I am a gender and development researcher with experience in qualitative research, policy analysis, and program evaluation across various academic and development contexts. My work centers on issues of gender-based violence, women’s empowerment, social inclusion, and intersectionality in South Asia, particularly among marginalized and vulnerable communities. My research focuses on a range of themes, including women’s agency and leadership, masculinity and patriarchy, post-conflict education, and gender mainstreaming in public policy and development programming. I have led and contributed to several multi-country and national-level research and evaluation projects in collaboration with international organizations. My expertise includes designing research tools, conducting fieldwork, analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, and producing policy reports and publications. Research Interests: Gender-based violence and social/cultural norms Women’s empowerment and leadership Women and Conflict Masculinities and patriarchy Gender mainstreaming in policy and practice Education in conflict-affected regions Feminist and qualitative research methods Intersectionality and social justice in South Asia Gender and Culture Gender and Health Muslim Women in South Asian Women and Digital Space Supervision and Collaboration: I welcome students interested in pursuing Master’s or PhD research aligned with my research interests (mentioned above).  

Dr. Rafdzah Binti Ahmad Zaki is a Public Health Medicine Specialist and a Professor in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. With a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of public health, she has made significant contributions to research, teaching, and administrative duties. Throughout her career, Dr. Rafdzah has demonstrated her dedication to academia and the medical community. Dr. Rafdzah has previously worked at Wirral NHS Trust (Clatterbridge Hospital and Arrowe Park Hospital) in the UK and North Cheshire NHS Trust (Halton General Hospital) in the UK. She has been a valuable member of the University of Malaya since June 2007, serving as a Medical Lecturer and later rising to the position of Professor. Her academic background includes a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) from the University of Malaya, a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the same institution, and an MBChB from the University of Liverpool, UK. Her doctoral thesis, titled "An Evaluation of Statistical Methods for Determining Agreement and Reliability in Medicine," reflects her commitment to advancing the field of public health through rigorous research. She had received training in Evidence-Based Medicine from the University of Oxford and formal exposure in Clinical Epidemiology from the University Medical Centre Utrecht, Netherlands.  She also attended a workshop on the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College, London to deepen her skill in mathematical modelling. With over 16 years of professional experience, Dr. Rafdzah has made significant contributions to the field of public health. Her research interests include epidemiology, implementation science, infectious diseases, and statistical methods. She has published extensively, with her work being cited over 3,900 times and has an h-index of 20 according to Google Scholar. Her research has been recognized and supported through various grants, both international and local. In 2023 she was listed in the top 2% scientist in the world in her field by Stanford University through Elsevier data repository. She has received accolades such as the Excellence Service Award from the University of Malaya and the Silver Award in the International Summit of Innovation & Design Exposition for her work on the "Fight the Bite" mobile application. She received an award from the European Society In Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases for an attachment at the European Centre for Disease and Control (ECDC), Stockholm Sweden. She also has been selected as a Faculty Scholar for the Malaysian Implementation Science Training (MIST) Program and attended training in Implementation Science at Yale University under the NIH Fogarty fund. In addition to her research and teaching roles, Dr. Rafdzah has actively contributed to various administrative duties within the University of Malaya and national and international organizations. She serves as the Head of the Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Chairman of the TB Monitoring and Prevention Committee at UMMC, Secretary of the UMMC Vaccine Action Committee, and a UMMC COVID-19 Taskforce Committee member. Dr Rafdzah was appointed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) as a member of the Independent COVID-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee (ICVAC). She also holds memberships in the Malaysian Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health-Kuala Lumpur (APACPH-KL), and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Rafdzah's expertise is sought after in the consultancy field, where she has contributed to projects for organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), TDR Regional Training Centre for Implementation Western Pacific Region, and the Ministry of Health. She has also been actively involved in academic contributions, including teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, supervision of more than 30 postgraduate students, and the development of online courses. Recently, she developed an online course, "Mpox: Understanding the Epidemiology and the Potential Threat," on the FutureLearn platform. Moreover, she regularly conducts workshops and training sessions on topics such as evidence-based practice, systematic review, meta-analysis, and implementation science. Dr. Rafdzah is a respected reviewer for various journals, including the HIV Lancet journal, and regularly speaks at national and international conferences. She also appeared on TV and radio and was cited by the media on many occasions to discuss public health issues such as COVID-19, Mpox, dengue and Zika virus. With her extensive knowledge, research accomplishments, and dedication to improving public health, Prof. Dr. Rafdzah Binti Ahmad Zaki continues to make a significant impact in the field of public health and medical education.

Professor Ir. Dr. Yau Yat Huang obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Cum Laude Honors degree, in 1994 from Wichita State University, Kansas, USA, and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1996 from the University of Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. Professor Dr. Yau obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering in 2005 from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. He was a prestigious NZAID (New Zealand Agency of International Development) PhD scholar from 2001 to 2004 at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Ir. Dr. Yau is also the Carter Bronze Medal holder of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, United Kingdom (CIBSE), for the years 2013 and 2015. He is a well-known international M&E Engineering expert and has been practicing as an M&E engineer for the past thirty one years. He has also published numerous technical papers in reputable thermal science and mechanics journals, such as the International Journal of Refrigeration, Indoor Air, Applied Thermal Engineering, International Journal of Thermal Science, International Journal of Energy Research, Applied Mechanics Reviews, Energy and Buildings, Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, Building and Environment, International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Experimental Heat Transfer, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Indoor and Built Environment, Building Services Engineering Research & Technology of CIBSE, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress and Polymer Testing. Professor Yau is listed as one of the World’s top 2% Scientists Career-Long Citation Impact, as well as one of the top 2% Scientists for the years 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 by Stanford University. Ir. Dr. Yau is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya. He is currently the Principal Researcher and Coordinator at the well-known UM-Daikin Laboratory and the UM-JAF (Japan Air Filter) Laboratory. In 2024, Professor Yau served as a host professor for the Fulbright Specialist Program at the University of Malaya, facilitating a collaborative project with Professor John Zhai, a renowned academic from the University of Colorado, USA. This project focused on improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and occupant health in affordable housing within hot and humid climates, emphasizing interdisciplinary research and fostering cross-institutional relationships. Professor Yau was the former Associate Editor of the Journal of Indoor and Built Environment from 2012 to 2017. Additionally, Ir. Dr. Yau was the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malaya from 2009 to 2011 and the Deputy Dean (Development) from 2011 to 2012 at the Faculty of Engineering. Furthermore, Professor Yau is a registered mechanical Professional Engineer with a Practising Certificate in Malaysia [PEPC] and a Chartered Professional Engineer in Australia [FIEAust, CPEng, NER]. He is also a registered mechanical professional engineer with APEC and EMF (International Professional Engineer) and a Fellow corporate member of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (FIEM) and the Institution of Engineers, Australia (FIEAust). He is a full member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), and a life member of the Tau Beta Pi and Golden Key scholastic honor societies of the USA.