Dr. Mumtaz Begum Peer Mustafa received the BSc. and MSc. in Software Engineering from University Putra Malaysia (UPM) and University Malaya (UM) in 2002 and 2006 respectively, and the Ph.D. in Computer Science from University Malaya (UM) in 2012. She was a researcher for a High Impact Research project in the area of Assistive technologies for speech-impaired individuals. Dr. Mumtaz is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Software Engineering, University Malaya. Her research interests include Speech Enhancement methods for Automatic Speech Recognition systems, Speech Processing, Big Data Applications and Technologies and Speech Assistive tools for disabled individuals. She has published her work in many of prestigious international speech conferences and journals. Dr. Mumtaz is also a certified software tester from Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB), a member of International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) and Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE) from Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB), a member of International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB).  

  Dr Faizul Azli Mohd Rahim is a Professor at the Department of Quantity Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. He graduated with BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying from the University of Salford, UK in 1997, and received MSc IT in Property & Construction from the same university in 1998. He graduated with a Phd from the University of Liverpool in 2011 in the area of project risk management. Since his appointment at the University of Malaya, he had been teaching various subjects such as data analysis, construction economics, project management and IT in construction. He also hold various administrative positions such as the Head of Departments and Deputy Dean (Research & Value Creation & Enterprise) for the faculty. He had published in various local and international journals. He had been reviewing various international journal papers as well as being the examiners for undergraduate programmes and postgraduate research study. His research interest mainly construction economics, IT in construction and project risk management.   

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