Dr Tan Boon Chin is an Associate Professor holding the position of Deputy Director at the Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR) at the University of Malaya (UM). He completed his BSc in Biotechnology at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and a PhD in Plant Biotechnology at the University of Nottingham. Dr Tan was employed by UM as a postdoctoral research fellow before taking up the senior lecturer role. Dr Tan's interests span the fields of plant molecular biology and biochemistry. His current research aims to combine omics and molecular approaches to understanding the regulatory mechanism of transcription factors in environmental-stressed crops, hoping to find ways to improve crop tolerance for near-future climates. These include (1) developing a product in the form of biostimulants to mitigate climate stress for these crops, (2) developing appropriate educational programmes for farmers to promote sustainable agriculture, and (3) making recommendations to policymakers. Dr Tan's research interests also encompass genetically manipulating biosynthetic pathways in plants to produce beneficial bioactive compounds. Additionally, he explores the potential of using plants as an alternative platform for producing high-value recombinant pharmaceutical proteins. He received several awards, including the Royal Society-Newton Advanced Fellowship (2017), the Travel Award for the Asia Pacific Biosafety Association Conference from the United States Department of State Biosecurity Engagement Program (2017), and the Alltech Young Scientist Award 2012/13. Dr Tan is currently the Lead Consultant for the National Biosafety Policy project. He is also an Associate Editor of the Journal of Plant Growth Regulation (JPGR) and an Editorial Board Member of BMC Plant Biology, Heliyon, Molecular Biotechnology (MOBI), Asia Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (APJMBB), Discover Food, Discover Plants, and the Journal of Agribusiness Marketing (JAMA). Dr Tan is also the President of the Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MSMBB), an Honorary Secretary of the Asia Oceania Agricultural Proteomics Organization (AOAPO), a council member of the Malaysian Proteomics Society (MAPS), Malaysian Society of Plant Physiology (MSPP), and Malaysian Society of Systems and Synthetic Biology (MyBioSS), and an eLife Community Ambassador.  His research group is committed to dedicating their expertise and ideas to catalyse efforts toward achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2). See the interview: https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/the-source/blog/blogposts-communicating-research/enhan...

Dr. Goh Yet Ching is a senior lecturer and clinical specialist in the Faculty of Dentistry at Universiti Malaya.She was awarded the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) by Universiti Malaya in 2012 and was subsequently awarded the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 2015. In 2018, she completed her Master of Clinical Dentistry in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology with Distinction from Universiti Malaya. Dr. Goh is an active member of several professional organizations, including the International Association of Oral Pathologists (IAOP), the International Association for Dental Research – Malaysia Section (IADR Malaysia), the Malaysian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Medicine (MAOPM), and the Malaysian Society of Oral Microbiologists and Oral Immunologists (MYSOMOI). Her clinical and research interests lie in the fields of oral pathology—particularly odontogenic tumors—as well as orofacial pain and mucocutaneous disorders. Dr. Goh is actively involved in research and has secured several research grants. She collaborates extensively with various departments within and beyond the Faculty of Dentistry.

NORAINI AHMAD obtained her BSc (Hons) in Applied Chemistry from the Universiti Malaya in 2003. In 2008, she received her MSc in Colloid and Surface Chemistry, while in 2012 she obtained her PhD in Physical Chemistry, both from the Universiti Malaya. During her PhD studies, she went for a research attachment at the Instituto de Química Avanzada de Cataluña - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain in 2010-2012 funded by the InForm Project, EU-FP7 and the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) Malaysia. Her journey and experience led her to be selected as a Nanobiotechnology Scientist/Expert representing Malaysia at the Workshop of Scientists from Russia and the ASEAN Countries - Nanobiotechnology: Achievement and Scope held in Vladivostok, Russia in 2015. Formerly, she was a lecturer at the Centre for Foundation Studies, International Islamic University Malaysia (CFS IIUM) for more than 3 years before joining Universiti Malaya in 2008. After obtaining her PhD, she was appointed as a Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya in 2012 and was later promoted to a Senior Lecturer in 2013. Currently, she is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya. She is currently holding a number of major administrative duties, namely:1. Director, Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares)2. Coordinator, Formulation and Product Development Unit, Centre for Natural Products Research and Drug Discovery (CENAR), Universiti Malaya3. STEM Representative of the Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya STEM Centre Additionally, she has broad experience as a Deputy Director of the Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Center (UMCares)(2022-2024), in which previously as a Fellow of UMCares (2019-2021). In addition, she has been honored and invited as a Visiting Professor at several universities internationally. She has also been invited as a keynote speaker and invited speaker at several international conferences. Her areas of expertise are in Physical Chemistry (colloid chemistry, liquid crystal, surfactant, self-assembly structure, green chemistry, chemical kinetics), Nanomaterials Formulation and Drug Delivery Systems. Her research interests are focused on the formulation of nanocarrier systems based on lipids and other surfactants for pharmaceutical, medical, cosmeceutical, and nutraceutical applications. Moreover, she has been awarded several internal and external research grants as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator (>MYR12,000,000). Besides, she has won numerous awards nationally and internationally. Apart from teaching and research, Noraini is also an active member in her university, holding a number of administrative posts, technical committee member and research grants evaluator. She is also actively involved in various social activities / programmes at the national and international level.