| Fields: | Biophotonics, Medtech, Nano-biophotonics |
Malini Olivo is the Distinguished Principal Scientist of A*STAR Skin Research Labs (A*SRL) where she spearheads the Translational Biophotonics Laboratory. Concurrently, she is also an adjunct professor at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Health System, NUS, Singapore; and Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. In 2015, she was elected by the Optical Society of America for "pioneering contribution in clinical photodiagnostics in the area of clinical spectroscopy and imaging in early cancer detection and photo-therapeutics of cancer".[1] [2]
She obtained a Bachelor of Science with Education degree in Physics and Mathematics in 1985 and a Doctorate degree in Biomedical Physics from the University of Malaya and University College London (UCL) in 1991, working on photodynamic therapy of cancer. Following her doctorate, she honed her expertise in medical biophotonics by doing her post-doctoral training from 1991 to 1995, collaborating with top-notch institutions such as UCL in the UK, McMaster University and the University of Toronto.
She is currently a Senior Principal Investigator and Distinguished Principal Scientist in A*SRL, a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).[3] She was previously appointed as Senior Scientist and Principal Investigator at National Cancer Centre Singapore between 1995 and 2009. In 2007, she was also appointed as Head of Bio-optical Imaging at the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC) and also adjunct professor at Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore. In 2009, she was appointed as Stokes Professor of Biophotonics at the National University of Ireland, Galway and Adjunct Professor of Biophotonics in Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
She is recognised for her research in photomedicine by the International Biophotonics Community and regarded as a pioneer in the area of clinical applications of photomedicine in optical diagnostics and therapeutics both in Singapore and Ireland.
She received the SingHealth research excellence award for her contribution to scientific research excellence in the area of clinical biophotonics for diagnostics and therapeutics of cancer. She has won numerous awards in recognition of her contribution to biophotonics in Singapore, Ireland and the United States, including election as a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering[4] and Fellow of the Optical Society of America in 2015. She has successfully secured over 25 million USD in competitive research funding to support her pioneering work in Singapore and internationally. She has authored more than 500 scientific papers, holds a H-index of 62, and has been granted over more than 60 patents. In addition to that, she also published three books, and 20 chapters in her name.
She has proven to be a highly prolific inventor, with nearly 60 patented technology platforms and devices that could significantly impact the fields of healthcare and biophotonics. Additionally, she plays a crucial role as a co-founder in three innovative Medtech companies. Her international standing in her field allows her to serve in numerous international scientific advisory boards in the area of Photonics in Medicine.