Dr. Arutchelvan Rajamanikam is a researcher and senior lecturer from the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya (UM). He has been active in understanding the role of highly prevalent protozoan parasite, mainly, Blastocystis sp. in healthy and diseased individuals. Arutchelvan completed his undergraduate studies in the field of Resource Biotechnology in 2010 and ventured into Parasitology during his Masters studies(MMedSc) in University of Malaya (2015). His interest in understanding the interaction and synergism of intestinal parasite and gut microbiome led him to complete his doctoral studies(PhD) in University of Malaya in the year 2019. Arutchelvan currently aims to make use of data analytics and data science to  decipher the gut microbial diversity patterns, metabolic profile and function in understanding health and explore the predictive ability of the gut microbiome for the benefit of preventive medicine. He has currently embarked into various projects relating to gut microbiome in colorectal cancer and mental illness with special reference to parasite with fundings closed to RM 1 million. He also contributes as reviewer for various ISI-indexed journals. Recently he was appointed as a working group member for European Cooperation in Science and Technology action (CA21105). His current research interest includes the host-parasite interaction in Blastocystis sp. and Acanthamoeba sp.

Professor Andri Andriyana is a Professor of Applied Mechanics. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, in 2000. From 2000 to 2002, he worked as a Field Engineer at Halliburton, where he was involved in several oil and gas well cementing and stimulation projects. He obtained Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from École Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et d’Aérotechnique (ENSMA) - Université de Poitiers, France, in 2003. In 2006, he was awarded Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics with Distinction from École Centrale de Nantes, France. Following the completion of his Ph.D., he served as an Assistant Professor at École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), Bordeaux, and subsequently spent two years as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF), École des Mines de Paris, Sophia Antipolis. Professor Andriyana joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Malaya, in 2009 as a Senior Lecturer. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2016 and to Full Professor in 2023. To date, he has secured approximately USD 5 Million in funding, including grants for research, European mobility, and capacity-building initiatives in higher education from both public and private sectors. Since 2013, he has been a registered Chartered Engineer (CEng) with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), United Kingdom. His awards and recognitions include the Bourse du Gouvernement Français Scholarship (2002-2003), the Allocation de Recherche Scholarship (2003-2006), the Mahar Schützenberger Prize (2005), the European Interweave Erasmus Mundus Fellowship (2014), UM Sijil Perkhidmatan Cemerlang Award (2011, 2016 and 2020), the Indonesia World Class Professor Fellowship (2017) and UM Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang Award 2022. Professor Andriyana has held several academic leadership roles, including Head of the Master of Materials Engineering Program (2013–2019), Deputy Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Engineering (2019–2021), and Director of the International Relations Centre, Universiti Malaya (2023–2025). His research interests focus on mechanical testing, constitutive modeling, and finite element simulation of deformation, degradation, fracture, fatigue and failure in materials including solid polymers, elastomers, metal alloys, composites and soft biological tissues.

Dr Surina Zaman Huri is a Geriatric Psychiatrist and Medical Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. She obtained her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2002, followed by a Master of Medicine (Psychiatry) from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2012, and subsequently completed her Fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry (2020–2024) with the Ministry of Health Malaysia and Changi General Hospital, Singapore. Her expertise encompasses the management of mental health conditions in older adults, including late-life depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other geriatric psychiatric disorders. Her main clinical and research focus is dementia, particularly the management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), with a strong emphasis on improving the quality of life for both individuals living with the condition and their caregivers. She is also dedicated to addressing caregiver burden by understanding their needs and providing appropriate support to enhance overall well-being within the caregiving relationship. In addition, she has a growing interest in sleep disorders among the elderly, recognizing their significant impact on cognitive and emotional health in later life.