Dr Tan Boon Chin is an Associate Professor holding the position of Deputy Director at the Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR) at the University of Malaya (UM). He completed his BSc in Biotechnology at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and a PhD in Plant Biotechnology at the University of Nottingham. Dr Tan was employed by UM as a postdoctoral research fellow before taking up the senior lecturer role. Dr Tan's interests span the fields of plant molecular biology and biochemistry. His current research aims to combine omics and molecular approaches to understanding the regulatory mechanism of transcription factors in environmental-stressed crops, hoping to find ways to improve crop tolerance for near-future climates. These include (1) developing a product in the form of biostimulants to mitigate climate stress for these crops, (2) developing appropriate educational programmes for farmers to promote sustainable agriculture, and (3) making recommendations to policymakers. Dr Tan's research interests also encompass genetically manipulating biosynthetic pathways in plants to produce beneficial bioactive compounds. Additionally, he explores the potential of using plants as an alternative platform for producing high-value recombinant pharmaceutical proteins. He received several awards, including the Royal Society-Newton Advanced Fellowship (2017), the Travel Award for the Asia Pacific Biosafety Association Conference from the United States Department of State Biosecurity Engagement Program (2017), and the Alltech Young Scientist Award 2012/13. Dr Tan is currently the Lead Consultant for the National Biosafety Policy project. He is also an Associate Editor of the Journal of Plant Growth Regulation (JPGR) and an Editorial Board Member of BMC Plant Biology, Heliyon, Molecular Biotechnology (MOBI), Asia Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (APJMBB), Discover Food, Discover Plants, and the Journal of Agribusiness Marketing (JAMA). Dr Tan is also the President of the Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MSMBB), an Honorary Secretary of the Asia Oceania Agricultural Proteomics Organization (AOAPO), a council member of the Malaysian Proteomics Society (MAPS), Malaysian Society of Plant Physiology (MSPP), and Malaysian Society of Systems and Synthetic Biology (MyBioSS), and an eLife Community Ambassador.  His research group is committed to dedicating their expertise and ideas to catalyse efforts toward achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2). See the interview: https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/the-source/blog/blogposts-communicating-research/enhan...

Dr. Yew Wei Lit is a senior lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Malaya. Prior to this, he was a lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University and a postdoctoral fellow at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. Based disciplinarily in comparative politics and environmental studies, his research has focused on the politics of development and environmental contention, and more broadly on civil society dynamics in China and Southeast Asia. Dr. Yew obtained a PhD in Asian and International Studies from City University of Hong Kong. He received his MSc in Comparative Politics (Asia) from the London School of Economics and his BIT from Multimedia University (Malaysia).

Dr. Shanina Sharatol Ahmad Shah is a senior lecturer with over 20 years of experience in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She holds a PhD in Education (TESL) and M.Ed (TESL) from Universiti Malaya and a B.Ed in TESOL from the University of Surrey, UK. Her academic and professional journey is grounded in advancing second language teacher education, English language teaching methodology, and English linguistics specifically in Phonetics and Phonology. Her research specialisations include reading and writing in a second language, English pronunciation instruction, language teacher cognition, and professional identity development in TESOL contexts. She has published extensively in high-impact journals, exploring themes such as writing anxiety, cognitive dissonance in academic writing, and pronunciation learning strategies among ESL learners.Dr. Shanina is also the author of the book entitled "Reading and writing pedagogies in ESL instruction", which provides practical, classroom-ready strategies tailored for both novice and experienced teachers. Grounded in current research and enriched by classroom experience, the book serves as a bridge between theory and practice, offering evidence-based approaches that support literacy development and learner engagement in ESL contexts. A key strength of Dr. Shanina’s scholarly work is her deep expertise in qualitative research, particularly the case study method, which she has applied in numerous funded projects and postgraduate supervisions. Her methodological approach is known for its rigour and clarity, especially in uncovering nuanced insights into language teacher beliefs, student learning experiences, and reflective practice. Her chapter contribution in “Research Design for Language Studies” further reflects her role in guiding qualitative inquiry in education. Dr. Shanina is the principal investigator and co-researcher in several national and internationally funded research projects, including interventions to improve reading literacy, immersive English communication programmes, and cross-cultural collaborations on teacher identity and oral communication strategies. She has also served as a consultant, external examiner, keynote speaker, and reviewer, contributing significantly to the development of TESOL practice and policy at both national and international levels.