Daily Lesson from Life 15 July 2008

"Mon, Jul 14, 2008 The Straits Times For her, science is paramount

In less than a fortnight, Dr Lisa Ng turns 35 but she will not look a day over 26. When this was pointed out to her, the award-winning scientist said with characteristic modesty: 'Naivete keeps us looking younger than our age, we have to be eternal optimists to stay scientists.'

Dr Ng, who is with the Singapore Immunology Network (SiGN), under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, won the eighth Asean Young Scientist and Technologist Award last week. She is the first Singaporean and the first woman to clinch the honour. The award recognises her work in preparing infectious disease laboratories in the region for any possible epidemic.

Her former mentor, Professor Edison Liu, executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore, said of her: 'She is a shining example of how willpower and commitment are often more important for success than achievement through examination scores.'

'I didn't even know I wanted to be a scientist when I was a kid. I just wanted to do what I liked best,' said the soft-spoken woman.

But she insisted on taking the road less travelled by studying in Polytechnic and eventually found that her family was right: She was unable to get a place at the National University of Singapore after she had finished her polytechnic studies, even though her grades were good.

Her marriage had ended 'due to hubby wants weekend off while she just dived into the lab to check results, etc'. Asked how she handled the emotional turmoil, she said simply: 'I just had to focus on what needed to be done.'
Perhaps it is the scientist in her that has kept her positive.

'A scientist has to be an optimist by nature because we have to face failure every day, sometimes for months, as we test our theories, before we see a glimpse of success,' she said.
Even as she acknowledges that it is harder for women in science to have it all, she is open to future possibilities. 'Most partners who understand our work tend to be in the same line,' she noted."

Singapore press is having a field day with publicising Singaporean achievers! Yesterday was the drug-pusher turned scholar and today with Dr Lisa Ng's story.

The lessons for me:

1. persistence counts! Taking the road less travelled has a price to pay. But persistence will eventually even out the odds! Unfair but that is what life is about, sometimes!!;

2. passionate people must bear some pains when those closed to them do not understand or share their passion. Sometime passionate people are called 'fanatic' or 'obsessive' as some tasks just take total focus and persistence to get results. I guessed research into new frontier is one of those jobs!;

3. when the worst happened, hopefully it is an amicable separation of the marriage, and each gets on with their respective life. The positive thing about Dr Lisa Ng is that she is optimistic and that a partner who is in the same line as her probably will be a better match. This is probably true. I wish her all the best as a bright scientist also deserve a great marriage.

4. while I praised SMU, NTU and NUS for accepting Mr Boh yesterday, I guessed for Dr Lisa Ng, that time was not here then! The establishment probably has come a long way themselves. It is a blessing that her parents paid for her university study that laid the foundation to her being the 1st Singaporean and woman to win the prestigious Asean Scientist Award.

Keep the flag flying - for yourself and your country.