Acquainting with technical and teoritical knowldege together with skills in the molecular functionalization and composite system of areas in natural (polysaccharide) and synthetic (polyolefin) derived of polymers. The previous research projects was concerned on physical and chemical modifications of polymers with the main objective to enchane its parent properties on mechanical, thermal, solubility, degradability, selectivity and  adsorption ability. The interfacial, rigidity and homogeneity of the modified polymer is the major considerations in order to meet the potential application as the membrane separation of organic pollutants. The outcomes of this projects is knowledge and methodology on molecular modification of chitosan (as a model of polymer) through cross-linking process as a reinforcement agents to increase the said properties of polymer composites. 14 numbers of ISI journals including one review paper has been managed to be published through out the research project. Currently,  looking for the new research opportunities to functionalize the nano based materials (metal oxide based, carbon based, metal etc) with polymer materials in order to increase the functionality, dispersion ability, homogeneity and resistancy of the nano materials. Initiated with research project on band gap re-engineering approach of nano-particle TiO2 with various organic dopants (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur) and chitosan as a support for photoctalyst system on the application of organic pollutants degradation. It is expected that, modified nano-particle TiO2 could be utilize satisfactory in both ultra-violet and visible light, seperatible effectively from the suspension of pollutant mixture, highly selectivity, and re-cycleable. The polymer fucntionalize nano-particle project is then continue to the second project; with nano-particle Fe3O4 coated with polycarboxylic, polyamine and polyol based. The main objective of the project is to modulate the composition, size and magnetic properties of nano-particle Fe3O4 as a metal detectable agent for the nitrile glove formulation. While, the third current project is focused on the thermal and magnetitie properties of nano-particle Fe3O4/Au as a anti-cancer agent. Nano-coated Fe3O4/Au with chitosan and ethylene cellulose for colon drug delivery system is expected to minimize the limitations on premature drug release, poor translation of biorecognition propertyand inffective colon targetting.

  Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Zul Ilham bin Zulkiflee Lubes completed his B.Sc.(Hons.) in Universiti Malaya (UM), a Panasonic Scholar for M.Sc. and a JICA AUN/SEED-Net Scholar for his Doctoral study at the Department of Socio-Environmental Energy Science, Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Japan. His research interest is in the field of biomass science and bioenergy, with esteemed awards from Japan Institute of Energy and American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS). Currently, as part of Malaysia's effort to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, he is actively studying structure, function and decomposition of biomass for conversion to gaseous, liquid and solid energy carriers as well as sustainable feed. Dr. Zul Ilham also serves as Associate Editor for academic journals PROGEE, MJS, JISDeP, JSAEM and EJChE. He has been appointed as M.Sc. and Ph.D. external examiner for several Malaysian universities (USIM, USM, UTM, UTeM, UiTM and IIUM) and internationally (Brunei and Poland). As an alumnus of the Young South-East Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellows Program, he volunteers regularly in promoting energy literacy, renewable energy and climate action to youth and community (Sustainable Development Goals; SDG 7 and 13) including being the country coordinator of the Asian Students Environment Platform (ASEP), a project supported by AEON Environmental Foundation. Professionally, he is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) by ASEAN Centre of Energy and a Professional Technologist accredited by the Malaysian Board of Technologists (MBOT). He and his team also secured national and industrial research grants such as the FRGS, Gamuda Land, Petronas as well as several coveted international research grants. Dr. Zul Ilham has been invited to participate as plenary or invited speaker in several international conferences and has been Visiting Scholar to several universities (Kyoto University Japan, Zhejiang University China, Universitas Andalas and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Indonesia). He was also the recipient of Fulbright Malaysian Scholar Award 2022/2023 as Visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, USA. Administratively, Dr. Zul Ilham was the Program Coordinator for B.Sc. Environmental Science and Management, Deputy Director at the UM Centre of Civilisational Dialogue, Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation) for the Faculty of Science UM and the Director of UM Grant Management Centre. He is also the core member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities Forest Biomass Ecosystem Living Lab Initiative and expert panel in the ASEAN-UNESCAP Carbon Neutrality Campus Network, tasked to formulate a regional carbon neutral course for university students. His latest chapter in a book with the title "Challenges of Environmental Justice in the Decarbonization of Development in Malaysia" had recently been published by ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (2025). He is currently on secondment to a national think tank agency, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) as Principal Fellow and Director, Centre for Science and Environment Studies. WoS publications: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/1414836Scopus publications: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57218544179Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jVPTqGsAAAAJ&hl=enCommunity Outreach Activities: https://zulilham.wordpress.com/activities/

Professor Dr Puteri Shafinaz Abdul Rahman received her tertiary education at the University of Malaya and was awarded a prestigious Split-Site Doctoral Scholarship by the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Commission (United Kingdom) to pursue her PhD in Proteomics jointly at Nottingham Trent University and the University of Malaya. She completed her PhD in 2007 and subsequently joined the Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, where she now serves as the Head of Department. She is also a founding member and current Director of the Universiti Malaya Centre for Proteomic Research (UMCPR). Across her academic career, Dr Puteri has secured more than RM 14.5 million in research funding as Principal Investigator and in collaborative roles. She has supervised 8 Master's and 8 PhD candidates to completion, and she currently mentors 5 PhD and 2 Master's students. She previously led the Unit for Central Research Laboratories, which is the Faculty of Medicine’s designated facility for state-of-the-art proteomics, genomics, and analytical research infrastructure for 15 years (2008–2023). She has also held several administrative appointments under the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) portfolio, including Deputy Dean of the Innovative Technology Research Cluster (2015–2018), Deputy Dean of the Frontiers of the Natural World Research Cluster (2019–2021), and Coordinator of the Research Project Monitoring Section at the Research Management Centre, Universiti Malaya (2022–2024). In addition to her university leadership roles, Dr Puteri serves as a Board Director of the Malaysian Lactation Educators & Support Association (MyLESA), where she contributes to national efforts in advancing breastfeeding education, maternal–infant health advocacy, and evidence-based lactation support.  As a molecular biologist and proteomic scientist, Dr Puteri’s primary expertise lies in comparative proteomics. Her research group utilises mass spectrometry–based platforms to interrogate protein expression patterns across biological states, enabling the identification of dysregulated proteins and molecular pathways in cancers such as gynaecological malignancies, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and bone tumours. Her work in cancer proteomics was recognised with the Merck Young Scientist Award (First Prize) in 2008. Her research portfolio also encompasses natural products and herbal medicine, where proteomics is applied to elucidate the mechanisms underlying bioactive compounds with anticancer, antimicrobial, or immunomodulatory potential. Over the last decade, her work has extended into the molecular characterisation of human milk—particularly proteins associated with the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) and soluble fraction—across human, bovine, and caprine species. Her current research examines the proteome, metabolome, and circadian biology of human milk from early lactation through 24 months postpartum, with a particular interest in how maternal metabolic conditions, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), influence milk composition. Central to this body of work is the emerging conceptualisation of breast milk as a biologically intelligent system- a dynamic, adaptive fluid shaped by evolution, developmental timing, and maternal physiology. Dr Puteri’s studies aim to unravel how bioactive milk constituents modulate infant immune protection, metabolic programming, and neurodevelopment, and how milk may undergo functional reprogramming or adaptive prioritisation under maternal metabolic stress.