Dr Ravigadevi Becomes First Malaysian Elected To Royal Society
A Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Dr Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi - Credit: Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI)
KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- A Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Dr Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, making her the first Malaysian scientist at the world's oldest and most prestigious scientific academy.
It also marks a historic milestone for the country.
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), in a statement today, said Ravigadevi will be officially inducted into the Society in London on July 11, 2025, where she will sign the Royal Society's historic Charter Book, a record that bears the signatures of scientific luminaries spanning more than three centuries.
A pioneering biotechnologist, Ravigadevi was appointed a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) in 2010 and is currently the Chair of the Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Discipline.
She is also a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences and a former Director of the Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), where she led transformative research in oil palm biochemistry and genomics.
'Her innovations have had a global impact, particularly in improving yield, resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.
'One of her most significant achievements was leading the team that decoded the oil palm genome, a major scientific breakthrough published in the prestigious journal Nature. This led to the discovery of the SHELL gene, which plays a key role in determining oil yield,' the statement read.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Chang Lih Kang, lauded the achievement, saying that Ravigadevi's election as the first Malaysian Fellow of the Royal Society marks a proud moment for the nation.
'This recognition is not only a personal triumph but also a symbol of what Malaysia stands for under the Malaysia MADANI framework, a nation that uplifts prosperity through knowledge and champions sustainability through innovation.
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