Dr. Santheraleka Ramanathan is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Universiti Malaya since 2025. She earned her Ph.D. in Nanobiotechnology Engineering in 2020 and gained research experience as a postdoctoral fellow at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia from 2021 to 2023. Dr. Santheraleka's research focuses on biosensors, nanomaterials, and nanodiagnostics, with an emphasis on molecular imprinting for environmental sustainability and biomedical applications. She specializes in synthesizing nanomaterials from environmental waste and integrating them into diagnostic platforms for detecting non-communicable disease biomarkers. Her expertise includes electrode fabrication, sensing platform surface chemistry, and analytical techniques. She actively develops molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based sensors for environmental monitoring, targeting pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. As a passionate educator, Dr. Santheraleka is dedicated to inspiring lifelong learning by fostering a positive classroom environment and empowering the next generation of learners with wisdom toward knowledge and innovation.

Jillian Ooi started out as an environmental social scientist but shifted to studying marine plants because she is fascinated by the sea. For her Master’s degree in Environmental Management, she explored the effects of disturbances on seaweed communities. She later earned a PhD in Seagrass Biogeography at the University of Western Australia as an Endeavour International Postgraduate Scholarship recipient. Working under the mentorship of Professor Gary Kendrick and the late Dr Kimberly Van Niel, she studied the spatial patterns and ecology of subtidal seagrasslands in the Johor islands. There, she fell irrevocably under the spell of these overlooked yet vital ecosystems. Jillian’s research consists of 3 themes: (1) investigating ecosystem functions of seagrass, particularly their roles as habitats and feeding grounds for fish and megafauna, (2) developing spatial distribution models for seagrass species in Southeast Asia, to provide an understanding of what makes a suitable seagrass habitat, and (3) developing effective restoration methods for seagrass and coral reefs. Her work has contributed to the gazettement of the Kepulauan Lima marine park in Johor (2023), strengthened protection for the Tioman Marine Park in Pahang (2007), and supported the establishment of a dugong sanctuary in Johor (2005 and 2017). Jillian enjoys working with local communities, spearheading and nurturing community-driven seagrass conservation initiatives in the Sungai Johor and Sungai Pulai estuaries. Her efforts focus on empowering local stakeholders through capacity building in seagrass monitoring and mapping. In 2015, Jillian received the Komai Fellowship to study the satoumi approach to seagrass restoration in Japan. In 2022, she was among six global researchers awarded the Pew Marine Fellowship for her work in seagrass restoration and to raise awareness about seagrass in Malaysia through the cultural arts approach. She blended the performing arts with science to create Seruan Setu, a groundbreaking gamelan music concert dedicated to seagrass ecosystems. When she is not underwater watching grass grow, Jillian is the Artistic Director and Music Director of Rhythm in Bronze, an award-winning contemporary gamelan ensemble based in Kuala Lumpur. Founded in 1997, Rhythm in Bronze is known for its pioneering efforts in showcasing the Malay gamelan as its main medium of musical expression. Jillian’s music direction and compositions for the gamelan have won awards and/or received nominations at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, which celebrates outstanding performances in music, dance, theatre and musical theatre in Malaysia. She considers the Sea her main source of musical inspiration. 

  Dr. Shani Ann Mani graduated in 1995 from The Tamil Nadu Dr.M.G.R Medical University, Chennai, India with a Bachelor in Dental Surgery and in 1998 from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Panjab University), Chandigarh, India with a Master of Dental Surgery (Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry). She is also a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Glasgow. She enjoys teaching having been in academia for more than 22 years, teaching Paediatric Dentistry to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She was appointed the post-graduate coordinator in Paediatric Dentistry at the Faculty of Dentistry, University Malaya since 2014. She has been an external and internal examiner for both undergraduate and postgraduate students during her career. She is also keen in research and has authored about 30 articles published in international and national peer-reviewed journals, majority being indexed in the ISI Web of Science database, and also contributed to chapters in books. She routinely reviews manuscripts for international journals in her field of specialisation and is on the editorial board of the European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry,  Malaysian Journal of Paediatric Dentistry and BMC Oral Health.  She has also obtained research grants pertaining to her research in Paediatric Dentistry over the course of her career. She is a member of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry and Malaysian Association of Paediatric Dentistry besides other academic associations.