{
  "id": 3397632,
  "title": "From estate to lab – a journey of love and perseverance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/from-estate-to-lab-a-journey-of-love-and-perseverance",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T01:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2026/08/26/from-estate-to-lab-a-journey-of-love-and-perseverance"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr M Yamunathevi, born in Bukit Jalil Estate, grew up witnessing her neighbours drink untreated river water. The lack of safe water led her to ask, “There must be a better way to treat this water.” This question, inspired by her childhood, propelled her to earn a doctorate in Bioscience, specialising in Environmental Biotechnology. Dr Yamunathevi is the first person from her Bukit Jalil Estate community to achieve a doctorate. Her father, S Mathivanan, emphasized the importance of education from an early age, working extra hours to provide support for her academic pursuits. Her journey to earning a doctorate at the age of 27 was not without challenges; she faced long hours, failed experiments, and moments of self-doubt. Yet, her determination was fueled by the desire to make her father proud and to prove that anyone, regardless of their background, can achieve extraordinary things. She now seeks a position as a lecturer at a public university to continue her research and inspire the next generation of scientists.",
  "summary": "Yamunathevi Mathivanan shows that determination, supportive parents and a nagging worry about clean water can take one to an extraordinary level.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "From estate to lab – a journey of love and perseverance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/from-estate-to-lab-a-journey-of-love-and-perseverance-3398918",
        "published": "2026-08-26T01:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}