Ilaina Khairulzaman (she/her)

Ilaina Khairulzaman (she/her) joined Sense about Science shortly after completing her research MSc in immunology from Trinity College Dublin. While doing her MSc, Ilaina was involved in many public engagement activities, including teaching teenagers laboratory techniques, competing in FameLab, and performing in Bright Club. After a year of bioinformatics research, Ilaina realized she was much more passionate about making societal impact through speaking about science than she was about doing the science.

She also has experience in social entrepreneurship, working with government bodies and corporations to help them address social challenges in novel ways. Ilaina is the head of international public engagement, training and marketing at Sense about Science. She coordinates projects across the EU, such as the Voice of Young Science Network and Evidence Matters.

1. Where’s your hometown?

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2. How did you get into STEM?

I really enjoyed science in school, especially biology. Coming from a typical Asian household, my mum pushed me into pursuing biotech, which I was really happy about! She saw I really enjoyed it and guided me into it, but I was 17, and I didn’t know what I would end up doing.

My college course in Malaysia led me to Ireland, where I met Andrew Lloyd, a lecturer in IT Carlow. He supervised my final year project and made me really interested in bioinformatics. His curiosity and his passion reignited the love I had for science when I was a child. I haven’t turned my back on science since.

3. What is a piece of advice that you have found especially useful?

My supervisor for my MSc (Cliona O’Farrelly — another amazing powerhouse!) quoted me this once, and it has stuck with me.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

4. What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you deal with it?

I think my biggest challenge was moving to Ireland from Malaysia alone. I mean, it’s a distance of 6,000 miles. Malaysia and Ireland couldn’t be more different in terms of climate, culture, religion, accents, and people. I was also only 21. I was figuring out my life, including who and what I wanted to be. I was away from my family. It was really tough. There were times I wanted to give up and just go home, but I decided to keep pushing. I kept pushing to make friends who ended up becoming like family; to network and make connections — put myself out there and make things work for me.

In difficult times, I remembered why I left and what I wanted to achieve. I looked at it as an adventure, a chance to keep exploring and climbing.

5. What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?

This one’s a professional achievement and one I thank Sense about Science for allowing me the opportunity to do. I organised an event in the Houses of the Oireachtas (which is the Irish Parliament)! We brought together people from all over Ireland, from many different backgrounds. We had a farmer, a hurler, a beekeeper, a chef, a mother, etc., whose ages ranged from 16- to 92-years-old, tell their elected representatives why evidence matters to them. They came all the way to the Oireachtas to make the case that parliamentarians and policymakers should use evidence in the policy-making process.

I’m so proud of the people who came to the Oireachtas with us, of the booklet we produced, and of the many TDs (MPs in Ireland) who attended to listen to their constituents. It truly is one of my proudest, happiest achievements.

6. What are you most excited about right now, in or outside of STEM?

I’m really excited about evaluation, does that make me sound boring? I’m in the public engagement sphere. I really want to do a PhD in measuring what impact public engagement initiatives have on the general public. I know this is a question lots of people have, and we still don’t have the answer to it because public engagement is young-ish, but I’m excited to see what the future brings!

7. What is your favorite source of inspiration?

Oh, 100% music. And also the outdoors! Nothing gets my brain going like a walk in Dublin.

8. What is your favorite book or movie?

Finding Nemo! It’s why I wanted to be a marine biologist for so long.