Dr. Bala Murali Sundram is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Occupational and Environmental Health Unit, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. He completed his Masters (MPH) and Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from University Malaya. His areas of research interest are in Public Health, mainly in Occupational Health,  Environmental Health ,  Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Disease Surveillance, Predictive analytics in Public Health, Mental health and psycho-social biomarkers at the workplace. He has headed various critical and important posts in the Public Health Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) as a Public Health Medicine Specialist prior to joining University Malaya as a Senior Lecturer. Some of his notable positions in the Ministry of Health were as District Health Officer in Kunak, Sabah, Head of Occupational Health Unit and Biomedical Epidemiology Unit in the Institute for Medical Research (IMR)- National Institute of Health (NIH) and Head of Disease Surveillance and Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC),  Johor State Health Department. He had played a significant role and contributed immensely during the Covid-19 pandemic in disease surveillance, translational and impactful research for the relevant stakeholders, quarantine and isolation strategies, international health regulation and border health policies and state vaccination strategies during his tenure in MOH. Following this he had received recognition and the Exemplary Service Award  (Anugerah Perkhidmatan Awam) from the Johor State Health Department, Ministry of Health Malaysia. He has headed several internal and external research collaborations in the Ministry of Health Malaysia, University Malaya, United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) and other external research institutes like National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia and Malaysian Meteorological Department.  He had obtained various research grants such as MOH research grants and UNDP research grants as Primary Investigator and was involved as co-investigator in some external research grants like FRGS grants. His research work has been presented in local and international conferences and has been published and cited in some high impact and peer-reviewed ISI journals in the field of public health. His work has also been accepted as a book publication in one of the international publishing groups. He was involved in the Public Health Subgroup in the Technical Working Group for the Vulnerability and Adaptation as well as Research and Systematic Observation for the 3rd National Communication and Biennial Update Report in which Malaysia is a signatory to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He was a member of the Thematic Working Group 6 for Contingency, Preparedness and Response Plan for Environmental Health Disaster, National Environmental Health Action Plan (NEHAP), Ministry of Health. He was a member of the SCHEMA Working Group for United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health and Institutional Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee (IBBC). His technical skills and knowledge allowed him being chosen as a Medical Coordinator, Lead Evaluator and Controller in various Disease Surveillance and CBNRe (chemical, biological,nuclear, radiological and explosives) field simulation exercises and activities involving MOH, STRIDE-MinDEF, ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH) and  WHO. He has also mentored and supervised numerous candidates in the Mentor-Mentee Program for the Public Health Medicine Speciality, MOH Malaysia. He is also attached to professional bodies like Malaysian Medical Association, Malaysian Society of Occupational Health Doctor and a scientific committee member in the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH).

Originally trained as an algal molecular taxonomist and phylogeneticist, Dr Poong has a diversified research portfolio specializing in gene and metabolites expression studies using omics tools, genetic diversity and population structure of fish and seaweed, algal physiological and biochemical stress response and adaptation to climate changes, and shifts in microbiome using metagenomics. Dr Poong plays a key role in developing research proposals to attract local and international funding, managing research grants, organization of international conferences and workshops. She is an Honorary (Lifetime) Member of the International Society for Applied Phycology since June 2024.

Professor Azlan Shah Ali, PhD FRISM FRICS FCABE Reg BS   Prof. Azlan Shah Ali is a highly accomplished academic and practitioner specializing in building surveying and construction management. Currently, he holds the prestigious position of Professor in the Department of Building Surveying and serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment at Universiti Malaya (UM) in Kuala Lumpur. His academic journey at UM began in 2004, and his dedication and expertise led to his promotion to the rank of full professor in July 2013, making him one of the youngest professors at the university. In addition to his role at UM, Prof. Azlan is a Visiting Professor at the School of Built Environment at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom, contributing his extensive knowledge and experience to the global academic community. Throughout his career, he has held various leadership positions within UM's academic administration, including Dean, Acting Dean, Deputy Dean, and Head of the Department of the Faculty of Built Environment. Before entering academia, he gained valuable industry experience in the building sector, starting in 1998. In 2020, Prof. Azlan was appointed as the Director for Building Surveying at Unit Perundingan Universiti Malaya Sdn Bhd (UPUM Sdn Bhd), UM's consultancy arm. Under his leadership, UPUM Sdn Bhd secured ten significant Building Condition Assessment (BCA) consultation projects from the Malaysian government, totalling over RM6 million, highlighting his expertise in building condition assessment. He earned his PhD from Universiti Teknologi MARA, specializing in building refurbishment, with a research focus on building maintenance and refurbishment management strategies. Prof. Azlan has a substantial track record, with involvement in numerous academic research and consultancy projects, securing more than RM6 million in funding. Noteworthy collaborations include software development projects with Spanish companies CYPE, totalling over RM2.5 million. He has a prolific publication record, with over 200 peer-reviewed technical contributions in journals, proceedings, and books. Prof. Azlan's outstanding contributions to education and research have been recognized with awards such as the University of Malaya's Best Lecturers Award in 2012 and the Excellence Service Award from UM, received three times for his significant contributions to teaching and research. He also boasts an impressive array of professional credentials and holds esteemed titles such as Fellow of The Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (FRISM), Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, UK (FRICS) and Fellow of The Chartered Association of Building Engineers, UK (FCABE). His commitment to the profession is further demonstrated by his 15-year tenure as a committee member, including the role of secretary, for the Building Surveying Division of the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM). Prof. Azlan Shah Ali's multifaceted career reflects his unwavering dedication to the field of building surveying and construction management, where he continues to inspire and lead in both academia and industry.