Dr. Nur Kusaira Khairul Ikram is a plant biotechnology researcher dedicated to harnessing the therapeutic potential of plant-derived natural products. She began her scientific journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Plant Resource Science and Management from UNIMAS, majoring in Plant Systematics, and was awarded Best Undergraduate Thesis in 2008. She pursued a Master’s in Healthcare Biotechnology at USM, focusing on in silico drug discovery targeting influenza viruses (H5N1, H1N1), and later expanded her expertise through a research attachment at UC San Diego, conducting molecular dynamics studies on dengue virus proteins. Her career led her to IPharm (USM), where she managed the USM-RIKEN natural product discovery grant, developing a comprehensive library of Malaysian plant extracts for bioactivity screening. Awarded a UM international scholarship, she earned her PhD at the University of Copenhagen under Prof. Henrik Toft Simonsen, where she pioneered in vivo DNA assembly in Physcomitrella patens, leading to the first stable plant-based artemisinin production. Currently based at Universiti Malaya, her research spans functional food innovation and antiviral discovery. She applies computational biochemistry tools to identify potent plant-based inhibitors targeting viral, microbial, and cancer pathways, contributing to sustainable, plant-derived health solutions with global impact.