Aung Min

I knew I wanted to become a biologist since high school. But there was not much knowledge on the possible career paths after graduation and the fear that I might not have a job with reasonable salary made me choose to study medical degree at a university in Magway to become a doctor so I can get a decent job after graduation.

Studying at a university was (still is) much more expensive than high school and what my mom could pay for. But fortunately, with support from my cousin and a partial scholarship from a generous Japanese man, I was able to start studying medicine. Now if I am honest, doctor is not something that I wanted to become. Given the circumstances back then, I did not have much choice.

But, when I thought I was lost studying medicine, I discovered microbiology, which is the study of tiny living things and my new passion, while studying it as part of a curriculum of medical degree and therefore a new direction. It is true that there is a huge area of growth for Myanmar’s education. One example that I can give is science teaching. Throughout my education journey at my high school and university, science classes were mostly boring theoretical lectures with frugal practical demonstrations or sometimes none at all.

As a science nerd, these did not satisfy me at all, and I feel that with teaching like that, it is very hard for students to even develop an interest and curiosity in science, let alone a motivation to pursue science education and career. During my internship after university, I learned about the devastating impact of drug resistant infections by reading a report on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from British Government and news about AMR.

But it was my personal experience of seeing other human beings, young or old, suffering from or dying of drug resistant infections that led me to a decision to turn my love for microbiology to a mission that can save countless lives. That was why I decided to do a PhD in 5 years to better understand antibiotic resistance.

I will work as a laboratory supervisor for a couple of years, to gain leadership experience, and then I will do a PhD. After that, I would like to start my own laboratory in Myanmar. That would be my ultimate goal of studying at Teesside University.

I would work with other scientists to look for new solutions to AMR problem. Specifically, I want to work on development of affordable and point-of-care diagnostics to help health professionals, working in rural places, like Maungdaw where I was working, where human or technical resources for diagnosis are usually constrained and where inappropriate usage of antibacterial drugs is rampant, decide whether to prescribe antibiotics and which antibiotics to prescribe.

But my laboratory will also be a place for young people from Myanmar to learn about and to get to know science and, also, a place to build and develop the professional skills of future Myanmar scientists. I want to show to young people that science, the field of curiosity and discovery, isn’t as boring as the one they are being taught in high school and that they can do science to bring good to the humanity.

Written by Aung Min with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.