PETALING JAYA, 19 April 2026 — Malaysian-born scientist Thein Swee Lay has become the first from Malaysia to win the prestigious Breakthrough Prize, widely regarded as the “Oscars of Science”, for her groundbreaking work in blood disorders.
Dr Thein, a consultant haematologist and senior investigator at the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, shared one of the 2026 Life Sciences prizes with Stuart H. Orkin.
Each prize carries a US$3 million (RM12 million) award, making it one of the largest recognitions in scientific research.
Breakthrough in Blood Disorder Research
Dr Thein was recognised for discovering the BCL11A gene, a key regulator of fetal haemoglobin production.
Prof Orkin also independently discovered the gene and demonstrated its function as a “switch” that controls the transition from fetal to adult haemoglobin.
The discovery has paved the way for gene-editing therapies targeting sickle cell disease and beta-thalassaemia, inherited blood disorders affecting an estimated nine million people worldwide.
A Milestone for Malaysia
Dr Thein described the award as both a personal and national milestone.
“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 country that shaped me,” she said.
“I hope it will send a message to young people in Malaysia and across South-East Asia that their background does not define what they can achieve. Only their dedication and hunger to ask the next question does.”
A graduate of Universiti Malaya, she added that her greatest fulfilment comes from the potential impact of her work on patients.
“Every setback at the (lab) bench reminded me how long the road to discovering BCL11A was,” she said.
“That memory pulls me back, driven by the quiet hope that the treatments we were developing would one day make a difference to patients I might never meet.”
Advancing Future Treatments
Looking ahead, Dr Thein said she aims to contribute to the development of new therapies, particularly treatments that can prevent or reduce severe pain crises in sickle cell patients.
“With effective treatment, education and self-care, many patients can achieve a good quality of life, and that prospect gets me back into the lab every morning,” she said.
Dr Thein previously received the 2024 Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine for the same discovery.
The Breakthrough Prizes also recognised researchers in physics and mathematics, alongside early-career scientists awarded New Horizons and Maryam Mirzakhani prizes.
