Dr. Yong Adilah Binti Shamsul Harumain, a senior lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the Faculty of Built Environment, University Malaya, is an expert in transportation planning and mobility, with her expertise rooted in extensive research and international collaborations with Indonesia, Japan, and Korea. Currently serving as the Coordinator of the Dual PhD Program, she was previously the Coordinator for the Master's by Research program in 2022. She has been actively involved in various capacities, including as a member of the JK Penasihat MRT Universiti Malaya, the task force for the Faculty's QS WUR rankings, and now as the Deputy Head of Centre of Sustainable Planning and Real Estate (Centre of Research) and the Deputy Head Protem for the Smart Mobility Centre of Excellence at UM. Dr. Yong supervises ten PhD students focusing on topics such as transportation, women’s mobility, safe city initiatives, urban design, and urban planning. Recently appointed to the hearing committee for the Kuala Lumpur Draft Local Plan (PTKL 2040) by the Ministry of Federal Territories and DBKL, her contributions through research and cross-border partnerships continue to influence sustainable urban development and policy innovation. Dr. Yong Adilah Binti Shamsul Harumain stands out as a curious and innovative researcher and academic leader in urban and transportation planning aligned with the UM tagline, Home of the Bright, Land of the Brave. She and her team were the first to explore the Machinoeki (Hentian Komuniti) concept in Taiping, Malaysia, earning her the prestigious Sumitomo Foundation Research Grant twice, in 2016 and on Safe City for Children in the year 2021. Dr. Adilah's dedication to impactful research is further evidenced by her AHRC Research Networking UKRI grant in 2018, which facilitated international collaboration with Coventry University (UK), the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and DesignPAK (Pakistan) on addressing barriers to women's mobility. Dr. Adilah actively bridges research and practice, integrating her findings into undergraduate teaching to enhance relevance and engagement. She collaborates closely with the Parliament Member of Lembah Pantai to empower local communities and has worked with the Ministry of Federal Territories on critical urban issues, including flood mitigation. Her expertise has also led to involvement in numerous prestigious grants, including UMCARES Community-Related Grants, Fundamental Research Grants (FRGS), and the Integrated Research Grant (IIRG) alongside the Faculties of Engineering and Medicine at the University of Malaya on active transportation research. Her recent accolades include the SATU grant, fostering collaboration with National Cheng Kung University, IIT Roorkee, and Universiti Sains Malaysia, as well as the AUA Scholars Grant Award (2020/2021), supporting her research on women's mobility with Universitas Indonesia. She contributes to academia through editorial roles, such as the Editor for Universitas Indonesia’s in-house journal, and serves as a reviewer and scientific committee member for various international platforms. Dr. Adilah is a dynamic contributor to professional networks, including the APRU Children and Youth Working Group, the APWiL Mentorship Programme, and the Women Leadership Foundation. She is also a graduate member of the Malaysian Institute of Planners and the Board of Town Planning Malaysia, a member of the Transportation Science Society Malaysia, and an affiliate of heritage-focused organisations such as the UM Cultural Heritage Research Centre and the Perak Heritage Society. Dr. Adilah’s extensive achievements, interdisciplinary collaborations, and commitment to advancing research on women in transportation, public mobility, urban design, and heritage position her as a distinguished researcher in the field. Her ability to integrate research, teaching, and community engagement exemplifies the qualities of a forward-thinking academic leader and innovator.

Dr Megat HBA Hamid is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya. He is an immunobiologist with over nine years of experience in immune-biology, receptor-ligand signalling and spatial tissue immunology. His past work focuses on investigating the intrinsic signalling modulating immune resposnes of cytotoxic T and antibody-producing B cells. In UM, his work focuses on expanding beyond intrinsic T and B cell mechanisms, by exploring the cross-talks between immune, stromal and structural cells in the development and regulation of barrier tissue immunity, as well as during spatial and temporal progression of a disease (with a particular focus on lung injury, lung cancer and lung infections). He leverages cutting-edge technologies- including spatial proteo-transcriptomics, organoid modelling and co-culture functional assays to study cellular heterogeneity, disease-immune dynamics and therapeutic targets. He did his DPhil in Medical Sciences at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford following completion of his undergraduate Bachelor of Biotechnology at the Australian National University. He later held postdoctoral appointments at Oxford Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford (2020-2025), where he led and co-authored multiple high-impact studies, including in Nature Immunology, Cancer Immunology Research, Frontiers of Immunology and Thorax. His research has received international recognition through invited talks, travel awards and poster prize at leading conferences including Keystone Symposium and International Congress of Immunology. He also has experience working in industry, as an intern at the University-Industry Partnership Department, Bioeconomy Corporation, Malaysia in 2015. He has served as a reviewer for journals (Communications Biology and Immunotherapy Advances) and for international grant bodies such as the Dutch Research Council. In 2023, he was awarded the University of Oxford's Award for Excellence- recognising his passion and motivation on immunological research.

As an academic and researcher, my professional journey is rooted in the fascinating fields of Human Anatomy and Neuroscience, with research interests spanning cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, the gut-brain axis, natural products and drug discovery, developmental toxicity, and medical education. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to secure several research grants, leading to meaningful collaborations, publications, and the supervision of a number of postgraduate students. I’ve also served as an examiner for dissertations and contributed to advancing research both within and beyond my institution.Teaching is a joy and a cornerstone of my career. I teach Human Anatomy (Gross, Embryology, and Histology) to both undergraduate (MBBS, Dentistry, etc.) and postgraduate students. I’ve been involved in curriculum development, Anatomy Practical exam coordination, OSCEs and serve on vetting committees across various UG and PG medical /dental programs—including Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology, and Clinical Dentistry. Whether preparing students for anatomy quizzes or guiding young researchers, I believe learning should spark curiosity—and definitely a bit of laughter along the way. After all, who says the brain can’t enjoy a little tickle while studying itself?I remain engaged with several professional bodies in anatomy (MAA) and neuroscience (MSN, IBRO), and have had the privilege of serving on scientific committees, participating in conferences, and being invited as a speaker / external examiner at various academic institutions. Mentorship is particularly close to my heart—whether it's nurturing critical thinking, building confidence, or simply helping students navigate their academic journey with a steady hand.I welcome opportunities for collaboration, idea exchange, and interdisciplinary research. Whether you're working on a related project or simply passionate about the brain, the body, or how nature might influence both—feel free to connect. There’s always something new to discover, especially when minds meet across disciplines.