Professor Dr. Shireene Ratna Vethakkan obtained her MBBS from the University of Malaya, and Masters of Internal Medicine from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She then underwent endocrine training at the University of Malaya Medical Centre and a fellowship at the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne. This was followed by an MD(Doctorate of Medicine-Research) at the University of Melbourne focusing on the evaluation of islet-function and insulin-sensitivity post-islet transplantation in patients with Type 1 diabetes. Her expertise lies in the fields of diabetology and reproductive endocrinology, in particular human islet-transplantation, lipotoxicity and beta-cell function. She is skilled in the evaluation of beta-cell function/insulin sensitivity utilizing computer modelling and the IVGTT, and can also conduct clamp studies. She was Head of the Division of Endocrinology&Diabetes , Department of Medicine, University of Malaya from 2012-2022. She holds several grants and has a passion for clinical research in the field of diabetes in pregnancy and metabolic associated steatotic liver disease.  She has published papers in the  Bristish Journal of Obstetrics & Endocrinology, Clinical Endocrinology, Diabetes Research & Clinical Practice, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Clinical Lipidology,Clinical Nutrition,Transplantation, Endocrine Practice, Diabetic Medicine and Journal of Diabetes Investigation. She has also supervised to completion many PhD, Masters of Science, Masters of Medicine students and Endocrine Subspecialty Fellows.  Dr. Vethakkan is also an experienced consultant endocrinologist/physician and runs several busy clinics including the combined antenatal endocrine clinic at the University of Malaya Medical Centre. 

Dr Yap joined academic life as a senior lecturer in Faculty Languages and Linguistics at the Universiti Malaya in 2016. She was a Programme coordinator of the Chinese Programme at the Department of Malaysian Languages and Applied Linguistics (2017-2018). She completed her Doctoral programme (Applied Linguistics) at the Minzu University of China, Beijing; her Masters of Modern Languages and Linguistics; BA (Chinese Language Studies) and Dip. Education (Chinese Pedagogy) at the Universiti Malaya. Her main research interests are Global Chinese in general, Teaching Chinese as a Second language (CSL) in particular, attitudes, motivations and identities towards and among CSL learners, and the implications of the spread of the Chinese Language. Her teaching interests are broadly within Global Chinese, such as Chinese Specific Purpose (CSP) in Mass Media, Chinese Text Analysis, Chinese Research Methodology and Chinese Language Structure. She is appointed chairperson by the Educational Resources and Technology Division of the Malaysian Ministry of Education for the revision of the Secondary School Standard Curriculum Textbook(since 2019 till now).  She especially welcomes proposals for PhD or Master research projects on any aspect of Global Chinese, areas of particular interest include Chinese as a Second language (CSL), Language ideological debates relating to Global Chinese, Intelligibility issues relating to the spread of Chinese Language, Attitudes and Motivation towards CSL, Chinese language Teaching in higher education contexts around the world, Chinese Specific Purpose (CSP) in Mass media, and Chinese language structure-Chinese syntax, especially Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG).       

Advancing Dietetics | Public Health Nutrition | Bridging Research, Policy & PracticeWith 14+ years of experience spanning clinical dietetics, academia, and food services, I am a passionate advocate for evidence-based nutrition policies and sustainable public health solutions. Currently a Senior Lecturer in Social & Preventive Medicine at Universiti Malaya, my work centers on creating healthy, sustainable eating environments, improving food safety, and addressing adolescent and community nutrition—grounded in my PhD research and field practice.I proudly serve on the Malaysian Dietitians’ Association council and represent Malaysia in the International Affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (IAAND). My leadership includes spearheading healthy cafeteria initiatives, co-authoring institutional meal guidelines, and co-developing a regional online training module to elevate school canteen standards (SEAMEO RECFON).My research spans: ✔️ Sustainable and Healthy Eating Environment / Food Environement / Planetary Health✔️ Healthcare Foodservice Management / Food Safety and Quality✔️ GI nutrition, including IBS & IBD (in collaboration with leading gastroenterologists)✔️ Food insecurity among low-income & Indigenous populations✔️ Supervision of student-led public health and clinical research I’m committed to shaping the future of nutrition and dietetics through impactful teaching, translational research, and cross-sector collaborations. Let’s connect if you’re passionate about building healthier communities through nutrition innovation, policy, and practice.🌍 Open to collaborations | 💡 Research partnerships | 🤝 Community-driven solutions