She's an engineer of the modern era

Professor Jackie Ying is no stranger to hard work.

Her early years working in chemical engineering in the United States were gruelling because she was a young Asian woman in a male-dominated industry, or a 'triple minority', as she put it.

'People would look at me and say, 'Maybe she can't do this or that', and think twice about giving me certain big projects,' said the executive director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN).

The result? Having to work 'triple hard' to prove her mettle.

Her hard work has paid off, and she has an enviable list of accolades under her belt.

At 36, she became the youngest full professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) after serving nine years in the faculty of the university's chemical engineering department.

Two years later, at 38, she made waves by becoming the youngest member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina - the world's oldest academy for medicine and natural sciences - which includes several Nobel laureates.

In 2003, she was handpicked by then chairman for the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), Mr Philip Yeo, to helm the fledgling IBN.

Now at 42, the Singapore permanent resident has become one of only eight women named among the 100 Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers earlier this month.

The list honours 100 engineers who have made significant contributions to the profession after World War II.

Prof Ying was recognised for her work in nanotechnology, the study of things on an atomic scale.

Materials on the nano scale take on properties different from their normal solid or liquid states, she explained, allowing scientists to create substances with multiple functions.

Under her leadership, the IBN has filed more than 630 patent applications for its inventions. It has also produced one spin-off company, Curiox, which develops diagnostic kits for medical and research purposes.

Research in the pipeline includes creating an artificial kidney that can filter harmful substances such as urea out of the blood, and keep useful ones like glucose in, said Prof Ying.

Moving outside biomedical sciences, the institute is now looking into environmental applications for its nanotechnology, like advanced solar cells and carbon sequestration - the long-term storage of carbon to prevent its contribution to climate change.

Despite her many achievements, she is not one to rest on her laurels.

'I do the work because it excites me, not for the awards,' she said.

Success, however, comes at a price.

She clocks 70- to 80-hour work weeks as head of the research institute, on top of her role as editor- in-chief of scientific journal Nanotoday and posts on several research advisory boards.

The fast-talking, articulate scientist struggles for words as she describes her one regret - not being able to spend more time with family.

'It's difficult to take too much time off from work,' she said. 'I wish I could help my seven year-old daughter more in her school work, especially when it gets stressful during exam periods.'

She declined to talk about her marriage or her husband.

Her passion for science started during her teenage years in Singapore and New York, where secondary and high school teachers gave her creative licence to freely explore the world of chemistry.

Born to Taiwanese parents, she spent nine years in Singapore, where her father taught Chinese literature at the then Nanyang University.

'I loved the science labs in RGS (Raffles Girls' Secondary),' she said.

For all her hard work, she admitted she could not have achieved her success without mentors, particularly those from the chemical engineering department at MIT, who provided 'invaluable advice and support'.

She noted that mentorship is 'non-existent' here, with students often deferring to their peers for advice.

Young people should learn to tap into the wealth of experience and knowledge that their seniors possess, regardless of the industry they are in, said Prof Ying.

And the IBN is walking the talk.

In an attempt to bridge the generation gap between younger and older researchers, it set up the Youth Research Programme in 2003.

The programme gives secondary and tertiary students a taste of biomedical research through attachments, workshops and lab visits to the institute.

'We don't treat them like students,' said Prof Ying. 'If they are attached to us, they are part of a real research project, and they need to put in their best.'

Nearly 200 students pass through the doors of the institute annually, each mentored by a researcher. Many who finished their attachments at the institute have kept in touch with their mentors, she said.

The programme has also helped the institute identify budding talents who are keen on pursuing their passions.

'It's imperative we weed out the ones who aren't as keen on pursuing research in the long run because ultimately, we (the institute) are on the receiving end of their work.

'In fact, the youngest students we have here are the least screwed up,' she chuckled.

'They aren't in the labs to pad their resumes or to get an overseas scholarship - they're just doing it because they're passionate about science.'

Developing research talents must start when students are young. Singapore must rethink the way science is taught here, said Prof Ying.

'Memorising how the digestive system works in a long boring lecture, and then regurgitating that information in an exam - that's not how science works now,' she said.

With a heavy focus on innovative research, science is now about testing hypotheses, discovering new knowledge and learning how to manipulate information retrieved through experiments, she explained.

To better groom potential researchers, schools must move away from 'descriptive science' and start getting students involved in 'hands-on learning'.

While Prof Ying felt that the local education system is already world-class - her daughter is enrolled in a primary school here - revamping science education is a way to make it 'even better'.

A rigid, results-focused education system may be effective in producing top grades, but may stifle potential passionate scientists.

Passion is the driver of good science - a quality that she fears the current education system may not be able to cultivate.

Exams, scholarships and bonds that come with them can be 'suffocating', she noted, especially when they cause students to lose focus on the ultimate goal, which is research that can benefit mankind.

She felt that while scholarships ensure that the cream of the crop are rewarded, they may also provide the wrong push for students.

'Sure, you can get straight-A students, but they may not be as passionate about research as someone who might not do as well in school,' she said.

Instead, students and would-be scholars should be given the chance to try out research before they sign on to ensure they 'know what they're getting themselves into', she said.

'It would be a shame to waste a (scholarship) place on someone who isn't as passionate about research. Those who want it badly enough will work hard for it.'