Dr.-Ing Nurdiana Nordin is a passionate chemist and interdisciplinary researcher who is driven by the mission to bridge cutting-edge science with real-world solutions. She earned her B.Sc. in Pure Chemistry (2012) and M.Sc. in Organic Synthesis and Computational Chemistry (2015) from the University of Malaya, supported by the SLAB scholarship. Her scientific journey continued in Germany at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where she completed her Ph.D. in 2020 under the Bio-Interfaces International Graduate School (BIF-IGS). There, she honed her expertise in NMR technology, microfluidic device fabrication, and bioorganic analysis under the mentorship of leading experts from the Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT) and the Institut für Biologische Grenzflächen (IBG). Throughout her career, Dr. Nurdiana has demonstrated a unique ability to merge fundamental science with technological innovation. From developing microscale biomedical systems to exploring metabolic pathways using micro-NMR platforms, her work reflects a deep commitment to impactful research. Now serving as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, University of Malaya, she envisions building a dynamic research team focused on smart, sustainable solutions for societal challenges—particularly in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. Guided by Malaysia's national development goals and sustainable technology agendas, her team aims to harness advanced materials, biosensing tools, and green chemistry to create intelligent systems that benefit both industry and community. With an eye on translational impact, Dr. Nurdiana is committed to cultivating interdisciplinary collaborations and training the next generation of researchers who are not only skilled in science, but also grounded in empathy, innovation, and service to the nation.    

  Norjihan is currently an Associate Professor in Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Universiti Malaya. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (2013) and has served at UM since 2002, contributing extensively to teaching, research, and academic leadership. Her research interests focus on information security, particularly privacy, data security, and data protection, with significant publications in areas such as privacy in location-based services, mobile health applications, and sentiment analysis for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has led and participated in numerous funded research projects, including those on secure health information exchange, intelligent transportation systems, and early disease prediction through daily activity analysis. Importantly, Dr. Norjihan has demonstrated strong involvement in academic program assessment and development, serving as Program Coordinator for the Master of Information Technology Management and playing a role in curriculum enhancement, underscoring her expertise and recognition in academic quality assurance and program assessment.

Prof. Dr. Subha Bhassu is currently an academician at the Institute of Biological Sciences, with 24 years of experience teaching across various programs. She has developed numerous course structures aligned with the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) for the University of Malaya (2008–2015) and INTI University College (2000–2004). Additionally, she served as a moderator for Biotechnology courses at INTI University College from 2008 to 2015, MAHSA University, International Medical University ( Biomed Programs) and other universities. Furthermore, she is a member of the International Biosafety Committee (IBC) at the University of Malaya and serves as an auditor for the Enforcement Committee for Biosafety under the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (2014–present). Her passion for research ignited during her second year of undergraduate studies when she realized the challenges and excitement research could offer, which continues to inspire her to this day. Since starting her PhD program in 1996, she has built a global network of research collaborations, mentors, and friends. Her experiences as a student instilled in her the belief that thinking outside the box is crucial in research. While knowledge and research grants are essential, she emphasizes that the two most important elements are love and selfless service, which guide her research to benefit students, universities, communities, industries, the country, and global society. To date, Prof. Subha has supervised 25 PhD students and 25 master’s students to completion and is currently mentoring eight PhD students and five master’s students. She has also guided 50 undergraduate students to completion. Her research output includes over 100 ISI publications, three book chapters,two books, three national patents, and two international patents. She serves as a reviewer for several journals, including PLOS ONE, GENE, META GENE, Aquaculture, Aquaculture Research, and Genomics. Her future research endeavours will continue to prioritize ethics and integrity as she advances her work in the aquatic sciences, employing multidisciplinary approaches. She aims to inspire the scientific community with thought-provoking ideas that align with global needs and foster harmony in the minds, hearts, and souls of humanity. As for research excellence, Professor Dr. Subha Bhassu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science (Honors) from UKM and a PhD in Molecular Biology from UPM, specializing in Molecular, Population, and Quantitative Genetics. Her primary research interest is in the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, a field termed Halo Genomics. This area of study emphasizes the One Health concept within biomedical, agricultural, and environmental contexts. Dr. Bhassu’s expertise spans various aspects of biology, from cellular mechanisms to phenotypic expressions, with a particular focus on aquatic animals as model organisms for exploring host-pathogen-environment interactions. In her research, genomics and molecular biology serve as tools to address challenges related to disease, nutrition, and environmental factors. She aims to deepen our understanding of genetics and its role in phenotypic expression, as well as gene-gene interactions, to provide insights into the relationships among aquatic hosts, pathogens, and their environments. Her research applies genomics, transcriptomics, and molecular biology to develop the innate potential of aquatic species. In her future research, Dr. Bhassu is focusing on the innate immune system, exploring its role in maintaining cellular ecosystem equilibrium. Her team has discovered innate immune biomolecules in shrimp that function before the adaptive immune response is activated. Through this research, she aims to demonstrate how host-pathogen interactions reveal signature immune biomolecules in certain species that have evolved to resist pathogens and coexist with them. These biomolecules' efficiency and specificity can be studied using aptamer technology, while their interactions with pathogens are visualized through spectral flow cytometry, and their abundance is analyzed via single-cell transcriptomics and mRNA expression. This research raises the question: could innate immune biomolecules be harnessed as solutions to disease, similar to gene therapy, for therapeutic applications? As an academic professional, Dr Bhassu has developed numerous course structures in alignment with the Malaysian MQF standards for UM and INTI University College, where she has also served as a course moderator in Biotechnology. She is an associate member of the CEBAR, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, CRYSTAL, NANOCAT and UM’s Marketing & Recruitment Centre. Additionally, she serves on the International Biosafety Committee at UM and as an auditor for the Biosafety Enforcement Committee under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. She is an associate member of the National Framework on Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee (IBBC) for Health under the Ministry of Public Health. Recently, she was appointed as a Research Fellow at the Malaysian Genome Vaccine Institute, part of the National Institute of Biotechnology Malaysia. Contact details: subhabhassu@um.edu.my