It may sound like sci-fi, but Dr. Yanny Marliana Baba Ismail is developing smart biomaterials that help bones heal faster and stronger, potentially reducing the need for surgery by mimicking natural bone and cartilage to support regeneration.

With gradient scaffolds, she is using advanced and resorbable structures to help patients with osteoarthritis and traumatic injuries regain mobility and quality of life. Her work has earned her a spot in the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award 2024.

Trained in materials engineering and armed with a PhD in biomedical engineering from Keele University (UK), Dr. Yanny collaborates with experts across Europe, including Nottingham Trent University and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Now a senior lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), she’s pushing the boundaries of regenerative medicine — while inspiring a new generation of women scientists in the process!

Dr Yanny received the Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment in (2019) to Nottingham Trent University and Newcastle University(UK).

Read more about her Grant experience here: