From Scientist to Malaysian at Heart: Shane’s Journey of Discovery, Science and ‘Makan’

For Shane Wiebe, Malaysia has become much more than a place where he works. It is where he has built a life, found a second home and, quite literally, learned to speak the language of the people around him.

A Post-Doctoral Scientist in Cancer Research Malaysia’s (CRMY) Translational Cancer Biology team, Shane first arrived in Malaysia with his wife after completing his doctoral training in Biochemistry at McGill University, Canada, in 2022. At the time, continuing his research career was not necessarily part of his plan.

Shane carefully taking readings from one of his experiments in the laboratory.

That changed when he discovered that CRMY was looking for a post-doctoral scientist with expertise in RNA biology, an area that closely matched his previous research experience.

“Since then, CRMY has been a home-away-from-home for me,” Shane says.

His journey into cancer research is also deeply personal. Like many people, cancer has affected his family, while witnessing the rising cost of healthcare and medical insurance has made him aware of how financial barriers can prevent some people from accessing the best possible treatment.

“I hope my work at CRMY will have a role in relieving the burden of cancer in other people’s lives,” he says.

Research with a purpose

As part of the Translational Cancer Biology team, Shane’s work is focused on understanding the knowledge gaps that stand in the way of progress in cancer treatment and finding ways to address them.

Shane sharing is knowledge and explaining an experiment to a visitor in the laboratory.

His research centres on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus associated with several cancers. In Southeast Asia, around 30% of cancers are associated with infections, twice the prevalence seen in the rest of the world.

Shane is particularly interested in understanding how EBV interacts with its host cells and contributes to cancer development. His current work involves developing and testing gene replacement and RNA-based therapeutics for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, an EBV-associated cancer.

For Shane, the possibility of translating scientific discoveries into better treatments is what makes the work particularly exciting.

“The potential to make a significant discovery that would bring about new cancer treatments,” he says.

One achievement he is especially proud of came from discovering some of the ways EBV evades the body’s immune defences and identifying ways these mechanisms could potentially be exploited.

“This gives us a way to eliminate the virus-infected cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue,” he explains.

Beyond conducting experiments, writing grant proposals and publishing scientific discoveries, Shane also finds great fulfilment in mentoring junior members of his team.

“I have especially enjoyed mentoring junior members in my team, overcoming challenges together, and seeing them grow as scientists,” he says.

It is perhaps fitting, then, that when asked to describe himself in one word, his colleagues might choose “learner”.

Learning to be part of Malaysia

Shane’s scientific journey may have brought him to Malaysia, but it is his personal life that has helped him become deeply connected to the country.

A very Malaysian dilemma, Shane and his wife choosing the perfect durian.

He is married to a Malaysian Chinese woman whom he met while they were both studying at university in Canada. When they first met, her family and close community primarily communicated in Mandarin and Shane quickly realised that if he wanted to be part of their conversations, he would have to learn the language.

After they married in 2019, he made learning Mandarin a priority.

For the next three years, he studied almost every day, attending classes, learning his wife’s favourite Chinese songs and even dissecting Chinese dramas, all while completing his PhD.

The effort paid off.

Today, Shane speaks Mandarin fluently enough to participate in conversations, understand the jokes and connect more deeply with his wife’s family and community. More importantly, learning the language has helped him feel that he is not simply living in Malaysia, but genuinely becoming part of it.

“I think without this language, I would not be able to fully integrate into my current life in Malaysia,” he says.

And if there is one thing that has truly cemented his Malaysian credentials, it may just be his love for local food.

His answer to the question of which Malaysian food he cannot live without is immediate and emphatic:

“DURIAN!!”

A man clearly who cannot resist durian. Shane enjoying one of his favourite Malaysian fruit.

His favourite local dish? Char kway teow.

His favourite Malaysian word? “Makan.”

And when he goes food hunting, he is more than happy to use one of the country’s most familiar expressions: “Jalan jalan cari makan.”

He has also picked up the quintessential Malaysian speech particles: “lah”, “lor” and “leh” and even mastered the uniquely Malaysian art of using his hand to signal vehicles while walking along the road.

For Shane, these little things matter.

“The food is amazing, but I love the people the most,” he says.

Finding home beyond the laboratory

Outside the laboratory, Shane’s Malaysian life continues to revolve around the things he values most: family, friends and, naturally, food.

He enjoys evening walks with his wife, playing badminton, watching movies and having “makan” sessions with family and friends. When he needs to unwind after a busy day, he heads to the gym.

Shane enjoying a friendly game of badminton with his colleagues.

His appreciation for Malaysian life has grown alongside his professional journey at CRMY, where he describes the organisational culture simply as “dedicated”.

There have been plenty of memorable moments too, including one unexpected discovery about working life at CRMY.

“A lot of birthday cake,” he says with a laugh when asked what has surprised him most since joining the organisation.

But behind the humour is a scientist who remains focused on the bigger picture: making discoveries that could ultimately make a difference to people affected by cancer.

His advice to young people considering science or cancer research is simple: “Don’t worry about other people’s expectations; focus on your path.”

And when setbacks come, his own guiding principle is equally straightforward:

“Never get discouraged.”

As Shane looks to the future, his greatest ambition is to make important discoveries; discoveries that could contribute to new and better ways of treating cancer.

From the laboratory to the badminton court, from studying Mandarin to hunting down the best char kway teow, Shane’s journey is a reminder that becoming part of a place is about more than simply living there. It is about learning its language, embracing its culture, sharing its food and building meaningful connections with its people.

Shane and his colleagues showing their support for breast cancer awareness with the Pink Ribbon.

For Shane, Malaysia has given him all of that and in return, he hopes to give something back through the science he does every day.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors, supporters, collaborators and well-wishers whose continued trust and support make CRMY’s work possible. Their commitment enables our scientists, including Shane, to pursue research that brings us closer to better ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer and, ultimately, to creating a healthier future for Malaysians and Asians.