Dr Nishakanthi Gopalan is a Senior Lecturer at the Medical Humanities and Ethics Unit (MedHEU), a newly established unit within the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya (UM). She is a biotechnologist by training with a PhD in research ethics and policy implication particularly looking at stem cell technology. During this time, she published her key findings in several reputable high-impact bioethics journals. Dr Nisha is the former programme coordinator of the Master of Health Research Ethics (MOHRE), a programme developed in collaboration with the Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Besides teaching in MOHRE, she also provides ethics lectures in other programmes in the faculty. Dr Nisha also contributes as an external member of the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Medical Research Ethics Committee. She is one of the instructors for the Introduction to Health Research Ethics, an online course in FutureLearn. She also facilitates the APRU Health Research Ethics course. Dr Nisha’s research interest includes different aspects of ethics such as bioethics, research and clinical ethics on diverse topics ranging from emerging technologies (such as regenerative medicine, stem cells, and genetic testing), health research, and aesthetic medicine. She is an expert in qualitative research methods such as in depth interviews, focus group discussion (FGD), inductive and deductive analysis, thematic analysis, grounded theory, as well as narrative and scoping reviews. Currently, she is working on the Fogarty International Centre (FIC), NIH bioethics training grant with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) as well as on the ethics of genetic testing among Parkinson’s patients (USMC Care Fund). She is constantly on the look out for collaboration on local /regional / international projects on the various topics involving ethics. 

Lucas Low VL received his bachelor’ degree in Biodiversity Management with first-class honours from the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu in 2010. He then earned his PhD with ‘distinction thesis’ from the University of Malaya (UM) in 2013, for his studies on the molecular and biochemical basis of insecticide resistance in medically important group of mosquitoes. Currently, he is the Excecutive Director and an associate professor at Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), a Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE) in Malaysia. His current research interests include insect vectors of medical-veterinary importance such as mosquitoes, flies, ticks, fleas, lice and mites; and their associated infectious disease agents. In his scientific career, he has been fortunate to work under the mentorship of the world-renowned black fly taxonomist, Prof. Emeritus Dr. Hiroyuki Takaoka for the discovery of new species and taxonomic classification of black flies in the Oriental region. At present, he owned taxonomic authorities for 11 new species of black flies discovered in Southeast Asia. In recognition of his research excellence in vector-borne diseases, and significant advancement in molecular phylogenetics and systematics of black flies, two new species of black flies Simulium vanluni from Malaysia, and Simulium lowi from Vietnam were named after him in 2017. In March 2020, he organized and chaired the 3rd Asian Simuliidae Symposium which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His expertise in the field of insecticide resistance is recognized by the Malaysian Ministry of Health. He has been appointed as a member of the Technical Working Committee for Insecticide Resistance, which aims to provide mitigation plans against insecticide resistance issue throughout the country. He was also appointed as a consultant for testing commercial mosquito repellent products in a private company. His reputation has convinced local and international funders, with the awarding of 19 research grants to him with a value of at least RM3 million. Notably, he is the principal investigator for the Tick Cell Biobank Asia Outpost project funded by the prestigious research foundation, Wellcome Trust (2022-2026). The Asia Outpost (the only one in Asia) provides insect cell line resources and training to fellow researchers in Asia. His role is important in increasing regional capacity in the implementation of research in tick-borne diseases. He is also the principal investigator of the black fly DNA barcode project in Southeast Asia funded by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Denmark (2021-2023). His role is to establish and strengthen black fly biodiversity information facilities and increase the capacity of researchers in Asia in accessing data needed for biodiversity management. He has strong research networks in both local and international institutions and has authored more than 160 articles in ISI-indexed journals. He has been a reviewer of several world-leading scientific journals. He is an Associate Editor of Tropical Biomedicine and a Section Editor of Parasitology Research, both of which are the WoS indexed journals. He is an active member of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM). Currently, he serves as the President for the society.  He shows high commitment in educational activities, as well social responsibility in increasing the level of public awareness of vector-borne diseases. He is involved in various talks to raise awareness among students, Orang Asli, pet owners and the general public at disease outbreak areas. He is also a facilitator in the development of national biosafety and biosecurity policies and guidelines. Since 2018, 3 Masters and 7 PhD students have successfully completed their studies under his supervision. A total of 3 Masters and 5 PhD students are still under his supervision. He was a recipient for Certificate of Excellent Service in 2018, and Excellence Service Award in 2019, UM. He was also a Nadchatram Medal 2020 recipient for his outstanding research in the field of parasitology and tropical medicine.  

Dr.-Ing Nurdiana Nordin is a passionate chemist and interdisciplinary researcher who is driven by the mission to bridge cutting-edge science with real-world solutions. She earned her B.Sc. in Pure Chemistry (2012) and M.Sc. in Organic Synthesis and Computational Chemistry (2015) from the University of Malaya, supported by the SLAB scholarship. Her scientific journey continued in Germany at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where she completed her Ph.D. in 2020 under the Bio-Interfaces International Graduate School (BIF-IGS). There, she honed her expertise in NMR technology, microfluidic device fabrication, and bioorganic analysis under the mentorship of leading experts from the Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT) and the Institut für Biologische Grenzflächen (IBG). Throughout her career, Dr. Nurdiana has demonstrated a unique ability to merge fundamental science with technological innovation. From developing microscale biomedical systems to exploring metabolic pathways using micro-NMR platforms, her work reflects a deep commitment to impactful research. Now serving as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, University of Malaya, she envisions building a dynamic research team focused on smart, sustainable solutions for societal challenges—particularly in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. Guided by Malaysia's national development goals and sustainable technology agendas, her team aims to harness advanced materials, biosensing tools, and green chemistry to create intelligent systems that benefit both industry and community. With an eye on translational impact, Dr. Nurdiana is committed to cultivating interdisciplinary collaborations and training the next generation of researchers who are not only skilled in science, but also grounded in empathy, innovation, and service to the nation.