This personality profile is part of a series of stories about Xponents who have been with HTX since the very beginning. Their contributions have been pivotal to the growth of the agency, which celebrates its 5th birthday on 1 Dec 2024.
Hilary Goh doesn’t do things by halves. Like many Xponents, the senior forensic scientist specialising in forensic biology at HTX possesses a steely-eyed focus that stems from a proclivity to give her all in whatever she sets her mind to.
This much was evident when she, after completing her Master of Science at the prestigious King’s College London, set her eyes on only one thing – becoming a forensic scientist through the MHA Science and Technology Associate Programme.
“I guess I kind of put all my eggs in one basket,” she quipped. “That was how sure I was about pursuing a career in forensics.”
A science buff since her days in secondary school, Hilary particularly enjoyed her biology lessons, partly because her teachers taught with an infectious enthusiasm, and partly because she loved learning how the different systems within the human body work and interact with one another.
So passionate was she about this discipline that she put her foot down and went against her parents’ wishes by insisting that she would study biomedical science at Singapore Polytechnic.
“I really didn't really see a point in going to junior college. I just wanted to focus on a specific field and learn everything about it,” she said.
“But my parents were worried about my decision. They thought that I was putting myself in a disadvantageous position in terms of securing a place in a local university. Thankfully, I managed to convince them. I promised that I would do everything I could to do well enough to earn a spot in a local university.”
Falling in love with forensics
It was during her time in polytechnic that an interest in forensics developed, courtesy of a short course in the discipline that was part of the curriculum. Coupled with her curiosity in the field which was kindled by shows like The Mentalist and Criminal Minds, this interest gradually grew from a small flame into a raging fire.
What she found intriguing about forensics, she said, was the fact that it could reveal so much information that would help solve a crime and bring closure to the families of victims.
Hilary outside the lab in which she does research related to areas like mitochondria DNA and rapid DNA. (Photo: Hilary Goh)
“I like that you can see tangible outcomes from the work done in forensic science. What we do has a big impact on solving cases,” she explained.
Driven by a love for what she was studying, it was perhaps unsurprising that she excelled in school. In fact, she was such an outstanding student that she managed to do her polytechnic internship at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
At the end of three years, Hilary kept the promise that she made to her parents, and she did so in an emphatic fashion – she scored a near-perfect GPA.
She then pursued a Bachelor of Science at the National University of Singapore, majoring in life sciences and minoring in forensic science. Determined to learn more about the latter, she pursued her master’s degree in forensic science at King’s College London.
Led by purpose
Upon joining HTX, the first thing that she worked on was Project SNPshot, which would enable a 3D face to be predicted from DNA, something that would benefit disaster victim recovery and other forensic investigation. This innovation is novel as such facial prediction studies have not been conducted on Southeast Asian populations.
She has also been involved in projects related to mitochondria DNA and rapid DNA. At present, Hilary is focusing on research related to associative evidence, such as the study of microbial communities, where such evidence can be used to link victims or suspects to a crime scene.
One example of how the Forensics CoE has empowered the Home Team, she shared, was through an exercise where DNA was recovered from a broken fragment of an exploded improvised explosive device (IED), and successfully matched to the person who constructed the IED.
Looking ahead, Hilary said she is eager to further improve her knowledge and skills in the field of forensic biology so that she can do what she does even better.
“I believe there's no end to learning. There's always more to learn, regardless of how experienced you are at something,” she quipped.
Hilary also shared that she plans to do this learning at HTX, and nowhere else.
“I plan to be here for a long, long time,” she laughed. “I think the only question is will HTX want me!”
One key factor behind this desire, she added, is the sense of purpose she derives from her job, which allows her to make a meaningful contribution to enhancing the safety and security of Singapore.
“Personally, I feel that it's necessary to derive purpose from what you do. I mean, if you have to spend five days a week doing something for many years of your life, it would be pretty hard to motivate yourself to go to work if you don’t have a purpose,” she said.
Broadening horizons
Being in her current role, she added, has also helped her learn a lot more than just forensic biology. She is, for example, proud that she managed to pick up other skills such as managing the procurement of lab materials and planning the finances related to this matter.
“You probably wouldn’t expect this of forensic scientists, but we also have to read legal contracts and strike up partnerships. We don’t just use the pipette and microscope all day,” she said.
Hilary has also volunteered to take on various tasks outside of her job scope, having helped with HTX’s outreach events in schools and with matters related to the Staff Welfare Committee.
Getting involved in these extracurricular events, she added, has made her job more colourful as she thoroughly enjoys being exposed to different things and getting to know more people from the other departments in HTX.
“This is, after all, a big organisation. Today, we have some 2,000 people working here, a big contrast to the early days when we had only around 1,000,” she said. “There’s always someone new to meet and learn from.”
Hilary says being a forensic scientist is fulfilling work because the job helps to solve crimes. (Photo: Hilary Goh)
Looking back at the last five years, Hilary said she has been most impressed by the speed at which HTX has grown, both in size and capabilities. She attributed this pace of growth to the clear vision that the senior management had set right at the very start.
“Also, the focus on creating a working culture that stresses open communication has been critical. Things just get done more effectively when people talk to one another and collaborate freely,” she explained.
Despite her single-mindedness, Hilary conceded that there is one thing she can no longer stay focused on – shows on forensic investigations. Today, she much prefers action flicks instead.
“I guess you could call it an occupational hazard – I just can’t bear to watch forensic investigation shows anymore because I find everything portrayed to be so unrealistic,” she laughed.
“For starters, many of these shows have characters who are experts in multiple forensic fields. This is simply not accurate. The fact of the matter is that forensic scientists each specialise in specific areas and have to work together to help solve a crime.
“Another inaccurate depiction is the speed at which the test results are produced. In the real world, tests take a lot longer. And then there’s the use of firearms. The vast majority of forensic investigators in the world do not carry guns!”