DR. NISHAKANTHI A/P GOPALAN

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 Programme Coordinator of the Master of Health Research Ethics (MOHRE), a programme developed incollaboration 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 a member of the Universiti Malaya Research Ethics Committee (UMREC) as well 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. Additionally, Dr. Nisha is an editorial board member of the Asian Bioethics Review. 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, Dr Nisha is working on a bioethics training grant (Fogarty International Centre, NIH US) with Johns Hopkins University (JHU),  the ethics of genetic testing among Parkinson’s patients (USMC Care Fund), ethics and governance in AI in healthcare and understanding the ethics committee deliberarion process. She is constantly on the look out for collaborations with local/regional/international projects on various topics involving ethics. 

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SR DR. NIK ELYNA MYEDA BT NIK MAT

Nik Elyna Myeda currently serves as the Director of the Academic Policy Division within the Academic Strategic Planning Department (ASPD) of Universiti Malaya (UM), where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the university's academic initiatives. She is also a senior lecturer and researcher at the Department of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, UM. Elyna holds a PhD in Facilities Management from University College London (2013) and both MSc in Building and Bachelor’s in Building Surveying from UM. Her research has been widely published in high-impact journals, and she has authored several books.  Elyna was also selected as the University Representative for the Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) Stewardship Program (2023–2024), an initiative by the Asia Pacific Research Universities (APRU), where she enhanced her leadership skills and broadened her academic network. She is a recipient of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) - Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies (DIES) Program (2020), which has further strengthened her international academic connections. Elyna has led and collaborated on numerous research projects funded by international and national grants, including the Sumitomo Foundation (2024–2025), British Council Catalyst Grant (2022–2023), and University of Fukui Publicly Solicited Grant (2022–2023), driving advancements in Facilities Management practices. Her research outputs include publications in high-impact journals, contributions to special issues, and presentations at global conferences. She is an active member of the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM) and is certified as a BIMFM Master Trainer by CIDB Malaysia. A recipient of multiple accolades, including the UM Service Excellence Awards, Best Presenter and Best Paper Awards at international conferences, Elyna has also served as an invited speaker at academic and industry events. Beyond academia, she holds editorial roles, including Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Surveying, Construction & Property (2023–2026), and contributes as a Technical Committee Member for ISO Facilities Management Standards Malaysia. Elyna is committed to advancing education and research in the built environment.  

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PROFESSOR IR. DR. FARIDAH BINTI OTHMAN

Faridah Othman is a registered Professional Engineer (PEng, Malaysia) and a Certified EIA Consultant (DOE, Malaysia).  She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Missouri (USA), Master and PhD from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK).  Her field of specialization is Water and Environmental Engineering. Her research interest includes water resources and management, water security, floods, river conservation and pollution control, water supply and sewerage, as well as hydro-environment. She has vast experience in computer modelling and simulations which includes flood, river and surface water quality. She is also interested in the Artificial Intelligence and Optimization models, along with  GIS and remote sensing application. She has over 25 years of teaching and supervising experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels., and successfully supervising more than 30 postgraduates inclusive of PhDs, Masters and Post Doctorate.  She has authored and co-authored more than 180 articles including journals, conferences and technical  reports in national and international publications.    She is a passionate and self-motivated researcher with a strong desire to build a career within the research  industry. In her career, she has been actively involved in numerous consultation projects with the relevant authorities and private companies, local and international.  Moreover, she is also doing research collaboration with industries, other universities, research institutions, and communities, to ensure that her research would benefit not only to the academic world but the nation, societies, and communities.    

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