On July 11, two days before she celebrates her birthday, Ravigadevi will be officially inducted into UK’s Royal Society as a Fellow, making history as the first Malaysian to receive the honour.
As part of the ceremony, Ravigadevi, a scientific consultant with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), will sign the centuries-old Royal Society’s Charter Book, which bears the signatures of scientific greats such as Charles Darwin, known for his theory of evolution.
In a recent interview, FMT Lifestyle learnt more about the woman behind this remarkable achievement.
Her love for science was sparked in part by a “nature table” at her primary school, Convent Bukit Nanas. She said students were encouraged to bring items found in nature, display them, and explain them to their classmates.
“Everyone learns from it. And it was such a fun way of learning,” she recalled.
Her passion for science deepened in secondary school where she developed a love for chemistry, an interest that would later shape her future career.
To this today, Ravigadevi remembers the dedication of her teachers, especially her late chemistry teacher, Mrs Maniam.
“She played a key role in my love for chemistry. She really knew how to nurture a love for the subject. That’s why I say teachers play such an important role in getting kids to appreciate a subject.”
At home, education was a priority for her parents. “They never pushed us, but they also told us, ‘It’s up to you what you want to do. We won’t tell you to be a lawyer or a doctor – you decide. But what you do, you must do the best,” she said.
And that’s exactly what she did. Throughout her career, Ravigadevi led transformative research in oil palm biochemistry and genomics, recognising its importance to Malaysia’s economy.
She became the founding director of the advanced biotechnology and breeding centre at MPOB, and led the oil palm genome project, successfully deciphering the genetic blueprint of the crop.
She also helmed the team that identified the Shell gene, a key determinant of oil yields, uncovering the epigenetic cause of an abnormality that could potentially reduce yields significantly. These breakthroughs were published in the science journal, “Nature”.
She has received numerous accolades including the “Knight of the International Order of Merit of Inventors” by the International Federation of Inventors Association”; the “Tan Sri Augustine Ong Lifetime Achievement Award for Inventions and Innovations in Oil Palm”; and the “Intel Environment Laureate” distinction from the Tech Museum, US.
She is also immensely grateful to her research team at MPOB as well as those from Orion Genomics USA and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory who she worked with.
“We can be the best if we want to. We just need the right ecosystem to thrive. And I was just so blessed that I had the right ecosystem, both in terms of infrastructure and support from my bosses and team.
“In order to be a good leader, you must also be a good team player. You cannot be one and not the other,” she said.
Teamwork was also instrumental in helping her balance the demands of career and family – this time, with her husband, whom she described as “very, very supportive”.
Ravigadevi also made it a point to introduce her three children to her work, sparking their curiosity from young. Today, they are carving their own paths in economics, biotechnology and law, having studied in Harvard and MIT.
Just like her parents, she has valued education, actively participating in the parent-teacher associations of her children’s schools, focusing on the education portfolio. She has also given free tuition, including to students from low-income families.
To younger women scientists in Malaysia, she shared: “Dare to dream big. Dare to fail. Dream – that’s very, very important. Please don’t ever stop that. Don’t ever think you can’t do it. Don’t let anybody else define your limits.
“But at the same time, be grounded in good science. You have to get your basics right. And go do it. You can do it. We need you. We need more women in science.”
Learn more about Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi here.