Dr. Sophia Rasheeqa Ismail

Recipient of Outstanding Contribution to Science, Technology & Innovation 2017

Institution

University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Lipidomics Profiling and Risk or Early-Onset Myocardial Infarction

Health, Science and Technology

Dato' Professor Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman

Recipient for Year 2022

Something that is worth doing is often tough, but the rewards can be big.

Lipidomics Profiling and Risk or Early-Onset Myocardial Infarction

Dr. Sophia Rasheeqa Ismail is currently a PhD Candidate at the Department of Community Health, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

She is working on a PhD project entitled ‘Evaluating Cardiometabolic Risks of First Non-fatal Acute Myocardial Infarction and Predicting its Prognosis for Major Adverse Cardiac Events’. She looks specifically at the incidences of adverse events after the first heart attack and the development of a prediction model to predict the adverse outcomes.

Apart from her pursuits in academia, Dr. Sophia is employed by the Ministry of Health and holds a position as a medical officer and researcher at the Nutrition, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research.

Tackling Malaysia's Cardiovascular Challenges

On the area of her research, Dr. Sophia says, “Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), especially cardiovascular diseases, is just very intriguing.

Despite various efforts in health promotion and treatment, cardiovascular diseases remain the number one cause of death in Malaysia for almost two decades. The multifactorial nature of the disease and the changes in the environment over the past decades are changing the presentation of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, I would like to further explore the current pathophysiology of the disease, especially through pathways linking lipids such as through lipidomics.”

Dr. Sophia hopes to be able to contribute to the management of cardiovascular diseases that is specific to the Malaysian population and implement treatment guidelines based on how the disease occurs and interacts in the Malaysian context.

Educational resilience, empowered by love

Despite being diagnosed with dyslexia when she was in Year One in primary school, Dr. Sophia surprised everyone with her incredible results during her Year Three examinations, an achievement which she credits to her mother’s enduring care and guidance.

As a single mother, Dr. Sophia’s mother is a much needed pillar of support, even coming to the rescue when her granddaughter was unwell while Dr. Sophia was pursuing her Masters in London.

“You know the saying, ‘Behind every great man is a woman'? Well, I believe that behind every great woman is an even greater woman, and for me, that is my mum," she declares.

Disclaimer:
The information in this award recipient's profile is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of the time the award was presented. Any subsequent changes, updates, or developments in the individual's life or achievements may not be reflected in this profile.

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