For Dr Thein Swee Lay, the only Malaysian scientist to have won the Breakthrough Prize, cracking a code in gene therapy was easier than hunting down an authentic version of her hometown popiah (spring rolls) in the US, where she has been based for years. “I have not come across a Malaysian restaurant that sells good popiah. I miss it,” Thein told This Week in Asia in an exclusive interview, fondly reminiscing about her childhood in Malaysia’s coastal town of Kuantan.