Dr. Timothy William - 2017

Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles and pray at all times.

Dr. Timothy William

Recipient of Outstanding Contribution to Science, Technology & Innovation 2017

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An Infectious Passion for Service

Upon completing his Housemanship, Dr. Timothy William was posted to Tambunan, Sabah. He quickly recognised the impact of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, typhoid, melioidosis, and more on individuals in rural and lower socioeconomic areas, leading him to dedicate his career to treating infectious diseases.

Dr. Timothy worked tirelessly to find a solution to the rapid deaths in Malaysia due to infections by the P. knowlesi parasite. Based on the findings of studies done by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, Dr. Timothy and his team carefully documented the clinical features of P.knowlesi malaria, its risk factors, and most importantly the best way to treat it, leading to a drastic decrease in the number of deaths due to the disease.

The William family photo on Dr. Timothy William's Graduation as a doctor from the University of Malaya

Dr. Timothy William with his fellow 3rd year medical students at their rural health posting in Sg Acheh, 1993. The beginning of his passion for serving those in the rural areas.

Dr. Timothy with his young family

Finding his passion in the land below the wind

Born in Klang and raised in Banting, Selangor, Dr, Timothy was among the 38 students in the whole country to earn 5 distinctions in the STPM exams in 1989.

Dr. Timothy considers this one of his proudest achievements as the results were announced in the national news. His achievement gave hope that kids in rural areas could accomplish big things through hard work.

After graduating as a young doctor in 1995, he faced challenging housemanship at Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru and was later posted to Tambunan, a small town in the interior of Sabah. His time in Tambunan would ignite a passion within him for the treatment of infectious diseases, prompting him to pursue a career that would allow him to make a difference in the way these diseases are managed.

Later on, Dr. Timothy would obtain his specialist qualifications at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu and further his training in infectious diseases in Kuala Lumpur and Australia.

Making waves in malaria research

Infections of Plasmodium knowlesi parasite had been occurring in Malaysia for many years.

When the number of cases and deaths came to an alarming state, a research team was formed consisting of clinicians and scientists from the Malaysian Ministry of Health, including the National Clinical Research Centre led by Dr. Goh Pik Pin, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Clinical Research Centre, Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas hospitals, and experts from the Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia.

Dr. Timothy’s team found that Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) was more effective than Chloroquine, contributing to the revision of malaria management guidelines.

Expanding collaborations with various institutions, Dr. Timothy’s team investigated the impact of land-use changes on P. knowlesi malaria spread and used drones to study infection risk factors. With grants exceeding RM 15 million, obtained from the Malaysian Ministry of Health and external grants from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, their research encompasses malaria, tuberculosis, acute febrile illnesses, rickettsial diseases, and dengue. Dr. Timothy emphasises the collective contributions of many individuals and organisations to the success of these projects.

Dr. Timothy William leading the team from Menzies School of Health Research and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at the Research sites in Kudat

Dr. Timothy William and Dr. Christopher Lee whom he trained under the field infectious Diseases

The first ever health research project in the world using Drones

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.

Other Recipients

Outstanding Contribution to Science, Technology & Innovation

Professor Dr. Balbir Singh Mohan Singh

Outstanding Contribution to Education and Community

Dato' Dr. Abdul Halim Ismail

Anugerah Khas Merdeka

Professor Dr. Anthony Milner