Dr. Nur Kusaira is a dedicated plant biotechnology researcher with a deep passion for unlocking the therapeutic and nutritional potential of plant natural products. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Plant Resource Science and Management from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in 2008, majoring in Plant Systematics. She was awarded the Best Undergraduate Thesis that year. She went on to earn a Master's in Healthcare Biotechnology from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where she focused on in silico screening of phytocompounds against H5N1 and H1N1 influenza viruses under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Habibah Abd Wahab. In 2012, she undertook a research attachment at UC San Diego, where she conducted molecular dynamics simulations of plant-based inhibitors targeting the NS2B/NS3 protein of Dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2). Her career then led her to Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals (IPharm), where she managed the USM-RIKEN natural product discovery grant, working on the development of a comprehensive library of Malaysian plant extracts intended for diverse bioactivity screenings, laying the groundwork for systematic exploration of Malaysia’s phytochemical biodiversity. Though initially set to pursue her PhD at USM, Dr. Nur Kusaira was awarded an international PhD scholarship by Universiti Malaya and joined the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, under Prof. Dr Henrik Toft Simonsen. Her PhD work made headlines in plant synthetic biology, she pioneered the use of Physcomitrella patens for stable in vivo assembly of biosynthetic gene clusters, achieving the first stable plant-based production of artemisinin, a vital antimalarial drug, marking a breakthrough in sustainable pharmaceutical production. Her research continues at the intersection of plant science, biotechnology, and health. She focuses on: Functional Food Innovation: Developing plant-based bioactives with nutraceutical properties for preventive health and wellness. Drug Discovery: Leveraging computational tools to identify potent, selective plant-based inhibitors targeting cancer, viral and microbial proteins. Plant Synthetic Biology: Exploring plant platforms like moss and medicinal species for scalable biosynthesis of valuable therapeutic molecules. Dr. Nur Kusaira’s work reflects a commitment to sustainability, global health, and innovation paving the way for plant-derived therapeutics that are effective, affordable, and accessible worldwide.

Dr Nur Aulia Rosni is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya (UM). She obtained her Ph.D. from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 2018 and joined UM in the same year. She has published numerous articles, chapters in books, and books related to Land Use Planning, Urban Park and Recreational Planning, GIS and Remote Sensing Applications in Urban Planning, Planning Law, and Governance. She is also particularly skilled in technical aspects, especially in utilising GIS and planning practice. Her research interests include land use planning, urban analytics, transportation planning, planning law, and urban management. Her recent research projects focus on land use planning for urban parks, urban placemaking, and physical planning for neighbourhoods that are elderly-friendly. 

Professor Dr Hasniza Zaman Huri, currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and International, is an accomplished academic pharmacist and the founding Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Universiti Malaya. Under her leadership, the faculty has achieved numerous accolades, including being a founding member of the Global Alliance for the Development of Pharmaceutical Science (GADPS), an alliance to spearhead the excellent teaching & learning and research of pharmacy/pharmaceutical sciences school around the globe, the top KPI achiever for academic centre in 2023, top faculty for graduate employability and for the first time, top 100 (#72) for Pharmacy subject ranking in the QS World University Rankings 2024. Professor Dr Hasniza was also appointed as the General Assembly Representative for GADPS.  As a leading clinical scientist in clinical pharmacy, precision medicine and targeted therapy, she was honoured with the World Class Professor Programme by the Indonesian Government in 2022, among 78 professors globally. Professor Dr Hasniza's research expertise focuses on targeted therapy, drug utilisation and precision medicine, especially in metabolic diseases. She has been invited by various countries such as the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Turkey, China, India, Taiwan, and Indonesia as a Keynote or Plenary Speaker at conferences. She has published over 100 publications indexed in the Web of Science (WoS). Professor Dr Hasniza is also an expert in the clinical trial industry and is recognized for her exemplary leadership. She was the Manager and later Director of the Clinical Investigation Centre (CIC) at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). During her tenure, CIC UMMC gained a world-class reputation, winning multiple distinctions, including being the first Strategic Alliance Site for Parexel Inc. in Malaysia, Pfizer’s INSPIRE (Investigator Networks, Site Partnerships and Infrastructure for Research Excellence) Site in Malaysia, Best Clinical Trial Service Provider in Asia, Top-10 IQVIA Prime Sites in the world and many more. She was awarded Best Academic Administrator for Non-Academic Centre in 2015 by Universiti Malaya and recently, in 2024, was awarded the MPS Outstanding Leadership Award by the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS), an excellence award due to her outstanding performance and exceptional achievement in pharmacy practice in Malaysia. She is also the Honorary Visiting Consultant at CIC and a member of the Drug Control Authority (DCA) Ministry of Health, Malaysia.