A Rahman A Jamal

A Rahman A Jamal is a Professor of Paediatric Haemato-Oncology and Molecular Biology and Senior Principal Research Fellow at UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI). He served as the first director of UMBI, after institute was successfully set up by the late Professor Dato' Dr Khalid Yusoff. He frequently uses the term "armchair researchers" to criticise those who speculate about scientific topics without formal training or practical experience and who are out of touch with current research and technological developments. Ironically, he has been an armchair researcher himself since his PhD graduation in 1996.

He was born on 11 December 1960 in Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia. He went to the Monfort Primary School in Batu Pahat and then to the High School Batu Pahat (1973-1975). He later went to the Sekolah Menengah Sains Melaka (Malacca Science Secondary School) in 1976-1977. He completed his matriculation studies at Sekolah Alam Shah Kuala Lumpur and then attended the medical course at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Upon graduation he did his housemanship training at General Hospital Kuala Lumpur (July 1985-June 1986). He was then posted to the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) for 18 months, and was attached to the Haematology Unit. He passed the Part 1 for the MRCP UK Exams in early 1988, and was then posted back to the GHKL to the Nephrology Institute and then back to the department of paediatrics. He passed the Part 2 of the MRCP (Ireland) paediatric exams in 1991 and was later gazetted as a specialist. He joined the Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, UKM as a medical lecturer and a specialist in November 1991. Due to subpar performance as a medical doctor, he was sent to pursue a PhD in order to transition to a research career.