PETALING JAYA: Consultant haematologist Dr Thein Swee Lay has won one of the six 2026 Breakthrough Prizes – the first Malaysian-born scientist to do so.
Dr Thein is the first Malaysian-born scientist to receive the award, dubbed the “Oscars of Science”.
The US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Sickle Cell Branch chief and senior investigator shared one of the three Life Sciences prizes with Harvard Medical School David G.
Nathan Distinguished Professor of Paediatrics Dr Stuart H.
Each prize comes with a cash award of US$3mil (RM12mil) – the largest for scientific achievements.
Dr Thein was recognised for discovering the gene B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia 11A (BCL11A), which has been identified as a key regulator of fetal haemoglobin production.
Prof Orkin also separately discovered the gene, as well as demonstrated how it acts as a “switch”, controlling the transition from fetal to adult haemoglobin.
This breakthrough laid the foundation for gene-editing -therapies for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassaemia – two inherited blood disorders that affect an estimated nine million people worldwide.
Dr Thein described the recognition as a significant honour.
“To be the first Malaysian to receive this recognition is not just a personal milestone – it belongs to everyone who believed in me, mentored me and to the....
