PROF. DATO' SERI IR. DR. NOOR AZUAN BIN ABU OSMAN

Profesor Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan Bin Abu Osman has achieved considerable distinction in his academic and professional pursuits. He graduated from the University of Bradford, UK with a B.Eng. Hons. in Mechanical Engineering and furthered his credentials with an MSc and Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom. A leading expert in biomechanics, Azuan’s research spans various areas, with a particular focus on the measurements of human movement, the design of prosthetics, orthotics, and orthopaedic implants, as well as the development of instruments for assessing forces and joint motion. In 2004, his significant contributions to the development of the prosthetic socket were recognized with the BLESMA award from ISPO UK NMS. Prof. Azuan has held a number of prestigious positions in his career. He served as the Deputy President of the Society of Medical and Biological Engineering (MSMBE), an affiliate of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE). His roles have included being the Acting Registrar of UM, Dean of Engineering, Deputy Director of the Centre for Applied Biomechanics, and Coordinator of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya. Marking a notable advancement in his academic leadership, he was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) from 15th June 2022 until 5th November 2023. Subsequently, he continued his journey in higher education leadership by assuming the position of Vice Chancellor at Universiti Malaya starting on 6th November 2023. Prof. Azuan has been distinguished with several honors for his professional achievements and service. In 2023, he was conferred the Darjah Gemilah Pangkuan Negeri (D.G.P.N) by the Governor of Penang, bestowing upon him the title of Dato' Seri, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field of engineering and higher education. He is a prolific scholar with numerous publications in books, conference proceedings, and journals. His professional affiliations are testament to his expertise: he is a Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.) and Fellow (FIMechE) with The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK; a Chartered Professional Engineer (C.PEng) and Fellow (FIEAust) with Engineers Australia; and a Chartered Scientist (C.Sci.) and Professional Member (MICR) with The Institute of Clinical Research, UK. Prof. Azuan's career is a testament to his dedicated commitment to the advancement of biomechanical engineering and his skillful navigation through the challenges of academic leadership.

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DR. PHANG KEAN CHANG

Dr. Phang Kean Chang is a distinguished clinical scientist, academician, and bioethicist currently serving as Senior Lecturer at the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. With a multidisciplinary foundation comprising a PhD in Pathology, dual Master’s degrees in Health Research Ethics and Medical Sciences (Pathology), and a BSc in Biohealth Science, Dr. Phang has built an exceptional career at the intersection of molecular medicine, ethics, and leadership in academic research.   He heads the Medical Research Ethics Unit (MREU) at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, where he has led transformational improvements in ethical review systems, spearheaded training programmes for researchers and reviewers, and successfully hosted the 23rd FERCAP International Conference. As Coordinator of UMHealth under the Associate Vice Chancellor's Office, Dr. Phang has also played a key role in institutional strategic health initiatives with the five key health entities in the University. His research spans molecular diagnostics, digital pathology, cancer immunotherapy, and bioethics. He is actively involved in multiple national and international research projects, including private clinical trials and the Wellcome funded Global Health Bioethics Network (GHBN), a collaboration with the University of Oxford. His scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed publications in pathology, oncology, and bioethics, and he has co-authored national and international policy papers, such as Malaysia’s Decentralised Clinical Trials (DCT) Guidance Document. Dr. Phang is a Chartered Scientist (UK Royal Society of Biology), a Senior Research Fellow with the GHBN, steering committee of Southeast Asia Bioethics Network, and a member of the Young Scientists Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia. He has received multiple recognitions, including the Certificate of Excellent Service (UM, 2025), and fellowships from WHO, NIH (USA), and WCG IRB–New York University Langone Health. Renowned for his commitment to ethical leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Phang continues to influence health policy, research governance, and academic development both nationally and internationally.

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DR. NUR AIRINA BINTI MUHAMAD

Dr Airina is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University Malaya. She earned both her Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry) and Master of Science (Lipid Biochemistry) degree from University Malaya in 2003 and 2008 respectively. In 2013, she graduated from University of Cambridge, United Kingdom with a PhD in Pharmacology. Her PhD thesis work focuses on magnetoreception. A study on how animals having the ability to detect the Earth’s magnetic field whereby her research was to understand the cellular basis and the mechanism underlying the single domain magnetite of magnetoreceptor cells in fish. Her research interests include looking at the uses of natural products especially form Traditional Malaysian plants as an alternative medicine. She is interested in investigating the phytochemistry, molecular biology of medicinal plants and bioassays activity of natural products. Her current research includes the study of various traditional plants that help to reduce hypertension, lowering blood sugar level and oxidative stress. This is an important area to explore as there is still a general lack of knowledge and much misinformation remain about natural products in plants and their uses by people. Besides that, her research interest includes the study of proteolytic enzymes and anti-inflammatory activities of the Butterfly leaf, Christia vespertilionis. Dr Airina is also looking at venturing into projects which involves anti-cancer properties from medicinal plants. Besides doing research, she is teaching undergraduates students of Biohealth Program, Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University Malaya. Her core teaching subjects includes Pharmacology, Drug Analysis and Analytical Biochemistry. Besides that, she has been teaching various Laboratory courses due to her expertise in Biochemistry. On top of that, Dr Airina has supervised more than 15 undergraduate students for their final year projects and currently supervising and co-supervising up to 4 graduate students. She is the Principal investigator for a research grant and a Co-PI of a research collaborating with MAHSA university. She has authored and co-authored more then 5 research papers with a number of conference proceedings. She was also appointed as the Secretary and fellow of the Fifth Residential college and has been a residential college fellow for almost 10 years. She is dedicated towards helping students to improve in their soft skills abilities and to expose students towards community engagement programs. Dr Airina is the fellow advisor for various established programs such as the Education Malaysia (EDUMAS), Malaysian Blood Donation (NBD) and other community engagement programs.

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