Born in Melaka in 1977, Zailan bin Siri received his BSc (Hons) in Computational and Industrial Mathematics from Universiti Malaya in 2001, followed by an MSc in Applied Mathematics from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2004 and a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2012. He began his academic journey at Universiti Malaya in 2002 as a Tutor, became a Lecturer in 2004, was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2012, and rose to Associate Professor in 2018. Since October 2020, he has held several strategic leadership roles, including Head of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (2020–2022), Quality Manager for the Faculty of Science from January 2024, and Deputy Dean (Undergraduate) starting September 2024. In the classroom, he delivers a wide spectrum of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Applied Mathematics, focusing on problem-solving, computational methods, and mathematical modeling. He has effectively supervised numerous MSc and PhD candidates, with 13 doctoral and 8 master's theses completed under his guidance. His research expertise lies in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Numerical Methods and Analysis, Boundary Layer Problems, and Mathematical Modelling. To date, he has authored over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and is leading multiple research grants as Principal Investigator. He is also extremely active in academic development and mentorship, contributing to curriculum design and quality assurance at UM and participating in national efforts to strengthen secondary school mathematics and addittional mathematics under the Ministry of Education, Malaysia. Committed to enhancing the standard of mathematical sciences in Malaysia, he continues to foster a collaborative and dynamic environment within the Faculty of Science, making significant contributions to education, research, and institutional leadership.

Professor Dr Wan Himratul Aznita Wan Harun is a passionate oral microbiologist. Since year 2000, she has served as an academic staff at the Department of Oral & Craniofacial Sciences and is currently the Deputy Dean of Value Creation and Enterprise, Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya. She is a member of the Malaysian Section International Association for Dental Research (MalSec-IADR), Malaysian Society for Microbiologist (MSM) and Malaysian Society for Oral Microbiologist and Oral Immunologist (MySOMOI). Her research interest includes microbial virulence, oral biofilms, polymicrobial interactions, microbiomes, and medicinal plant extracts. She was awarded the Hitachi Fellowship Award in 2009 and flew to Japan to conduct research on the virulence of oral microorganisms. She publishes articles actively in ISI and Scopus journals and has experienced in supervising many PhD and Masters research for both local and international students including undergraduate elective projects. Throughout her service, she has secured various grants, including Fundamental Research Grants Scheme (FRGS), Ministry of Higher Education-High Impact Research Grants (MOHE-HIR), etc.

  Dr Benedict Francis is a psychiatrist at the University Malaya Medical Centre. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya and was selected for the Brightsparks scholarship to pursue his Masters in Psychological Medicine at his alma mater, the University of Malaya. Subsequently, he completed a fellowship program in Aged Healthcare Services at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, in 2019. Dr Benedict is a keen researcher and is involved in several international, multi-centre clinical trials involving novel antipsychotics and antidepressants. He has also published in several international and regional peer-reviewed journals and presented in international congresses. Dr Benedict is a clinical expert in treatment resistant depression. He was part of the Ministry of Health’s  National Advisory Board committee that drafted the guidelines for prescribing and dispensing Esketamine, a novel adjunct antidepressant treatment. Dr Benedict is regarded as a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) in the fields of treatment resistant depression and schizophrenia, and is regularly invited as a speaker at both local and regional events. His passion and interest is in the mechanism of action of rapid-acting antidepressants and treatment optimization of patients with treatment resistant depression.