Dr. Sonia Kumari is Senior Lecturer at Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya. She holds PhD (Financial Development and Economic Growth, UNIMAS, Malaysia), MEcon (Public Policy, UKM, Malaysia) and BEc (Management Economics, UKM, Malaysia).  Her research expertise includes, Financial Development ; Financial Integration; Financial Inclusion; Sustainable Finance; Climate Finance; and Financial management of small businesses, with main focus on multidisciplinary themes related to emerging and developing economies. Her previous work experience includes: Associate Economist at the Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM) ; Visiting Research Fellow at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; Visiting Research Fellow at Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales (ICEI), Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Lecturer at Help University, Malaysia.  She has taught several courses at Undergraduate level including:  Microfinance and Social Enterprise, Analysis of Development Projects, SME Development, Agriculture Business Management, Agriculture Development, Development Economics and Research Methodology (at University of Malaya); Principles of Business Management, Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics (at Help University). Postgraduate courses: Sustainable Finance (Universiti Malaya).  She supervised over 50 UG projects including industrial placement projects (at University of Malaya); over 15 Masters Research Projects (at University of Malaya); and 1 Doctoral completion (current PhD supervision = 8).   Produced over 30 publications, including book chapters, articles in internationally refereed journals, policy briefs and reports. She has also reviewed several papers for journals and conferences.  She has led research projects on: "Financial Inclusion and Inclusive Growth" and "Government Supports And Food Operator's Performance In Klang Valley" (University Grant). She is also a co-researcher for projects such as "Role of Social Enterprise in Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development in Malaysia" (University Grants); Developing Environmental Reporting Framework for the Small and Medium Enterprises in Malaysia: Using Q-Methodological Approach" (FRGS, Government of Malaysia) and "Catching-up along the Global Value Chain: models, determinants and policy implications in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution" (European Commission Grant). She has research collaborative links in several countries including South Africa, China and Bangladesh.  She is an Associate Editor for Journal of Institutions and Economies.  

   Rathna Devi Vaithilingam graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery and Masters in Clinical Dentistry (Periodontology) from the University of Malaya. She previously worked in the Ministry of Health as a consultant periodontist before joining University Malaya as a  Senior Lecturer in 2008. She is currently a Professor in the field of Periodontology in the Faculty of Dentistry. She has been a principal investigator in various research projects pertaining to periodontal-systemic relationship, genetic studies associated with periodontal disease and periodontal regenerative therapy. Her research output has been published in various peer- reviewed international and local publications. She has presented internationally and locally on her area of expertise. She was previously the President of Malaysian Society for Oral Microbiologists and Oral Immunologists and President of the Malaysian Society of Periodontology. She is also a member of various national and international professional bodies. She is an Editorial Board member of the Annals of Dentistry University Malaya and previously the Journal of International Academy of Periodontology.          

Professor Dr Sivakumar Krishnasamy is currently a senior lecturer and Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon in University Malaya Medical Centre. He graduated from University Malaya in 2002.  He was awarded the gold medal for MRCS Edinbrugh examination (2006) as the best overall candidate for the exam.In 2010 he was awarded the Al-Hadi gold medal as the overall best candidate for the Masters in General Surgery. He is the first Asian to be awarded the Gold medal and overall best performer in the esteemed European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery in 2016 and was given the book prize for the exam as the highest overall achiever in the history of the European Cardiothoracic Surgery exam. Prof Siva did his initial training in General Surgery in Ipoh General Hospital. He joined the Masters In General Surgery in 2006 and completed it in 2010. He subsequently worked as a General Surgeon in Kota Bahru before joining University Malaya as a senior lecturer in 2011. He did his initial years of Cardiothoracic training in University Malaya and went on to IJN in 2013. He left to the UK in 2014 and completed his FRCS (Edin )CTh in 2016. During his stay in the UK, he did a 1 year formal Aortic Fellowship under the guidance of Mr Jorge Masacro and 1 year of Thoracic fellowship in Heartlands Hospital which is a regional Thoracic Referral Centre for West Midlands.  