This Malaysian Received A Prestigious Research Prize For Her Outstanding Scientific Work
Up to five people will receive the award each year.
By Tang Ruxyn — 08 Sep 2016, 05:57 PM
A fellow Malaysian clinical scientist at Newcastle University has been awarded the Lister Institute Research Prize for her outstanding work
Professor Dr. Muzlifah Aishah Haniffa is one of the esteemed recipients of the prestigious award for her efforts in the research and development of improving the human immune system.
As the recipient of the award, Muzlifah will receive EUR200,000 (RM911,102) which she will use to support her research, other than the provision or augmentation of personal salary, over a period of up to five years.
With this incentive, her research to make significant medical advances in vaccination strategies and understanding skin diseases will definitely receive a substantial boost.
Her recent achievement comes after many years of studies and experience in the field
Muzlifah, a former student at Tunku Kurshiah College in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan from 1986 to 1990, moved to Britain about 20 years ago from Malaysia to pursue a career in medical research.
A dermatologist with a strong research interest in immunology, Muzlifah is focused on understanding the functional heterogeneity of human mononuclear phagocytes, a family of white blood cells comprising dendritic cells, monocytes and macrophages, which initiate and regulate immune responses.
Prior to receiving this award, she has received many high-profile accolades for her work, including the European Society for Dermatology Research LEO Pharma Research Foundation Silver Award (2013), the British Society for Investigative Dermatology Young Investigator Award (2012) and Sue McCarthy Prize (runner-up) for the UK Medical Research Society Young Investigator Award (2009).
Muzlifah was extremely humbled that she was chosen as one of the five Prize Fellows
"It is a huge honour to receive a Lister Institute Research Prize and I am over the moon to be given such a prestigious award at this stage in my career," she said.
"This funding will allow me to pioneer new research avenues to enhance existing vaccination strategies for infection and cancer."
Every year, up to five researchers will be selected for The Lister Institute Research Prize Fellowships, as The Fellowships aims to support and nurture future leaders in biomedical research.
The selection process includes a written application and subsequent interview with members of the Lister Institute’s Scientific Advisory Committee.
Professor Chris Day, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Newcastle University's Faculty of Medical Sciences, has nothing but compliments for Muzlifah's excellent work
"For Professor Haniffa to be awarded a Lister Institute Research Prize Fellowship is a huge achievement and testament to the quality of her research into the immunological basis of debilitating skin diseases."
"She is the first clinical scientist ever to be awarded a Lister Fellowship in Newcastle and we are particularly pleased to see such an outstanding example of someone who has come through the Newcastle Clinical Academic Training pathway which is now being used as a template for similar schemes across the UK."
"Professor Haniffa is one of the outstanding clinician scientists of her generation and has rapidly, in her short career, established an international reputation in her field."
Even before she was recognised by the Lister Institute Research, Muzlifah has received international acclaim for her research on mononuclear phagocytes
Her research programme is focused on understanding the functional heterogeneity of human mononuclear phagocytes, a family of white blood cells comprising dendritic cells, monocytes and macrophages, which initiate and regulate immune responses.
Muzlifah's research goal is to understand how mononuclear phagocytes regulate tissue homeostasis, immunity upon vaccination and their role in disease pathogenesis.
This knowledge is essential for the development of new strategies to manipulate host immune response to improve vaccination and immunotherapeutic strategies.
