Rosnah Zain has served as an academician for more than 30 years. She has been involved in managing the dental faculty at the University of Malaya in the capacity of the Head of Department, the Deputy Dean (Undergraduate/Postgraduate/Research) and Dean (2010-2014)  for the last 25 years. Her role in these positions involved managing curriculum and its development, the dental services centre (including human resource infrastructure and dental patients’ general issues). In the research setting, she strongly believes in collective efforts so as to gather a wider scope of ideas yet benefiting the others as well. Through this believe she had embarked on numerous projects with numerous co-researchers within the country and from countries of the region. One of her major research endeavors is a collaborative research project with colleagues from the Oral Health Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia and Aichi-Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan in 1993/1994. This nationwide project on the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions produced the first population-based prevalence data on oral cancer and precancer in the Malaysia. This study emphasizes her leadership and organizational skill where despite fund limitations, with national and international support, she was able to successfully manage and organize human resource infrastructure and logistics towards the successful completion of the project.Throughout the organization of these researches and in collaboration with Japanese, Swedish and German colleagues, she has developed calibration and training packages/programmes and booklets. These packages/programmes are aimed at tackling methodologic issues such that data on oral mucosal lesions will be standardized for meaningful global comparison. This training programme (DentalDetect) is currently being used widely in Malaysia and also in Cambodia. Another of her major research endeavor is the development of the Malaysian Oral Cancer Database and Tumour Bank System [a ‘Top-down Intensified Research in Priority Areas (IRPA), the 8th Malaysia Plan (RMK-80 project] in 2003, a biobanking intiative linking data and tissue providers, researchers of different disciplines from different parts of the country. With such a system, research on oral cancer in Malaysia shifted from individual/group research to the ‘team science’ approach being a collaborative effort from different institutions. As a follow-up to this, her effort was recognized by the University administration where a University of Malaya Research Centre was officially recognized and supported by the University Management with the formation of the Oral Cancer Research and Coordinating Centre at the University of Malaya (OCRCC-UM) in 2005, which she served as the Director/Head until December 2015. She is currently designated as the Founding Director and Advisor to OCRCC-UM. Her other experiences entails being involved as the Chair of the Document Preparation for Assessments in preparation for the University of Malaya Self-Audit for Programme Accreditation; being Member and Chairman for the Accreditation of Dental Programme for the MQA; Committee Member for the evaluation and monitoring of the the Higher Education Centre of Excellence (HiCOE) of the Ministry of Education; Evaluation Panel for the Malaysian Ministry of Education Research Grant; and a member of the Professional Qualifying Examination for Dentistry. Rosnah Zain has published more than 100 research and consensus papers. Her research expertise and experience lead her to receive the ‘Top Research Scientists Award 2014’(TRSM 2014) and more recently in 2016, she has been inducted as the ‘Distinguished Fellow for Asia, International College of Dentists (FICD)’.  

Dr. Julian Wong Joon Ip is a psychiatrist and medical lecturer with the Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. He graduated with Honours in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) (Hons) from Monash University and later obtained his Master of Psychological Medicine (MPsy.Med.) from Universiti Malaya. Dr. Wong is actively engaged in undergraduate and postgraduate education, clinical practice, and academic research. He serves as a practicing psychiatrist at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care. His clinical interests include psychiatric comorbidities, with a particular emphasis on consultation-liaison psychiatry, community-based mental health services, and psychotherapy. He is currently part of both the consultation-liaison psychiatry team and the Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) at UMMC. Dr. Wong is a certified Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) clinician, having completed a training program by Dr. Gregg Jacobs (University of Massachusetts Medical School). He has also completed Pre-Core Training in Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) under Dr. Samuel Cheng at Changi General Hospital and is embarking on a 3-year Core Training program in ISTDP as a subspecialty focus from 2026 to 2029. He is also a certified TMS clinician, having completed the International Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Certification Course in London, organised by the Academy of Brain Stimulation. Dr. Wong actively promotes mental health literacy and wellness in the community. He frequently speaks at public forums, conferences, and symposia (locally, regionally, and internationally) to discuss latest evidence based clinical practices, promote mental wellness and improve mental health literacy in the community.

I am a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geology at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. I obtained my Ph.D. in Biogeochemistry from the University of Cambridge in 2018, focusing on calcium carbonate mineral formation. My current research focuses on microbial processes, elemental cycling, and geochemical interactions in marine and terrestrial environments. I am particularly interested in understanding how sediment mineralogy and microbial activity influence global biogeochemical cycles. Over the years, I have published 22 peer-reviewed articles, including a Best Paper Award at IC-DLI Deep Life 2022 and the won the Excellent Service award in 2023. In addition to my research, I have had the opportunity to contribute to international journals as a reviewer and serve on multiple funded projects, both as a principal investigator and collaborator. These experiences have enriched my perspective on tackling complex environmental challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. I am passionate about fostering research excellence, mentoring students, and contributing to solutions for global environmental issues. Through collaboration and continuous learning, I hope to advance my understanding in geosciences while supporting sustainable development. 🎓 Calling New Graduates — Master’s & PhD Opportunities (Universiti Malaya, Dept. of Geology) I’m welcoming motivated graduates to join my research group in March 2026 or October 2026 (earlier start is possible—message me to discuss). Supervision available at Master’s and PhD levels across these themes: Research Areas (tropical & coastal focus): • Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) & Carbon Capture (CCUS) (basalt/dunite/limestone kinetics, PHREEQC modelling + microorganism) • Aqueous Geochemistry of CaCO₃ (alkalinity–pH dynamics; calcite/aragonite/vaterite polymorphs + sulfate reducing bacteria) • Acid Sulfate Soils / Marine Clays (Malacca Straits) — Fe–S–C coupling, metals & arsenic mobility • Surface & Groundwater Quality (estuary–aquifer interactions, redox processes, seawater intrusion) • Iron-mediated Carbon Burial in tropical peat–mangrove–marine continua • Rare Earth Elements (REE) — eco-leaching, lixiviant selection, separation chemistry • Microplastics along Peninsular Malaysia coasts (lithology/ecosystem contrasts, FTIR/SEM) • Biogeochemistry of Coastal Environments (DOC, nutrients, trace metals, isotopes) What you’ll gain: • Fieldwork in Malaysian peat–mangrove–coastal systems (incl. Malacca Straits) • Lab experience (ICP-OES/ICP-MS, IC, UV-VIS spectrophotometer, XRD/SEM, FTIR/Raman, AVS/CRS, carbonate system analysis) • Quantitative modelling (CO₂SYS, PHREEQC / reactive-transport) Opportunities to work with reputed universities in China, UK, US, Canada and around the world. Funding: These projects are not funded but, some data are already available for a couple of projects, and some simple laboratory analysis are covered. Scholarship applications are strongly encouraged (recommended); self-funded students are welcome if keen to continue studies at the Department of Geology, Universiti Malaya. Eligibility: • Bachelor’s/Master’s in Geology, Geochemistry, Environmental Science, Chemistry, or related fields • Highly persevere, strong motivation and passion for research, good writing skills, good learning attitude, and readiness for field + lab work Intakes: • March 2026 or October 2026 • Immediate start can be arranged — contact me to discuss How to express interest (quick checklist and email me the following documents): CV Academic transcript(s) 1–2 paragraph statement: your preferred topic + why it fits you My email address: chinyik@um.edu.my If interested, PM me at +6017-8990685 (WhatsApp) to chat about details. 🌍 Embark on a scientific journey where your curiosity shapes knowledge, and your contribution becomes truly irreplaceable.