Call it a combination of curiosity and machine-like discipline, but Asma’s hard work and instincts laid the groundwork for several innovative healthcare discoveries—leading to the development of 16 patents that have been commercialised worldwide.

Her contributions include the development of Typhidot, a rapid diagnostic kit for typhoid that has been advocated by the World Health Organisation, and advocacy for planetary health and sustainability in education. In 2023, Forbes Asia honoured her as one of the top 50 women over 50 in the Asia Pacific.

Now the Vice-Chancellor and CEO of IMU University in Kuala Lumpur, Asma reveals how her postgraduate studies in the US taught her the value of questioning norms and embracing systems thinking—skills that have become indispensable in a world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence and global challenges.

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“My education in the US changed me in many ways because it allowed me to be free to express myself and question everything. That was a new way of thinking, because back home we were told that whatever the teacher says is correct.

“But now in the US, I was being taught to question everything—even if something was published in a high impact journal, that didn’t mean that you couldn’t question the science behind it. It taught me critical thinking. The United States is really where I learnt about good science and that shaped the kind of scientist I became when I came back to Malaysia.” 

Now at IMU, she is spearheading a transformation of Malaysia’s higher education system. “Education must be unbundled,” says Asma, who is a member of the Higher Education Advisory Panel for financial sustainability of universities under the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education. Asma is also involved in the rewriting of Malaysia’s Higher Education Blueprint 2026 to 2035.

“Education is no longer about teaching knowledge alone; it’s about teaching values, adaptability, and resilience,” she says. “It has to be relevant to the kind of problems that we are facing in the world today. Our challenge is a challenge of the unknown.

“We don’t yet know what problems we are going to solve or what technology we will need to solve those problems in the future. How do you cope with this? You teach students values, ethics, morality—it’s important in any profession to make someone a good person before he or she can be a good professional. You teach the students to be flexible, to be adaptable, to be agile, and to be resilient. Then when problems come, they will be able to bounce back.” 

During her tenure as President of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Asma made significant strides in advocating for greater female representation in leadership roles within the sciences.

“The data tells us that Malaysia has the highest number of female scientists in Southeast Asia. But how many of them are leaders in research? Not many. At that level, you have to know your stuff. You publish, learn and do more research in your given area. The data also shows that Malaysian women quit work around the age of 26 to start a family. That is, I think, where many women in science give up their careers to take care of their families. Others maybe just concentrate on teaching and less on research.”  

Determined to address this “leaky pipeline”, Asma worked to increase the proportion of female fellows in the Academy of Sciences from 18 per cent to 22 per cent during her presidency. “At some point, it was difficult to push up the numbers, although the fellows were very supportive of encouraging more women to become fellows,” she explained. “To be a fellow, you need to be in the elite top 10 per cent of your field. The pool of women professors who meet that criteria was very small.”

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Asma’s leadership is not just about preparing students for a profession—it’s about equipping them to navigate an unpredictable world as critical thinkers, ethical leaders and innovators. Through her work, she inspires a reimagining of education’s role in shaping a better future and fostering leaders who understand the value of sacrifice and tenacity.

“A career in science is an enormous sacrifice—for men and women in the field. I always say choose your partner well, especially for young academics,” says Asma, who credits the support of her husband, family and friends as crucial to her career success.

“A lot of times, I get asked the same questions—‘Do you face any challenges? Do you have any barriers in your career? Do you struggle with work-life balance?’ I’ll tell you now, I am an outlier. I did not face any significant barriers or obstacles. I don’t have work-life balance because I don’t have any children. I always say, I don’t have any children but I had 30,000 kids in USM (Universiti Sains Malaysia), where I was called ‘Bonda’ (meaning Mother). From my time in the US, I was used to going back home late and being alone in my huge lab at USM. It didn’t scare me because it had to be done,” she recalls. 

“Many women are torn between taking care of their husbands and family life, or focusing on work. Which one will it be? It’s a choice we still have to make—less so when a woman takes up a leadership role. Leadership means you can’t go home at 5pm when meetings are still taking place. If you are into that kind of work, then this is for you. If not, it is better to leave and go where you will be happy and content.”

Front & Female Changemakers celebrates the extraordinary journeys of inspiring women who have emerged as powerful changemakers in a range of fields, offering a glimpse into their lives and showcasing their courage, vision and relentless pursuit of change and progress. From social entrepreneurs and business leaders to educators, artists, activists and scientists, Front & Female changemakers exemplify the ability to challenge the status quo and demonstrate the power of women to effect change.

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