones due to severe injuries. They were in pain, frustration and tears; fearing for what the future holds for them and their loved ones.

Seeing the plight of the patients, I developed a deep interest in science and technology, so that one day I could find a way to fix injuries caused by bone defects, in order to help them – to bring back their smiles and give them seeds of hope to continue their lives. Being fearful of blood and needles, as a medical doctor it was not an option for me. Instead, I opted to become a Materials Engineer with the aim of developing advanced materials for medical applications.

With the knowledge and expertise in biomedical and materials engineering, my team and I tried to develop new synthetic biomaterials for bone repair. These materials are specifically designed and formulated to closely resemble the architecture and composition of our native bone. Bones mainly consist of calcium and phosphate. However, there are also many other elements found in bones such as carbonate, strontium and magnesium. Despite the small quantities present, these elements also add to the properties of our bone, hence we need to investigate the function of each element. To date, our findings confirmed that the newly-developed materials are safe and do not cause any harm to the bone cells.

As an engineer, I also try to develop products that are cost-effective and affordable, particularly for our own people.

Every time we formulate a new material, we test the materials with various techniques to understand the composition, strength, architecture and biological compatibility with bone-like cells, to see if they are able to survive and eventually form a new bone. Because every material will result in a different reaction, this is challenging. We try hundreds of formulas before getting the right one. It’s a long journey from basic understanding to seeing how they respond mechanically and biologically. I really hope this newly-developed bone material will be the best solution a patient could ask for in speeding up bone healing. That is my dream.

You’re so lady-like, why become an engineer?

I get this question sometimes, even from my family.

I say what’s wrong with that?

They were worried that I would become a very tough girl.

I don’t think my work has affected my personality very much.

Materials engineering doesn’t seem to be as male-dominated as other conventional engineering fields; the gender balance is roughly equal. Materials engineering is a unique, advanced engineering programme. We delve into innovating new materials by understanding their properties, process and analyse them.

I’ve had a few experiences receiving training in communicating science to the general public and effective pitching. I believe they helped me in my career; being able to communicate with a variety of audiences ranging from experts in other fields to school children, who don't necessarily understand the intricacies of the type of engineering that I do.

As a young academic, I hope I could inspire our younger generation to take up science and technology for their careers in the future. To do so, I am also actively involved in online teaching through my own YouTube channel, as I believe in the power of borderless education in helping to educate the wider community.

I am a Malaysian and I am a Lecturer in Materials Engineering.

Dr. Yanny Marliana Baba Ismail, School of Materials & Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

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Background on 100 Scientists of Malaysia or 100 SoM:

• Officially launched on 31^st August 2019.
• Started as a social media project co-founded by three Malaysians who are currently PhD students at the University of Nottingham, UK - Anthony Beh, Joshua Khoo and Sara Wong.
• Aims at highlighting 100 Malaysian individuals who are working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with the hope of increasing visibility of Malaysian scientists, showcasing diversity of STEM, and inspire the pursuit of those subjects among local students.
• The 100 scientists were asked to highlight their own stories creatively via posting of photocards, interesting facts and Q&A sessions, on social media.