Vyvyane Loh (Chinese: ''Loh Hui-Shien'') is a

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

, and

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

Biography

Loh was born in

Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...

, Malaysia of an ethnic Chinese family. She grew up in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

and completed a degree in Biology and Classics at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

in the United States. She then went on to study at the

Boston University School of Medicine The Boston University School of Medicine (formally the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine) is the medical school of Boston University, a private university, private research university in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in ...

and undertook a residency in internal medicine. After a short stint in private practice, she quit her full-time medical job when she was awarded a full scholarship to the

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

program at

Warren Wilson College Warren Wilson College (WWC) is a private liberal arts college in Swannanoa, North Carolina. It is known for its curriculum that combines academics, work, and service as every student must complete a required course of study, work an on-campus j ...

in Creative Writing (Fiction). While pursuing her degree, she worked part-time as a physician; a fitness and dance instructor; and personal trainer to support herself. She graduated in July 2001 and her novel ''Breaking the Tongue,'' written during her MFA program, was published in 2004. It was shortlisted for the International IMPAC Award, the only first novel on the 2005 shortlist. Loh was a Radcliffe (Bunting) Fellow in Fiction in 2005/2006 and a

Guggenheim Fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated d ...

in Fiction in 2008. She is currently the medical director of Transform Institute for Metabolic & Lifestyle Medicine in Newton, MA. She is board-certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine. Loh serves on the exam writing committee for the American Board of Obesity Medicine, as well as its strategic planning committee.

Works

* ''Breaking the Tongue'' (2004, W.W. Norton & Co.)

References

Entertainment Weekly
review

External links

Official Site

at Transform Institute's website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Loh, Vyvyane Boston University School of Medicine alumni Singaporean writers Living people 21st-century American novelists American women writers of Chinese descent American novelists of Chinese descent American women novelists Year of birth missing (living people) Malaysian emigrants to Singapore Singaporean emigrants to the United States 21st-century American women writers