Nathan Sheila

Nathan earned a PhD in DNA Repair (1989–1993), and a Master of Science with distinction in molecular biology and genetic manipulation (1988–1989) both from University of Sussex, UK, and a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in biochemistry (1984–1988) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia. Her research focuses on dissecting the pathogenesis of the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei and the host defence against its infection. She has major research collaborations with Stanford University (US), University of Sheffield (UK) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia), which have contributed to advance understanding of the bacterium’s virulence and pathogenic mechanisms, as well as the failure of the host immune response. Her findings resulted in the publication of over 150 research papers, review articles, and book chapters, earning her invitations to speak at national and international conferences and review grant applications for funders from Malaysia, UK, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. She successfully trained over 50 graduate students, and is a regular peer reviewer for international journals in the field.