EP21 Dr Yvonne Chang - A Malaysian Doctor, Medicine, Academia, and Aesthetics

In this episode of Chai & Chat, Ranjit and Sundari are joined by Dr Yvonne Chang, a senior NHS doctor and founder of Seraphae, for a fascinating conversation about medicine, migration, language, women’s health and finding purpose.

Yvonne shares her journey from Malaysia to Ukraine and then the UK, reflecting on how a multilingual childhood, family heritage and cross-cultural experience shaped the doctor, educator and community health advocate she became. From Kota Bharu, Penang and Kuala Lumpur to medical training in Eastern Europe and working in the NHS, her story moves across countries, cultures and careers.

The conversation explores regenerative aesthetics, midlife women’s health, menopause education, prevention and why holistic care matters. Yvonne explains how regenerative approaches differ from standard injectables, and why treating the whole person, not just the symptom, diagnosis or lab result, is central to her work.

We also talk about food, family, language and belonging, from Penang Hokkien, Cantonese, Malay, English and Mandarin to nasi lemak, char kway teow, asam laksa and the ever-divisive durian. Yvonne reflects on the influence of her grandfather, a traditional Chinese doctor and herbalist, and how curiosity, burnout, perimenopause and lifestyle medicine all shaped her evolving approach to health and purpose.

A warm, thoughtful and wide-ranging episode about medicine, identity, cultural connection and the importance of listening deeply to people’s whole lives.

#ChaiAndChat #SouthAsianVoices #Diaspora #Culture #Podcast #ArtsAndHealth #BritishAsian #SouthAsianHeritage #southeastasianheritage #seraphae #regenerativeaesthetics

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:25 Meet Dr Yvonne Chang

00:39 Malaysia, Ukraine and the NHS

01:23 Founding Seraphae

03:54 Regenerative aesthetics explained

05:19 Yvonne’s Rumi quote

07:46 Growing up in Malaysia

09:28 Languages at home and school

12:02 Learning Mandarin through songs

13:46 A grandfather in Chinese medicine

14:54 Language and adaptability

15:50 Malaysia’s food culture

16:35 Nasi lemak to asam laksa

18:48 The durian divide

20:19 Adapting across countries

23:01 Studying in Eastern Europe

26:38 Teaching anatomy in the UK

28:27 Rheumatology and autoimmune health

31:46 Menopause education and trust

35:55 Language and cultural nuance

38:16 Lifestyle, nutrition and prevention

41:19 Treating the whole person

43:08 Purpose, Rumi and final reflections