Page 20 - Science@UM365Dec2020

R E T I R E D STAFF

DR HELEN NAIR

BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING IN SCIENCE

GET TO KNOW HER

Professor (Retd.) Helen Nair is a Fellow of Academy of Sciences
Malaysia where she Chairs the Special Interest Group on
Biodiversity and the Science Outlook 2020 Environmental Pillar
committees. She is also an Emeritus member of the American
Society of Plant Biologists, a life member of the Malaysian Society
of Plant Physiology as well as the Advisor to Postharvest
Biotechnology Laboratory, Universiti Malaya (UM). She was an
academician at UM for over 30 years holding the Professorial

Chair of Plant Physiology from 1994 and was Head of the
Department of Botany from 1995-1997. From 2001-2007 and
again from 2011 to 2014 she was inaugural Professor of
Biotechnology and Faculty Dean at AIMST University in Kedah
and Quest International University in Perak respectively. She
helped develop education programs, especially in Biotechnology
at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her major research
interests lie in postharvest physiology and biotechnology,
ethylene genes and cryopreservation for conservation and
improvement of crops. She has supervised about 75 graduate
and postgraduate students, produced more than 120
publications and organised and participated in numerous
scientific conferences. Dr. Nair has served in several professional
societies, journal editorial boards, R&D review panels and
national advisory councils. She continues to advice and
collaborate with her former postharvest research team at UM
and also consults for government and private institutions. As a

Fellow of the Academy of Sciences, her expertise has often been
drawn upon to advance the development of science, technology
and innovation in the country, especially in Government-
associated projects. In conjunction with the World Humanitarian
Day this year, Dr Nair was featured in Living Malaysia as among
the 10 women who champion humanitarianism in their own way.

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