Prof. Dr. Subha Bhassu is currently an academician at the Institute of Biological Sciences, with 24 years of experience teaching across various programs. She has developed numerous course structures aligned with the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) for the University of Malaya (2008–2015) and INTI University College (2000–2004). Additionally, she served as a moderator for Biotechnology courses at INTI University College from 2008 to 2015, MAHSA University, International Medical University ( Biomed Programs) and other universities. Furthermore, she is a member of the International Biosafety Committee (IBC) at the University of Malaya and serves as an auditor for the Enforcement Committee for Biosafety under the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (2014–present). Her passion for research ignited during her second year of undergraduate studies when she realized the challenges and excitement research could offer, which continues to inspire her to this day. Since starting her PhD program in 1996, she has built a global network of research collaborations, mentors, and friends. Her experiences as a student instilled in her the belief that thinking outside the box is crucial in research. While knowledge and research grants are essential, she emphasizes that the two most important elements are love and selfless service, which guide her research to benefit students, universities, communities, industries, the country, and global society. To date, Prof. Subha has supervised 25 PhD students and 25 master’s students to completion and is currently mentoring eight PhD students and five master’s students. She has also guided 50 undergraduate students to completion. Her research output includes over 100 ISI publications, three book chapters,two books, three national patents, and two international patents. She serves as a reviewer for several journals, including PLOS ONE, GENE, META GENE, Aquaculture, Aquaculture Research, and Genomics. Her future research endeavours will continue to prioritize ethics and integrity as she advances her work in the aquatic sciences, employing multidisciplinary approaches. She aims to inspire the scientific community with thought-provoking ideas that align with global needs and foster harmony in the minds, hearts, and souls of humanity. As for research excellence, Professor Dr. Subha Bhassu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science (Honors) from UKM and a PhD in Molecular Biology from UPM, specializing in Molecular, Population, and Quantitative Genetics. Her primary research interest is in the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, a field termed Halo Genomics. This area of study emphasizes the One Health concept within biomedical, agricultural, and environmental contexts. Dr. Bhassu’s expertise spans various aspects of biology, from cellular mechanisms to phenotypic expressions, with a particular focus on aquatic animals as model organisms for exploring host-pathogen-environment interactions. In her research, genomics and molecular biology serve as tools to address challenges related to disease, nutrition, and environmental factors. She aims to deepen our understanding of genetics and its role in phenotypic expression, as well as gene-gene interactions, to provide insights into the relationships among aquatic hosts, pathogens, and their environments. Her research applies genomics, transcriptomics, and molecular biology to develop the innate potential of aquatic species. In her future research, Dr. Bhassu is focusing on the innate immune system, exploring its role in maintaining cellular ecosystem equilibrium. Her team has discovered innate immune biomolecules in shrimp that function before the adaptive immune response is activated. Through this research, she aims to demonstrate how host-pathogen interactions reveal signature immune biomolecules in certain species that have evolved to resist pathogens and coexist with them. These biomolecules' efficiency and specificity can be studied using aptamer technology, while their interactions with pathogens are visualized through spectral flow cytometry, and their abundance is analyzed via single-cell transcriptomics and mRNA expression. This research raises the question: could innate immune biomolecules be harnessed as solutions to disease, similar to gene therapy, for therapeutic applications? As an academic professional, Dr Bhassu has developed numerous course structures in alignment with the Malaysian MQF standards for UM and INTI University College, where she has also served as a course moderator in Biotechnology. She is an associate member of the CEBAR, Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, CRYSTAL, NANOCAT and UM’s Marketing & Recruitment Centre. Additionally, she serves on the International Biosafety Committee at UM and as an auditor for the Biosafety Enforcement Committee under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. She is an associate member of the National Framework on Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee (IBBC) for Health under the Ministry of Public Health. Recently, she was appointed as a Research Fellow at the Malaysian Genome Vaccine Institute, part of the National Institute of Biotechnology Malaysia. Contact details: subhabhassu@um.edu.my  

Prof. Juliana Othman is a scholar in language education and a Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Malaya. With over 30 years of experience in applied linguistics and teacher education, she has shaped language policies, teacher training, and bilingual education in Malaysia. She has held key leadership roles, including Chair of the Centre for Research in Language Education (CRiLE), Head of the Department of Language & Literacy Education (2015–2018), and Deputy Director of the Centre for the Initiation of Talent and Industrial Training, driving impactful research and curriculum reforms. Recognized globally, she has been awarded prestigious fellowships, including the Fulbright Scholar Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, Asian University Alliance Scholar at Tsinghua University, and Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington. Prof. Juliana plays a vital role in enhancing academic standards as an External Program Assessor and consultant for leading universities and education programs. Her research, supported by the British Council, the Ministry of Education, and Universiti Malaya, focuses on teacher professional development, second language pedagogy, and bilingual education, directly influencing policy and classroom practices. Beyond academia, Prof. Juliana actively contributes to national and international educational advancement. She has served as an External Program Assessor for leading institutions locally and internationally, such as Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa and UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Indonesia, ensuring academic rigor in language education programs. As a consultant and advisor, she has played a key role in shaping curriculum frameworks, including the BED Primary program at the Institute Pendidikan Guru Ilmu Khas and Universiti Utara Malaysia. A prolific author and advocate, she has published extensively on language education and has been instrumental in shaping national and institutional curriculum frameworks. Through her leadership and scholarship, she continues to elevate language education standards and empower educators, making a lasting impact in the field.

Dr. Nurshamimi was awarded a Malaysia-Imperial Doctoral Programme to study HPV regulation at the Department of Virology, St. Mary’s Campus, Imperial College London, upon graduating with an M.Med.Sc from the University of Malaya in 2008. She joined the Department of Molecular Medicine as a Senior Lecturer in 2014 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2021. She was a three-time travel award winner for attending HKU-Pasteur workshops at the University of Hong Kong. She also received travel awards from the International Papillomavirus Society in 2017 for the HPV conference in South Africa and a travel award from the EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Program Fellowship in 2015 for the EMBO Conference in Heidelberg, Germany. She is also a member of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) and the European Society for Virology. In 2020, she won the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Young Investigator Award for her work on the Chikungunya virus, and in 2022, she received a travel award from Keystone Symposia, Global Health Travel Award, USA. In 2024, she was selected by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA, to present her work entitled "Morindone from Morinda citrifolia—A promising agent targeting DNA replication and key mutations in colorectal cancer" at their conference 'Mechanisms and Models of Cancer'. Dr. Nurshamimi also holds several patents in the field of anti-aging and colorectal cancer. Her current research is geared toward phase 1 clinical trials for diabetic foot ulcer treatment and investigating potential leads for colorectal cancer targets. She is an Ambassador for Bentham Science Publisher, one of the most renowned ISI publishers in the world. Currently, she is a principal investigator for research projects on colorectal cancer, Zika and dengue viruses, anti-aging, and diabetic foot ulcers.