Dr. Kishneth Palaniveloo received his early education in Kedah (1991–2003) before obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Marine Science (2007) from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). He is a trained PADI Divemaster and actively participated in teaching, recreational diving, and scientific diving activities that supported educational and research programmes. Thereafter he was briefly attached to the Kota Kinabalu Fisheries Department and Marine Research Foundation (MRF), contributing to research on marine resource management and conservation. He later completed a Master’s degree in Fermentation Biochemistry (2008–2010), followed by a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Advancement of Biodiversity with a focus on Marine Ecological Chemistry at UMS. His doctoral research centred on the isolation, characterization, and structural elucidation of secondary metabolites from marine invertebrates. His work discovered novel compounds and chemical skeletons from soft corals (Alcyonacea) and the sea hare Aplysia dactylomela. During his PhD, he isolated nearly 80 secondary metabolites from both marine and terrestrial sources. His training, which included a research attachment at Jeju National University (Korea), emphasized advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques, linking natural products chemistry with ecological function and pharmaceutical potential. After completing his PhD, Dr. Kishneth joined a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project as a researcher for a research training at Kyushu University (Japan) where he investigated the structure and diversity of soil microbial communities, expanding his expertise from marine chemical ecology to terrestrial microbial ecology and strengthening his capabilities in environmental molecular biology and natural products research. In 2017, Dr. Kishneth joined the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya as a Senior Lecturer. He was appointed Laboratory Coordinator in 2020 and, since 2023, as the Head of the Marine Biotechnology Unit. His research integrates biodiversity, marine chemical ecology, and biogeochemistry, focusing on: (1) soft coral species and chemical diversity; (2) algal metabolites; (3) microbial community profiling using next-generation sequencing (NGS); and (4) carbon stock assessment and mangrove adaptation under environmental and climatic changes, contributing to blue carbon and conservation initiatives. His passion for chemical diversity supports collaborations with pharmaceutical scientists and drives his interest in product development. Dr. Kishneth publishes and reviews for numerous indexed scientific journals, including Ecological Indicators, Journal of Applied Phycology, and 3Biotech, reflecting his multidisciplinary reach across marine biodiversity, chemical ecology, and sustainable bioprospecting. He has secured approximately RM5 million in total research funding as principal investigator and co-researcher. His projects cover soft coral chemotaxonomy, mangrove genetic diversity, bioactive compound discovery, and composting technology, aligning with national priorities for marine resource sustainability. He currently has 25 ISI-indexed publications and an H-index of 12 with over 540 citations. He actively supervises MSc and PhD students and teaches Marine Biotechnology annually. He is also involved in developing the Master’s curriculum for IOES. Beyond academia, Dr. Kishneth plays an active role in professional societies and scientific advocacy. He served three terms as the Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences (MSMS), contributing to national task forces and committees on biodiversity conservation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Fisheries Department, resulting to the gazettement of marine protected areas in Melaka. He is also a member of the International Association for Biological Oceanography, the Malaysian Society of Natural Products, and an associate of the Centre for Natural Products Research and Drug Discovery (CENAR), Universiti Malaya. His achievements are recognized through various local and international collaborations and awards, including the Universiti Malaya Excellence Service Award (2022), the JICA Training Award on OTEC and DSW Applications (2022), and several gold awards at research innovation competitions (2009, 2012, 2025). Dr. Kishneth Palaniveloo aims to continue advancing research and teaching in marine science, natural product chemistry, and ecosystem sustainability in line with national and university aspirations for scientific innovation and marine resource stewardship.

Carolyn Chee Wai Ling is a medical lecturer and Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Faculty of Medicine University of Malaya. She graduated from the University of Manchester United Kingdom before advancing her training in diabetes and endocrinology in the East Midlands. She attained her PhD in Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of Nottingham, publishing her studies on the effects of nutrients in aging and metabolism in journals such as Diabetes and Aging Cell.  She was a Consultant Physician in Diabetes, Endocrinology and GIM at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust for nearly a decade and holds a Masters in Medical Education from the University of Nottingham. Her study focused on Women and Leadership. She was undergraduate clinical lead in medicine at the Hospital Trust, honorary assistant professor at the University of Nottingham and a Royal College of Physicians London Fellow and UK examiner. She has chaired several national Diabetes and Technology Forums and presented and taught at several conferences and meetings in the UK and Europe.Her special interests include Type 1 Diabetes, Diabetes Kidney and Diabetes Foot Disease.    

Dr. Mohd Nasir Hashim is a prominent figure in the University's music arena.  Having served the Cultural Centre in University of Malaya for 32 years, he is a seasoned musician specializing in composition, orchestration and music technology.  Upon graduation from the Mara Institute of Technology (UiTM) in Music, Dr. Nasir later obtained his post graduate degrees at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. Dr. Nasir also studied under the tutelage of Andrew Llyod Webber in writing scores for musical broadways.  His affiliations with the Cultural Centre began when he was appointed as a Cultural Affairs Officer.  He is today an Associate Professor at the Music Department. Since his postgraduate days, Dr. Nasir has been actively involved in the orchestra both locally and internationally.  During his days at the University of Southampton, Dr. Nasir taught and arranged orchestration on a part-time basic.  In addition, he was also the music director and deputy conductor of a jazz band and a symphony orchestra. It was at time that Dr. Nasir performed alongside the world-renowned composer, Dave Brubek. He toured with Dave Brubeck, the accomplished jazz composer and his big band orchestra in UK and USA. Dr Nasir also participate in several music camps such as the National Music Camps, Asian Music Camp and World Music Camp where he performed as he principal trumpet player. Dr. Nasir was a guest conductor with the London Guildhall Jazz Orchestra. As a result of his wide exposure in UK in conducting and arranging, he believes that whilst every genre of music is special, music can be used as a conduit for the University to reach out to members of society. Apart from conducting, he also copies songs for recording artistes and film soundtracks.  He has composed and arranged numerous scores of various genres for the orchestra. He plays the trumpet, accordion, guitar, piano and a number of traditional instruments.  His involvement in Malay traditional music, Western Jazz, Rock, Rock and Symphony Orchestra gives in a special edge into these genres.  At present Dr. Nasir is also actively producing scores and CDs for publication by the University od Malaya.  He conducts workshop, camps and lectures across the region, with a hope that music can be performed an appreciated as a discipline as well as for leisure.