Page 9 - Pulse@UM Issue 4/2019
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our people. our story

        professor dr mohd rais mustafa: a tale of acaDemic freeDom anD
        Passionate research


            rofessor  Mohd.  Rais  Mustafa  was  Despite  having  a  PhD  in  neuropharmacology,
        Pappointed as a lecturer in the Department  Professor  Rais  started  his  research  by
        of Pharmacology at the age of 26 (1987) after  collaborating  with  natural  product  chemists
        completing his PhD from University of Wales,  to  screen  plant  extracts  and  phytochemicals
        Cardiff, UK. Coming straight into academia without  for blood pressure lowering and vasorelaxant
        much  experience  as  a  tutor  or  any  teaching  action.  Garnering  what  he  could  remember
        experience posed a challenging task. “In the  from   his   undergraduate   pharmacology
        first  3  years,  I  was  concentrating  more  on  practical  classes,  Professor  Rais  began  to
        teaching duties and didn’t pay much attention  assemble his version 1.0 of an in vitro isolated
        to research,” Professor Rais recalled. “As I got  tissue  organ  bath.  To  enable  him  to  set  this
        more settled into teaching duties, I realised that  into  motion,  he  became  a  regular  customer
        to further progress in academia one needs to be  of  the  local  hardware  shop  in  Jalan  Bukit,
        involved in research and start publishing”.      PJ.  His  next  pit  stop  was  the  glass  blower
                                                    in  the  Chemistry  Department  who  had  this
        Although there was not much expectation for  incredible skill of crafting organ baths as good
        research  in  the  early  years,  things  gradually  as  those  seen  in  the  catalogues.  Soon  he
        changed  with  the  increasing  emphasis  on  expanded his research and began to conduct
        research  output  of  the  university.  During  pharmacological studies on snake and jellyfish
        those early years, there were no KPIs and the  toxins. With that, his research interests evolved
        university was neither pushing nor penalising  from being a pharmacologist to a toxicologist!
        academic  staff  for  not  doing  research.  Only
        Vote F (maximum of RM 10,000) was available  Professor   Rais   further   advised   young
        as research grants back in those days. There  academicians  to  identify  a  research  area
        were  also  not  many  research  assistants  or  of  interest  and  be  passionate  about  it.  ”It  is
        postgraduate students to help with research.   important to have passion because there are
        Likewise, research infrastructure was almost  days  that  would  make  you  wonder  if  you  did
        non-existent  or  outdated,  and  there  were  no  make the right choice in getting into academia
        regular supplies of laboratory animals.     and doing research.” Professor Rais said.  “It is
                                                    very easy to get discouraged, with experiments
        Sharing his early experience as a researcher,  that would not work, getting papers and grants
        Professor  Rais  advised  young  academicians  rejected,  and  having  to  juggle  your  time  with
        that  in  addition  to  teaching,  they  should  be  other working commitments. Passion is what
        mindful  of  their  role  as  researchers  and  be  will get you through your career, not high IQ or
        prepared  to  explore  and  try  out  new  things.  political skills”.
        They  should  make  themselves  versatile  and
        adaptable  to  the  circumstances.  One  should  The next point that Professor Rais wishes to
        not wait for everything to be perfect and ready  share  with  the  young  lecturers  is  to  treasure
        before starting his or her research.        the academic freedom as much as research is


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