Dr. Zubaidah Ya’cob is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, whose academic career has been defined by a strong commitment to advancing One Health principles, impactful infectious disease research, transformative education, and community engagement. In recognition of her international collaborations and academic contributions, Dr. Zubaidah was appointed in 2025 as an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the School of Infections and Microbiomes, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, strengthening her global research engagement and fostering long-term collaboration in vector ecology and emerging zoonoses. Her research expertise lies in medical and veterinary entomology, with a specialization in public health vectors, particularly ticks, mosquitoes, chiggers, sandflies, blackflies, and biting midges (Culicoides), and their roles in transmitting vector-borne diseases such as scrub typhus, rickettsioses, onchocerciasis, simian malaria, and leishmaniasis. A major focus of her current research is understanding the population dynamics of dipteran vectors, including mosquitoes, biting midges (Culicoides), and sandflies (Phlebotomus), across changing tropical landscapes, emphasizing how environmental disturbances and land-use transformation influence vector ecology, host–parasite interactions, and disease emergence in tropical ecosystems. Dr. Zubaidah has published over 70 ISI-indexed articles in reputable international journals such as One Health, Insects, PLOS ONE, Scientific Reports, Acta Tropica, Insects, Journal of Medical Entomology, and Pathogens. She has successfully secured a range of competitive national and international research grants, reflecting her strong research credibility and global engagement. Among her internationally funded projects, The Royal Society (UK) supported her work titled “Mites with Wings”, which investigates the role of avian hosts in the spread of scrub typhus–carrying mites. Through funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, UK), she explored pathogen detection in Simulium black fly populations associated with Onchocerciasis transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. She is also an international member of a global research consortium on Onchocerciasis elimination in sub-Saharan Africa, working collaboratively with experts from the University of Liverpool, University of Oxford, New England Biolabs (USA), and the University of Sheffield, contributing entomological expertise in vector identification, pathogen detection, and disease transmission ecology. Her collaboration under the International Science Partnership Fund (UK) has led to groundbreaking research on rodent genomics and the prevalence of Orientia bacteria in domestic poultry, revealing complex zoonotic transmission pathways. Domestically, she was awarded the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) to study black fly–filarial parasite associations in Malaysia and has partnered with the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), France, to examine zoonotic disease risks in oil palm agricultural landscapes through a One Health lens. Her partnership with UMCARES extends her impact to underserved communities, delivering vector-borne disease awareness programs for primary schoolchildren and Orang Asli families, translating scientific knowledge into actionable public health benefits. Her multidisciplinary research integrates field entomology, molecular diagnostics, ecological modeling, and population genetics, demonstrating her capacity to lead innovative, solution-oriented research that advances both scientific understanding and disease control strategies. Her future work aims to investigate genetic determinants of vector competence, ecological drivers of disease emergence, and sustainable, ecologically sound vector management under the One Health framework. As an educator, Dr. Zubaidah has shown excellence in teaching and mentoring at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She teaches Biology of Organisms, Biostatistics, Statistics, and Research Methodology, promoting active learning and scientific inquiry while nurturing students’ analytical and critical thinking skills. She currently supervises five PhD candidates (two graduated) and eight Master’s students (three graduated, five ongoing). Beyond academia, Dr. Zubaidah is a science communicator and public health advocate, frequently featured on TV1’s Selamat Pagi Malaysia and Bernama TV, offering expert commentary on vector-borne diseases, particularly during flood seasons. Her community-driven initiatives, delivering health education to Orang Asli and B40 communities, earned her the Universiti Malaya Excellence Award (ACUM) in 2023 for impactful community engagement. Dr. Zubaidah also plays an active role in Malaysia’s professional entomology community. She serves as Secretary of the Entomological Society of Malaysia (ENTOMA) and is an Academic Associate Member of the Public Health Entomology Association (PEKA), reflecting her dedication to advancing entomological science and promoting national and international collaboration. Her ability to integrate science, policy, and community action continues to enhance Universiti Malaya’s reputation as a leader in public health engagement, societal impact, and One Health research excellence.

Dr. Azni Zarina Taha (PhD, Aston University) serves as the Executive Director of UMGiving at Universiti Malaya, where she combines her academic foundation in organization and strategy with her extensive consultancy experience. Prior to this post, she was the Executive Director for Universiti Malaya Center for Continuing Education (UMCCed) and Deputy Director for UMConsult. Holding a PhD in strategy and organizational change, an MBA from Universiti Malaya, and a BSc from the University of Missouri, Dr. Azni is well-regarded for her contributions to management education and strategic development. In her academic role, Dr. Azni teaches corporate strategy and most management-related subjects, integrating academic theory with insights from her consultancy projects. Some of the management-related subjects include, change management in disruptive times, sustainable service innovations, performance management, international business, and training management. She has successfully completed supervising four (4) PhD students. She has published in several refereed and index journals, including Operations Management Research and Tourism Management.  She has delivered tailored training programs for organizations such as Panasonic Malaysia, the Malaysia Armed Forces, and Infineon Technologies, empowering these teams with advanced strategic skills. She has also conducted international training programs for Aoyama Business School (Japan), Kyoto Institute of Technology (Japan), Aston University (UK), and the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (Oman).  As a consultant, Dr. Azni has advised high-profile organizations across sectors. Her consultancy work with the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) highlights her commitment to supporting Malaysia’s economic and industrial advancements. Other notable projects include developing a strategic customer service roadmap for Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pekerja (KWAP), profiling mosques as tourism attractions for the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), and creating the Aerospace Industry 4.0 Readiness Index (AIR4S).

Harikrishnan Ramiah is currently a Professor at Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, working in the area of RFIC/RFEH design. He received his B.Eng(Hons), MSc and PhD degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, in the field of Analog and Digital IC design from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2000, 2003 and 2008 respectively. In the year 2003, he was with SiresLabs Sdn. Bhd, CyberJaya, Malaysia. At the year 2002 he was attached to Intel Technology Sdn. Bhd.  Harikrishnan was the recipient of Intel Fellowship Grant Award, 2000-2008. Harikrishnan is the Director of the Centre of Industry Research 4.0 (CRI 4.0) and the Head of Analog, Digital & RF Research group at University of Malaya. His work revolves in providing expert solution to industry in the strength of IR 4.0. Through CRI 4.0, he regulates expert collaborative effort of the faculties in University of Malaya outsourcing solution to SME and MNC. He had produced silicon verified IPs in the field of Analog, RF and RFEH Integrated Circuit Design. With a reputable research output and solution, he has secured several international, national and industrial grant from the year 2014 till date. He serves as an Associate Editor of IEEE Access in a recognition towards his research credibility. He is a Chartered Engineer and the Fellow of Institute of Electrical Technology (IET). He is also a Professional Engineer registered under the Board of Engineers, Malaysia. He is a Senior Member of  the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) and member of The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE). His research work has resulted in several reputable technical publications in the field of Electrical & Electronics Engineering. His main research interest includes Analog Integrated Circuit Design, RFIC Design, VLSI system design and RF/Piezoelectric/Thermal/Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting Power Management Module Design.