Interview with Associate Professor Dr. Felicia Chung

Associate Professor Dr. Felicia Chung obtained her Ph.D. in Biotechnology at Monash University in 2014. She then joined International Medical University (Malaysia) as a postdoctoral fellow and later as a lecturer, researching cancer cell biology, cancer stem cells, and drug repurposing. In 2017, she received a postdoctoral fellowship from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (France), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, where she joined the Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis section. She investigated mechanisms of epigenome stability, epigenetic biomarkers of cancer, and the impact of genetic alterations on the epigenome. Following the completion of the fellowship, she continued her research at the same agency in the capacity of postdoctoral scientist until she joined Sunway University in 2021. Her current research interests lie in cancer mutational signatures, intratumoral heterogeneity, and the epigenetic mechanisms of cancer immune evasion.

In 2021, Dr. Chung won the L’Oréal-UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science National Award, which is awarded to three female Malaysian scientists each year in recognition of their work and contributions to their respective fields. With this award, she received a research grant to investigate mutational signatures that arise in upper tract urothelial cancers.

What do you do?
I am a cancer cell biologist and University lecturer. As a lecturer, I teach undergraduate students pursuing degrees in the biological sciences, supervise postgraduate students in their research, and conduct research on cancer genetics and epigenetics. I still do laboratory work, though not as often as I would like, but spend much of my energy analyzing and interpreting data.

What inspired you to pursue your career?
My early inspiration to become a scientist was having a natural curiosity about everything that happens. As a child, I would always ask why this, why that? The answers to my questions could usually be found in a science textbook, and thus science became a place of answers for me, rather than a scary subject.
While I loved science, I never envisioned myself as a research scientist until I did my undergraduate project on plant tissue culture. It was an area that was new and interesting to me, as it was the first time I independently designed a laboratory experiment and saw its results. That feeling that comes with a fresh discovery never goes away, and even today I feel like each experiment is a process of chipping away at the unknown.

Tell us more about your current research/ expertise.
My research is on cancer epigenetics, which is the study of how cells turn cellular processes on and off. I study how nasopharyngeal cancer cells (NPCs) adapt and evade the immune system. NPCs are interesting as they are rare in most parts of the developed world, but are relatively common in parts of Asia including Southeast Asia. Some may know of NPC or nose cancer because our Olympic badminton player Datuk Lee Chong Wei was diagnosed with it.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in medical science?
I worked in France at the International Agency of Research and Cancer in Lyon until 2021. It was an incredible opportunity where I learned to be more assertive, because I had good role models, both male and female, and fellow female scientists who weren’t shy to show their brilliance. Female scientists in Asia, I feel, are no less brilliant than their counterparts overseas. However, they may be more reserved. Additionally, I have been in situations where I found myself wrapped up in little administrative details due to my reluctance to say no. These might sound like small challenges, but I feel that these internal barriers limited how much I dared to dream. At some point I realized that these internal barriers are things that are within my control and that I could change myself, little by little, to overcome these challenges.

How can we encourage more young women to pursue careers in science?
This is an interesting point to discuss, as most of my colleagues and students here are women. 70 percent of my undergraduate students in the biological sciences are female. I think there is something about the biological sciences that tends to pique the interest of women. I’ve noticed as well that since the pandemic, we have seen more prospective undergraduate students enquiring about the biological sciences. However, I am aware that this may not be the case in every field of the sciences.
I think role models are important. For example, providing better visibility for female heads of institutes, prominent female scientists, or even scientists pursuing matters relevant to women’s health, would inspire more young women to pursue careers in science. I think that helping more young women to sustain a productive career in science is equally important. The nature of the sciences is that research is continuous, and you need to stay up to date with the latest developments. This will be challenging for those who are taking a career break to start a family and could affect young female scientists more acutely than their male counterparts. Better mentoring and support systems for female scientists would help women maintain their career trajectories.

What impact do you hope to make in your field?
NPC is relatively common in Malaysia, and global statistics show that Malaysia ranks fourth in the world by age-standardized rates of NPC. However, as this form of cancer is relatively rare in the developed world, it is commonly grouped with other cancers under the umbrella of head and neck cancers. As an Asian scientist, I think we are more than capable of tackling problems close to home. I hope that through my work on NPCs, we can have a better understanding of how we can better prevent and treat them.

Tell us about a memorable moment or achievement from your career.
That would be the graduation of my first Master’s student in 2018. She was a brilliant student who won her own grant and went to RIKEN in Japan for a short attachment. She studied the cellular pathways that govern the growth and proliferation of oral cancers. While it might be odd to list the achievement of someone else as my memorable moment, this one was special to me as it made me reflect on how my actions and words were influencing a young, female scientist. It was also a moment that encapsulated both of our hard work in getting her to that milestone. Since then, seeing her going on to succeed in her chosen field has been the most fulfilling experience.

What advice do you have for other women aspiring to pursue careers in science?
The road is long and hard, but if you dare to dream and stay fearless, you will get there. We live in an age where women have already made it. You can already see your role models around you. The world is waiting for you, the upcoming scientists to join us in making this generation’s scientific discoveries. The beauty of science is that you can stand on the shoulders of giants, both female and male, and to become the giants for the next generation.

To view Dr. Chung’s profile click here https://sunwayuniversity.edu.my/sch...