Dr. Zulfirdaus Zakaria is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya (UM), specializing in Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer Technologies. He holds a PhD in Fuel Cell Engineering from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), conferred in 2018 under the supervision of Prof. Ir. Dr. Siti Kartom Kamarudin, which is the Director of the Fuel Cell Institute, UKM. His doctoral dissertation, titled “Development of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Based on Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) and Graphene Oxide for Micro Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell Application,” laid the foundation for his pioneering research in polymer-based fuel cell membranes. During his postgraduate tenure, Dr. Zulfirdaus demonstrated exceptional academic rigor by converting his Master's program to a PhD, publishing seven scientific articles in high-impact journals as the first author—including four Q1 and two Q2 WoS indexed journals—and earning the “Graduate on Time” award from the Fuel Cell Institute, UKM. Academic and Research Appointments: Prior to his current role at UM, Dr. Zulfirdaus served as a Senior Lecturer at the School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), for two years. His postdoctoral research experience includes a three-year tenure at the Fuel Cell Institute, UKM, and one year at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), where he contributed to significant advancements in fuel cell and electrolyzer technologies. Research Focus and Contributions: Dr. Zulfirdaus’s primary research interests encompass the development of polymer electrolyte membranes for both fuel cells and electrolyzers, focusing on: Proton Exchange Membranes (PEMs) and Anion Exchange Membranes (AEMs) Utilization of synthetic polymers (e.g., Polyvinyl Alcohol) and biopolymers (e.g., Sodium Alginate and Carrageenan) Applications in renewable energy generation and green hydrogen production He has been actively involved in the research, development, and optimization of various fuel cell and electrolyzer systems, including: Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs) Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells (DEFCs) Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFCs) Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (IT-SOFCs) Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyzers His work extends to the synthesis of advanced materials, such as: Polymer Modifications for enhanced membrane performance Graphene-based Nanomaterials for conductivity improvements Catalyst Development for both fuel cells and electrolyzers Research Grants and Funding: Dr. Zulfirdaus has led and contributed to numerous high-impact research projects, including: Project Leader: The Effect of Incorporating Epoxidized Natural Rubber on the Performance of Quaternized Polyvinyl Alcohol Membrane in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells, USM Short-term Grant (RM 39,000; 2023-2025) Researcher: Development of Alkaline AEM Electrolyzer with Novel Nanocomposite Membrane, UKM PAKARUNDING-NanoMalaysia Berhad (RM 539,125; 2022–2023) Postdoctoral Researcher: New Biodegradable Membrane Based on a Hybrid Polymer Carrageenan/Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) for Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells, DANA MODAL INSAN (UKM) (RM 100,000; 2019–2020) Postdoctoral Researcher: Fabrication and Performance Study of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), 1kW Stack, TNB Seeding Fund (UNITEN) (RM 1,698,100.70; 2018–2020) Intellectual Property and Publications: Dr. Zulfirdaus has registered multiple intellectual properties with MyIPO, including: Carrageenan Biopolymer Membrane for Passive DEFC Applications (LY2022P05229) – First Author Cross-Sectional Properties of 7% MN-Doped ZnO Thin Films (LY2023P00617) – Co-author Strategy on How to Write a Review Paper Module (LY2022E00215) – Co-author He has also authored the book “Membran Hijau Polivinil Alkohol: Aplikasi Sel Fuel Ethanol Langsung” published by Penerbit UKM. With 45 publications in high-impact journals—22 in Q1, 15 in Q2, and 2 in Q3 categories—Dr. Zulfirdaus has established himself as a leading scholar in his field, serving as the first author in 24 of these publications. Awards and Recognition: Top Downloaded Paper (2018-2019) – International Journal of Energy Research (Q1, IF 4.6) Top Downloaded Paper (2022-2023) – Journal of Applied Polymer Science (Q2, IF 2.7) Editorial and Peer Review Activities: Dr. Zulfirdaus actively contributes to the scholarly community as a peer reviewer for prestigious journals such as: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (Q1, IF 16.3) International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (Q1, IF 8.1) Applied Energy (Q1, IF 10.1) To date, he has reviewed over 80 high-impact manuscripts across various leading journals in the field of energy research. Invited Speaker and Outreach: As an expert in academic writing, Dr. Zulfirdaus has been invited to deliver talks on “How to Write a High-Impact Review Paper” at multiple Malaysian higher education institutions, including UiTM, UKM, USM, and UniKL. He is open to academic collaborations and can be contacted at zulfirdaus@um.edu.my.  

Dr. Aslina Pahrudin Arrozi obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2013, followed by a Master's in Medical Science (Biochemistry) from the same university in 2018. Her dedication to expanding her knowledge led her to pursue studies in Japan under the Monbukagakusho (MEXT) scholarship from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan. She successfully completed her PhD in Medical Science from Shiga University of Medical Science (SUMS), Japan, in 2022. Following this, she served as an assistant professor at the Molecular Neuroscience Research Center and Medical Innovation Research Center, SUMS, until September 2023 before joining Universiti Malaya as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Molecular Medicine in November of the same year. Her research interest is molecular and cellular neuroscience. Previously, she investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on Alzheimer's. Her research also explored how natural products can modulate molecular changes in the brain affected by neurodegenerative conditions. She aims to integrate biochemistry, neuroscience and pharmacology to develop therapies that not only prevent neurodegeneration but also enhance neuroprotection and improve cognitive health. As a young researcher, she has made significant contributions, publishing numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and presenting her research at several national and international conferences. She remains dedicated to her passion for neuroscience and is eager to collaborate with interdisciplinary fields that share similar interests in the research area.

Prof. Dr. Loo has conducted fascinating research over the 12 years in The University of Malaya, particularly in Lifelong Machine Learning, Explainable Robotics, Explainable AI and recently in Trustworth & Sustainable AI. His numerous publications on the topic have been well-received and have made a substantial contribution to the Continual Machine Intelligence.  He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers on neurorobotics and machine intelligence. In high-impact journals such as IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, Neural Networks, Journal of Neural Systems, IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, to name a few. Prof. Loo is also the recipient of JSPS fellowship award from Japan and the Georg Forster Fellowship award from Humboldt Foundation, Germany, Belt and Road Academic Fellowship Scheme, China. He has been the visiting professor of Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan, and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand and Adjunct Professor in The Harry Butler Institute, Murdoc University. He has applied the developed theory to medical diagnosis, prognosis, and brain-inspired Machine Intelligence, and the potential of his research findings has been successfully demonstrated in various domains, including digital healthcare and cognitive robotics. Chu Kiong has been recognized for his excellence in applied research that has commercial potential based on the 10 patents filed. He is one of the founders of UM spin-off company, UMCH Sdn. Bhd. specializing in AI-enabled connected healthcare solutions.   Moreover, he is honoured Malaysia’s Research Star Award 2019 - Research and Innovation Excellence Awards, from the Ministry of Education as one of the most influential researchers in Malaysia. He received the Top Research Scientist Malaysia (TRSM) award 2020 from the Academy of Science Malaysia.