Dr. Karthikayini Krishnasamy, PhD, MNSc, BNSc, Adv. Dip. Nur. (Oncology)Senior Lecturer, Department of Nursing ScienceUniversity of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaORCID iD: [Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8094-87760009-0002-8094-8776] Dr. Karthikayini Krishnasamy is a distinguished nursing academic and healthcare leader with over 28 years of experience in clinical practice, healthcare management, quality improvement, and higher education. She currently serves as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Nursing Science, University of Malaya, and is nationally and internationally recognized for her expertise in patient safety, infection control, nutrition support therapy, and oncology nursing. She holds a PhD in Hospital Quality Management (Patient Safety) from the University of Malaya and has advanced qualifications in oncology nursing and healthcare management. She also served as Coordinator in the Quality Department at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) for over three years, where she led initiatives in clinical governance, patient safety, and healthcare quality improvement. Throughout her career, Dr. Karthikayini has held progressive leadership roles in nursing—from front-line clinical care to senior hospital administration—across a wide range of specialties including general surgery, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, burns and plastic, cardiothoracic, oncology, psychiatry, general medicine, hematology, neurology, ENT, orthopedics, and pediatrics. She contributed to the development of in-house electronic medical record (EMR) systems at UMMC, including modules for the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), fall prevention, delirium assessment, and a House Officer Dashboard System. A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Karthikayini is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education. She has delivered keynote addresses and lectures at numerous national and international conferences, and has facilitated professional development workshops on patient safety, clinical nutrition, and falls prevention. Her research focuses on patient safety culture, fall prevention, medication safety in older adults, and interprofessional collaboration. She has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Age and Ageing, International Journal of Clinical Practice, and Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. Dr. Karthikayini has received multiple accolades, including the Venus International Award for Excellence in Oncology Nursing, UMMC Excellence Service Awards, and recognition for her leadership in quality improvement, both locally and internationally. She is a registered member of the Nursing Board of Malaysia, a life member of the Malaysian Nurses Association, and a committee member of the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) focusing on patient safety (research and training). With a steadfast commitment to advancing nursing practice and strengthening healthcare systems, Dr. Karthikayini continues to lead transformative initiatives to improve patient care and clinical outcomes in Malaysia and beyond.

Dr. Nur Afiqah's research examines institutional-related structures associated with engagement in healthcare, including HIV and Hepatitis C care for people who use drugs (PWUD). This epidemiological work is informed by sociological perspectives which frame the research questions within a wider social, economic and policy environment. Additionally, she has received training in Implementation Science at Yale University.  Being an active member of the Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), her current research activities have incorporated a community-based participiatory research (CBPR) component. Using this approach, she engages with local communities of PWUD and NGOs that serve these populations, whose collective views in the design and implementation of health programs are key in developing effective interventions. Additionally, she is actively involved in knowledge-transfer activities, promoting the use of evidence-based practices in real-life settings. She is also interested in drug policies, especially the impact of existing policies on youths and families.  Dr Nur Afiqah is a consultant for WHO, UNDP and International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC). She currently serves as the Vice President at the Malaysian AIDS Council.   

I have been involved in teaching for more than 32 years. I started my career as a temporary teacher before pursuing my undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Malaya, where I obtained my Bachelor in Indian Studies and History and Master in Linguistics. I did my PhD in Linguistics at Newcastle University in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. I have decent knowledge in Tamil grammar, where I teach the subject at my institution, and have authored a few books, individually and jointly, on that subject. I have written and published more than 50 articles so far and have attended more than 75 conferences and seminars, locally and abroad. Field Interest: I am interested and actively involved in research involving fields of study such as linguistics, historical linguistics, language borrowing, translation, Tamil education, and classical literature of Tamil.  Completed Research: Phonology, Linguistics, Grammar, Loanword Phonology, Lexical Morphology, Translation and Cognates, and Tamil Education. Supervisions of Postgraduates and Undergraduates: I have more than a dozen postgraduate students who have completed their studies under my supervision in various fields, especially those related to linguistics, grammar, Tamil education, and philosophy.  Language skills: I have good speaking and writing command in Tamil, Malay, and English. I could read and write Hindi and Sanskrit moderately. PROFESSIONAL: I have been actively involving various organisations at various levels, holding various roles. To name a few, I am one of the board-list members of the Malaysian Examination Council. Besides working closely with the council in examination-related matters, I am also a panellist in the curriculum review committee of the council for the Tamil subject (Till todate). I am a member of the faculty and served as Head of Department of Indian Studies, University of Malaya, from June 2014 till September 1, 2018. I am also a member of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Malaya. Recently, I was appointed as an External Examiner of Tamil subjects thought at Teacher Training Institutes in Malaysia for a period of two years (2018-2022). I am serving as the current Secretary of the International Association of Tamil Research, Malaysia (1997). I also served as the General Secretary II for the 9th International Tamil Conference and Seminar on Tamil Studies (9ICSTS) held at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, from 29 January 2015 till February 2, 2024. I am also involved in social engagement activities at various levels. Currently, I am serving as Chairman of the Parents and Teachers Association of a Tamil School in Kuala Lumpur (SRJK (T) Jalan Cheras, (2016-2019).