Dr. Sophia Rasheeqa Ismail, Head of the Cardiovascular Unit at the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), is transforming heart disease prediction in Malaysia. Her research uses lipidomics, a cutting-edge molecular technique, to detect early warning signs of first-time heart attacks through subtle shifts in lipid profiles. By integrating lipidomics with genome-wide association studies into a multi-omics framework, she’s uncovering genetic–metabolic signatures that could revolutionize early diagnosis and prevention.

She also serves as the Lead Participant Recruitment Coordinator for the nationwide MyGENOM initiative, building a reference genome for precision medicine in Malaysia.

Together, her efforts aim to develop predictive models tailored to Malaysia’s culturally diverse population, making heart disease prevention more precise and personal.

Dr Sophia received the Merdeka Award Grant in 2017 and completed her research attachment at the University of Cambridge.