“Islam changed my viewpoint”

Professor Jackie Ying, 49, executive director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), received the prize in a ceremony held in Tehran on late Thursday.

The ceremony was attended by Vice President of Science and Technology Sourena Sattari, President of Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences Alireza Marandi and President of Islamic World’s Academy of Sciences Abdolsalam Al-Majali.

She won the prize for her role in developing glucose-sensitive nanoparticles that deliver insulin to diabetic patients only when their blood glucose levels are high.

The Mustafa Prize recognizes leading researchers and scientists of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, and Muslim researchers from around the world.

According to News.Asiaone, Prof Ying was born in Taipei, and raised in Singapore and New York – converted to Islam in her 30s.

She said she intends to use a portion of the prize money (worth $500,000) to get more students intrigued about science, such as through exchange trips to renowned overseas science institutions and better-equipped school laboratories.

‘Students cannot be obsessed with just results. They need to understand how science works and be better prepared to do something novel and innovative instead of regurgitating information from the textbook,’ she said.