Cornerstone of innovation: Both challenging and fulfilling, research represents humanity’s collective quest for truth. — 123rf.com
Ask a young person what field they intend to pursue, and research is often low on the list.
Many assume it is only for the “brilliant”, or fear it means a lifetime confined to laboratories. Others see a career in research as dull and lacking prospects. They couldn’t be more wrong.
Research is the foundation of knowledge creation, and it goes hand in hand with innovation. To put it simply, innovation is research put into action.
Research generates insights and evidence by asking the right questions and seeking evidence-based answers. Innovation translates these insights into solutions, technologies and policies that improve lives.
Without research, innovation risks being superficial, and without innovation, research risks being confined to journals rather than improving lives. Together, they drive progress across industries and borders, be it in healthcare, technology, policy development and beyond.
Historically, this partnership has produced breakthroughs such as the discovery of penicillin, which revolutionised the treatment of infections, and mRNA technology, which enabled the rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines.
The growing fields of immunotherapy and pharmacogenomics have also enhanced our ability to treat illnesses more effectively, and ongoing research continues to uncover new therapies for conditions that were previously untreatable.
Career opportunities
With such breadth, research offers career opportunities that are diverse and impactful, opening doors to academia, industry, healthcare, government policy, consulting, entrepreneurship and more.
To name just a few, research and development is highly relevant in public institutions as well as private companies engaged in technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and other fields. Meanwhile, data scientists are essential in data analysis and statistical modelling that drive business decisions.
In healthcare, research drives life-saving insights into cancer therapy and non-communicable and infectious diseases, enhances nutritional sciences to create healthier diets, and deepens understanding of the interconnectedness of people, animals and ecosystems.
To cultivate greater awareness and interest in pursuing a career in research, curiosity and inquiry-based learning should be encouraged across all levels of education.
Developing talent
At the tertiary level, we can do more to:
> Encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration, as the most impactful research is often multidisciplinary in nature. For example, public health issues could benefit from the collective insights of students from medicine, pharmacy, veterinary sciences, engineering and social sciences.
> Provide resources and opportunities such as undergraduate research programmes, seed grants and mentorship to support student research efforts.
> Cultivate a supportive environment that rewards innovation, publication and societal impact to celebrate research initiatives.
> Provide relevant role models and mentorship for students to learn from and aspire to, such as by having them witness senior academics actively engaging in impactful, socially relevant research that addresses current global health challenges.
These efforts also hone qualities such as systematic curiosity and critical thinking, and highly transferable skills such as attention to detail, data analysis and problem-solving, which are relevant across a wide range of industries.
Equally important are patience, persistence, adaptability and resilience, as research often involves setbacks and can take time to yield results.
Both challenging and fulfilling, research represents humanity’s collective quest for truth. This remains true even when results are unexpected or do not lead to immediate applications, because it deepens our understanding of the world and shapes future possibilities.
Whether it involves mapping the cancer genome, uncovering nutritional determinants of health, studying emerging infectious diseases, or addressing One Health challenges, the intrinsic value of research lies in expanding the boundaries of knowledge and inspiring generations to dream bigger and reach further.
Prof Dr Mai Chun Wai is a chartered scientist (Royal Society of Chemistry, UK) and cancer cell biologist with a keen interest in identifying the biomarkers that drive disease, especially tumorigenesis and cancer progression. He serves as the acting deputy director of Research Strategy and Innovation at the Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), IMU University, Malaysia. He also heads the IRDI Centre for Cancer and Stem Cell Research. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
