FINDING THE CURE

It took Malaysian haematologist Swee Lay Thein 20 years to discover the gene that led to a cure for sickle cell anaemia; she hopes it will take far less than that for women to be recognised equally in the science industry

- Zabrina Lo

When Malaysian haematologist Swee Lay Thein stepped onto the stage at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre last November to receive The Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine, it was a celebration of two milestones in human history: first, her discovery of a genetic mechanism that can alter haemoglobin between the foetal stage and adulthood, leading to the world’s first cure for beta-thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia; second, she became only the sixth female laureate in the award’s history.

The selection process for The Shaw Prize, which is presented to scientists who make discoveries fundamental to the advancement of civilisation, has always been open to all genders. But between its launch in 2002 and last year, there had only been five female laureates in the life science and medicine category out of a total of 43; Thein was the only female scientist to win in 2024.

“That’s quite staggering, isn’t it? I don’t like to be defined as a woman in STEM,” says Thein, using the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “I would prefer to be viewed as someone who has contributed to scientific research. But that doesn’t take away the fact that I’m the only female Shaw laureate [in 2024].”

While winning the Shaw Prize is an honour, it’s also “a reminder of the ongoing challenges and opportunities for women in these fields. This opportunity emphasised the need for continued efforts to support and encourage more women and underrepresented groups to pursue and excel in the science disciplines. I hope there’ll be a future where diversity among prize winners is the norm, rather than the exception.”

Thein made her revolutionary discovery of the gene that would lead to treatment for beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease, genetic blood disorders that affect millions of people worldwide, in 2007.