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.

I earned my PhD in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Material Chemistry from Universiti Malaya, and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science (Honours) from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). My research interests center around ionic liquids synthesis and applications, biomass, and drug delivery systems, areas where I aim to explore innovative, sustainable solutions. As a member of the Chemistry Division at the Centre for Foundation in Science, Universiti Malaya, I’m particularly excited about the potential of ionic liquids in both environmental and biomedical applications. I believe these novel compounds could revolutionize various fields, from energy-efficient processes to drug delivery systems, by offering more targeted and efficient therapeutic solutions. My passion for drug delivery systems complements my broader research in ionic liquids and biomass, as it allows me to bridge chemistry with biomedical innovations that can improve healthcare outcomes. I’m deeply motivated to contribute to meaningful advancements that have a real-world impact and to collaborate with like-minded researchers in these exciting areas.

Rafidah Atan is Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya and Consultant Intensivist in the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre. Rafidah graduated with MBBS in 1996 and Master of Anaesthesiology in 2003 from Universiti Malaya, and for the latter she was also awarded the K. Pathmarajah Gold Medal. She went on to earn the Fellowship of Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthesiologists (FANZCA) in 2006, European Diploma in Intensive Care (EDIC) in 2012 and PhD (Monash University) in 2018. Her academic career saw her serving in Monash University Malaysia, from 2006, as one of the pioneer staff members of its Clinical School Johor Bahru, until 2020 when she joined Universiti Malaya. In Monash University Malaysia, she was actively involved in educational roles, co-ordinating the MBBS Final (Pre-intern) Year and the Patient Safety Unit. For the Patient Safety Unit, she notably received the Monash University’s Purple Letter for outstanding student evaluation results in 2011, 2014 and 2015. Her clinical career, on the other hand, ranged from Registrar to Consultant appointments at various hospitals in Malaysia (Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Sultan Ismail and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre) and in Australia (Royal Melbourne Hospital and Austin Hospital, Melbourne). Rafidah is a simulation enthusiast and frequently convenes simulation workshops, as well as accepting speaking engagements on this topic. She was a member of the protem committee in setting up the Malaysian Society for Simulation in Healthcare (MaSSH) and thereafter was its Vice Chairman from 2019 to 2021. Her experience and leadership in simulation combines well with her other passion - teaching and promoting Patient Safety and crisis management skills to medical undergraduates and other healthcare professionals. After joining Universiti Malaya, she was appointed Lead of the Writing Committee for the National Postgraduate Medical Curriculum: Patient Safety Core Curriculum that was released in 2021.  Rafidah has other educational passions including teaching of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and critical appraisal of literature. She has been involved in numerous EBM workshops conducted on a national and regional level. Of special note, since 2016, she has been involved as one of facilitators for the highly regarded Asia-Pacific Evidence-Based Medicine and Nursing (APEBMN) Conference conducted annually in Singapore. Her ventures in education include being a member of Medical Humanities and Ethics Unit (MedHEU) for which she leads the Medical Language and Linguistics section. Activities of this unit include conducting webinars on topics relating to difficult conversations in various clinical settings and inclusion of humanities component of the undergraduate medical curriculum. She is currently the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) coordinator for the undergraduate Universiti Malaya Medical Programme. Rafidah also participates in clinical research in Intensive Care Medicine. Her PhD research is on high cut-off hemofiltration and cytokine removal in critically ill patients. She is currently involved in a few collaborative research projects on topics related to intensive care. Rafidah currently heads the Department of Anaesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine Universiti Malaya.