He has a keen passion for MDT and since coming back he has setup the Aortic and Endovascular MDT in UM and also is actively involved in the Thoracic and lung cancer MDT in UM. Recently in 2019 he was awarded the prestigious Francis Fontan Uniportal VATS Fellowship by the European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery (First in the world to receive the award). His fellowship was in the World’s largest Lung Cancer Hospital, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, where the centre does around 20000 lung resection cases per year. Since coming back he has developed the Uniportal VATS services in University Malaya.    Since 2017 , he has organised the Annual International Aortic Symposium , which is an event that is jointly done annualy with IJN. He has also been instrumental in holding the International FRCS Cardiothoracic Examination in University Malaya since 2018 , where he is the local organiser for the exam in Malaysia. Since 2018 he has been organising the International Cardiothoracic Review Course , which is the KL Review course which has endorsement from the Birmingham Review Course UK and is attended by all regional cardiothoracic trainees. The course has been running well annualy till date. Besides that he is also the Department of Surgery Quality Manager and recently has been appointed as a member of the Subspeciality Education Committee for Cardiothoarcic Surgery by the Malaysian Medical Council. He is also a board member of the Malaysian Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery which is the national training body for cardiothoracic surgery. Recently he has also been appointed as the chair for the National Curriculum writting group for Cardiothoracic Surgery. Being the Chair of the National Curriculum for Cardiothoracic Surgery , he has succesfully launched the Curriculum with members of the Cardiothoracic Society in April 2022. This was also done in conjuction with a memorandum of understanding with Royal College of Surgeons Edinbrugh to run the Parallel Pathway Programme for Cardiothoracic Surgery with University Malaya as the local Education Provider and Assoc Prof Sivakumar as the Administrator in Charge of it.  With a busy clinical and academic portfolio, he also has been actively involved in various publications in peer reviewed cardiothoracic journals and has been an emminent national and international speaker in various local and international meetings. He is also a reviewer for the Malysian Medical Journal and is part of the editorial for Journal of Interventional Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinbrugh , Member of the European Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery , member of the Asian Cardiothoracic Society , Malaysian Cardiothoracic Society (MATCVS) and Southeast Asian Thoracic Society (SEATS). Prof Sivakumar is also a visiting consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon to Penang GH and IJN for complex Aortic Surgeries. Over the years he has worked togather with the team in Penang GH to developed the Aortic Arch and Complex Aortic Surgery Programme. He is a trainer for the local trainees under the Parallel Pathway Training Programme with Royal College of Surgeons Edinbrugh and also an appointed trainer for Uniportal VATS Surgery by SouthEast Asian Thoracic Society. His clinical experience cover the whole spectrum of adult cardiac surgery and the whole spectrum of Aortic Surgery ( open and endovascular). In thoracic surgery all aspects of thoracic surgery are done by him which includes minimally invasive thoracic surgery for all thoracic case like lung cancer and mediastinal tumours and complex thoracic cases which includles tracheal surgery , mesothelioma, chest wall resection and reconstruction.New clinical service in Aortic Surgery was started by Prof Sivakumar , mainly Total Arch Replacement with Frozen Elephant Trunk , Descending thoracic aorta replacement and Thoracoabdominal Aortic surgery. In Thoracic Surgery , he started the Uniportal VATS Surgery ( Single Key Hole VATS ) service and has established himself as a regional trainer for this procedure in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.   Since 2022 Prof Sivakumar has been appointed as the Main Coordinator for the Cardiothoracic Parallel Pathway training Program under Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in Universiti Malaya. He is also an Examiner for the Quadripartite Exam for Cardiothoracic Surgery by Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh since 2022. Togather with the regional surgeons from Hong Kong and Singapore he also has contributed to the Exam bank of the College.   As a Professor in the University , he takes on clinical and pre clinical teaching for undergraduate students throughout the year. He also takes trainees from General Surgery for their cardiothoracic rotation posting. There have been 5 clinical masters student who has completed their research project under him and currently there are 4 ongoing Clinical Masters and 1 international PHd student. There many clinical trails and research colloborations locally and internationally that he is involved as principal investigator or co investigator.    Recent most appointment is the Head Coordinator for Masters in Cardiothoracic Surgery , Universiti Malaya which is being started as a new postgraduate progam under the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. Professor Dr Sivakumar is also the current Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery Universiti Malaya. Recent most award is from Royal College of Surgeons Edinbrugh where he was awarded the Fellow of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers which carries the title FFST (Edin). This was given in February 2025.