Dr Sandy Loh Hwei San, Assistant Professor in the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, has been awarded the National Cancer Council’s (MAKNA) Cancer Research Award in the field of Oncology (the study and research of cancer) for the year 2007.

Dr Loh was one of the 5 recipients selected for the research award. Dr Stephen Doughty, Dean of the Faculty of Science, said “This is a significant achievement as it is the first MAKNA award presented to the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. It is hoped that this will develop into a long-term collaboration with MAKNA in the area of cancer research and development. I am sure that Dr Loh’s groundbreaking research proposal will yield excellent results in the field of cancer research, ultimately improving lives for generations to come.”

The award ceremony was held at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and was officiated by Y.Bhg Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Yusof Basiron (FASc), President of Academy of Sciences Malaysia and Y.Bhg Dato’ Mohd Farid Ariffin, Founder and President of MAKNA. The Cancer Research Award is held annually with the primary objective of motivating young researchers and local health professionals to push back the frontiers of cancer research.

Dr Loh obtained her PhD from Universiti Putra Malaysia and her research interests include studies on potential anticancer, antibacterial and immunomodulating properties of plant extracts derived from tropical and primary rainforest plants; development of plant vaccines for poultry diseases control and oil palm epigenetic research. Dr Loh and colleagues Dr Kang Nee Ting, Dr Christophe Wiart and Mr Khoo Teng Jin, all from the School of Pharmacy, were recently awarded a research grant from the University of Nottingham’s Research Committee Strategic Funds on Drug Discovery research focusing on Tropical (Rainforest) Plants.

This project is a collaborative venture between the Schools of Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences and Biosciences at Nottingham UK and the Malaysia Campus, and the funding is helping to equip a new research laboratory in this discipline. The MAKNA funding will further extend and advance this exciting and important initiative.

Source by: http://www.nottingham.edu.my, February 28, 2008