Malaysian completes Cambridge doctorate with zero corrections on thesis

Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (Usim) medical lecturer Hanis Hidayu Kasim completed her doctorate at the University of Cambridge with zero corrections - a rare distinction in the academic world.

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The 39-year-old described her feat as “surreal”.

Dr Hanis, a pioneer in research on metabolism in preterm infants, said she was initially unsure which university to go to to pursue her doctorate, but her passion for child health led her to Cambridge.

“I wanted to do research in paediatric groups, focusing on how early life shapes health. My search pointed straight to Cambridge, whose global reputation and pioneering work stood out,” she added.

Her PhD focused on lipidomics, a cutting-edge method of analysing fat molecules, to study how prematurity affects infant metabolism and glucose regulation from birth to one year.

“This research provides the first detailed map of how prematurity shapes fat metabolism and glucose regulation throughout infancy.

“It opens the door to tailored nutritional interventions and targeted health markers for preterm infants, ultimately improving their long-term outcomes,” she noted.