Every year, L’oreal Malaysia and Unesco put
women scientists at the forefront, giving them much needed recognition and
encouragement.
FOR the past seven years, the L’oreal For Women in Science (FWIS)
programme has given women scientists in Malaysia recognition and encouragement
for their dedication and hard work. Internationally, the programme has been
around for 14 years, committed to providing visibility and acknowledgement to
thousands of women scientists everywhere. They want to ensure that women are
represented at the highest level of scientific research.
In L’oreal worldwide, women represent 55% of its research workforce,
compared to industry statistics of only 30% in the field of science and
technology. L’oreal is committed to levelling the playing field for women in
science through this programme. Since its inception in 1998, the L’Oreal FWIS programme has given
support every year in the form of five International Awards, presented to a
woman from each of the regions of Africa and the Arab States, Asia-Pacific,
Europe, Latin America and North America; the International Special Fellowship
(started in 2011), 15 International Fellowships (started in 2000) and 20
Regional and 180 National Fellowships. Malaysia has also been proudly represented in the pool of women
scientists worldwide.
Dr Suraini Abdul Aziz was awarded the Unesco-L’oreal International
Fellowship in 2001, followed by Dr Nyon Mun Peak in 2006, Dr Chan Yean Yean in
2009 and Dr Tan Yifen in 2010. In the past seven years, the L’oreal Malaysia
FWIS programme has recognised 21 women researchers.
Under the National Fellowship,
they each get a RM20,000 grant to pursue their scientific project in Malaysia.
This year, the recipients of the grants are Dr Firdaus Mukhtar, Assoc
Prof Dr Wan Azlina Wan Abdul Karim Ghani and Dr Hakimah Osman. Senior Lecturer
and Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Universiti Putra Malaysia Dr Firdaus’s
work is on helping women deal with anxiety disorders. Her field of study is
cognitive behaviour therapy for women with anxiety disorders, which is one of
the most common mental health problems among women in Malaysia. “Women play a
significant role when it comes to family and community. We face many challenges
in meeting the high demands in our lives, that may lead to stress, depression
and anxiety,” she says. “In Malaysia, there are numerous studies on anxiety
disorders, with very little focus on its effect on women. Most studies also
focus on pharmacology intervention to address anxiety symptoms. Very little is
known about the role of psycho-immunology to combat anxiety disorders.”
Dr Firdaus, 35, has dedicated the last 15 years of her life to
psychology, and she credits her unerring passion to the people she has met
along her journey of discovery. While she was studying for her degree, she had
to work to support her family. It was a tough time as she juggled work, family
and study commitments. But she got through the tough times, and believes that
experience has equipped her to help other women handle stress. “I want my
patients to have control in managing their illnesses. I would like them all to
find happiness. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy can be applied in many areas as
well, such as parenting. Adults can develop good parenting skills, which in
turn promotes healthy development for children, mind, body and soul.
According to her, psycho-immunology is primarily about the mind-body
connection. When an individual is subject to a lot of stress, her balance is
affected. “Stress can cause chronic suppression of the immune system,
increasing the risk for contracting certain diseases. As such, untreated
anxiety disorders can potentially compromise the immune system, leading to a
host of other complications. This in turn leads to high medical cost,” she
says. The disorder not only affects the afflicted, but those around her as
well. There are higher risks of severe mental illness, suicide attempts,
relationship conflict, low work performance and even substance abuse.
“Stress alone does not necessarily determine how well or poorly the
immune system will function. The important factor is the individual’s ability
to cope with stress. How an individual perceives a stressful event may be more
important than the existence of the stress itself,” says Dr Firdaus. According
to Dr Firdaus, another important finding is that personality characteristics
may play a role in how the immune system responds to stress. Passive individuals
may have lower cortisol levels, and consequently, have fewer alterations in
their immune systems in response to stressors. “Cognitive behavior therapy is
one of the few forms of psychotherapy that has been scientifically tested and
found to be effective in hundreds of clinical trials for many different
disorders. In contrast to other forms of psychotherapy, cognitive therapy is
usually more focused on the present, more time-limited, and more
problem-solving oriented,” she says.
Patients also learn specific skills that they can use for the rest of
their lives, according to the psychologist, who says these skills involve
identifying distorted thinking, modifying beliefs, relating to others in
different ways, and changing behaviors. “I believe Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
has a great future because it is the best evidence-based psychological
intervention in Malaysia now,” she says.
The laymen would probably not know what Dr Wan Azlina’s research on the
development of hydrogel biochar composite (HBC) for sequestration of carbon
dioxide is all about. But the Department of Chemical and Environmental
Engineering lecturer at the Universiti Putra Malaysia says the research is
important because the material developed is designed to capture greenhouse
gases, mainly carbon dioxide, which is the major contributor to climate change.
“A scientific career in research can empower a person to achieve what resides
in her imagination by making it real. With the knowledge and skills I have in
this field, I can discover and solve issues faced by society,” says Dr Wan
Azlina, 33, who names Malaysia’s first women in astronomy and astro-physics
Prof Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman as her inspiration.
Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Perlis’ senior lecturer in the School of
Materials Engineering Dr Hakimah Osman, 33, won the award for her work on ways
to develop natural latex from tapioca, in order to overcome protein allergy and
the shortage of natural rubber supply around the world. “Being a researcher is
exciting and interesting because it deals with the unknown, and discovery. We
like to know how and why things work ... and science gives us many of these
answers. “What motivates me in solving scientific enigmas is to help others to
have a better life. Science can change lives.”
The Star.com
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