DR. KONG KIN WENG

Kong Kin Weng holds the position of a senior lecturer in the Department of Molecular Medicine. He joined Universiti Malaya in 2011 as a SLAI Fellow and was honoured with the esteemed Bright Spark Scholarship, which enabled him to pursue his PhD in Molecular Medicine. This marked a turning point as he delved into the molecular intricacies underlying the relationship between food and health. Kong's passion for his field drove him to explore various facets of nutritional sciences, including food analysis, food chemistry, nutritional biochemistry, nutrigenomics (transcriptomics and lipidomics), traditional medicine, and natural products. His work aimed to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern scientific advancements, uncovering the hidden potential of nature's bounty. Kong's dedication to research and commitment to advancing the field did not go unnoticed. During his tenure, he received a travel award for the Japan Medical Innovation Programme (2017) established by Kyushu University that sponsored by the Japan Science and Technology Agency. He experienced as a visiting researcher at the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College sponsored by International Joint Research and Academic Exchanges (One Belt, One Road Project) (2019) and Jeffery Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia (2023). He was the Specially-invited Expert (2017-2020) and the Research Consultant (2019-2024) of Agro-food Science and Technology Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. Kong is actively involved in many international journals, he was the Review Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition (2017-2024) and was the Lead Guest Associate Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition and Frontiers in Chemistry (Research topic: Phytochemical and nutritional properties of underutilised plants, 2017-2018), Guest Associate Editor of Frontiers in Microbiology (Research topic: Discovery of novel plant-derived compounds with antibacterial actions against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, 2018-2019), and Editorial Board Member of Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science (2017-2021). Currently, he is serving as the Associate Editor of Frontiers in Nutrition (2024-Present), Editorial Board Member of Discover Food (2024-Present) and Editorial Board Member of Food as Medicine (2025-Present). Kong is an eminent reviewer for many journals, he was honoured with the Publons Peer Review Awards, attaining the distinction of being among the “Top 1% peer reviewers in Agricultural and Biological Sciences, 2017” and “Top 1% of Reviewer in Agricultural Sciences, 2018”. Kong has acted as an external examiner of PhD/MSc theses from different universities. His research on medicinal and functional foods has been published in many reputable peer-reviewed journals as well as book, chapters and patents.

show more »
ASSOCIATE PROF. DR. SAAIDAL RAZALLI BIN AZZUHRI

Dr. Saaidal Razalli Azzuhri holds a BEng in Telecommunication from the University of Malaya. After graduation, he began his career as a Wireless Network Engineer at eB Technologies, a second-tier Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Malaysia. He later joined Telekom Malaysia, the country’s largest ISP, where he worked as a Network Engineer. He pursued his MSc in IT at the Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST), through a collaborative program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2014, he completed his PhD in Wireless Network Systems at the University of Queensland, Australia, with a research focus on wireless ad-hoc routing systems. He is currently serving as an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer System & Technology, Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology, University of Malaya. In 2018, Dr. Saaidal established the university's first Blockchain Technology Lab using private funding. He later secured a government-to-government research grant to study transborder blockchain infrastructure between China and Malaysia, sponsored by the publicly-listed company MyEG Services Berhad. He has also received government and industry grants for artificial intelligence applications in wireless communications and drone systems, as well as an International Newton Mobility Grant for optical microfiber research. Dr. Saaidal holds two patents related to unmanned aerial vehicles and fiber optic biosensors. He is frequently invited by the media to provide expert commentary on cybersecurity, 5G networks, and other technology issues. His areas of expertise encompass wireless networks, mobile ad-hoc networks, autonomous systems, fiber lasers, fiber sensors and Blockchain. Some of Dr. Saaidal's media appearances include: ‘UM Miliki Makmal Teknologi Blockchain’, Utusan Malaysia, Nov 13, 2018 ‘UM Tubuh Makmal Teknologi Blockchain’, Berita Harian, Nov 15 2018 ‘Makmal Blockchain UM’, Harian Metro, Nov 25 2018 ‘Malaysia Perlu Tingkatkan Keselamatan Cyber Terutama Menuju Era 5G’, Buletin Pagi TV3, 24 Jan 2019 'Industri Halal Di Indonesia Butuh Dukungan Teknologi dan Inovasi', Ayo Bandung Portal, 29 September 2020 'Malaysia and China Collaborate to Enhance Cross-Border Supply Chain Traceability', Digital News Asia, 17 February 2023 'Malaysia hormati perjanjian dengan Ericsson, terbuka bekerjasama dengan pihak lain', Benar News Portal, 5 March 2023'Malaysia bincang kerjasama dengan Elon Musk, SpaceX bantu capaian akses internet', Malaysia Institute of Economic Research (MIER) News Portal, 18 July 2023 'MyEG, UM to include AI technology in collaborative research with China' The Star, 14 Jun 2023 'Watch what Dr Saaidal and Dr Kamarul of University Malaya have to say about 5G technology and how it will change our lives! #5GMalaysia', Richard Ker Tik Tok channel (Digital Media and Technology Influencer), 29 December 2023

show more »
DR. SAW CHAW YEH

Dr. Saw Chaw Yeh is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Universiti Malaya. With a background in archaeology, art history, and anthropology, her research focuses on anthropological archaeology, particularly rock art studies. She has led surveys and documentation of rock art sites across Peninsular Malaysia, exploring their cultural significance and historical connections to local communities and the wider Southeast Asian region.

show more »

RECENT PUBLICATION

LATEST AWARDED GRANT