Professor Dr. Liam Chong Kin, is a Professor of Medicine and Senior Consultant Respiratory Medicine Physician working in the University Malaya Medical Centre/Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and in the UM Specialist Centre. He was the President of the Malaysian Thoracic Society for 4 terms from 2001 to 2009 after which he remained as a council member of the Malaysian Thoracic Society till 2015. He is a council member of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology since 2002. He is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (since 1997), Royal College of Physicians (London) (since 1999) and the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (since 2012). He is also an active member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and the European Respiratory Society. He was the organising chairman for the 8th Congress of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology that was held in Petaling Jaya from 1-4 December 2003. He chaired the scientific programme committee for the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease - Asia Pacific Region Conference that was held in Kuala Lumpur from 2-5 August 2007. He was the organising chairman for the 2014 IASLC Asia Pacific Lung Cancer Conference held in Kuala Lumpur from 6-8 November 2014. He was a member of the scientific committee for the biennial Asia Pacific Lung Cancer Conferences held in various countries including Hyderabad (India), Seoul (South Korea), Fukuoka (Japan) and Chiangmai (Thailand).  He was the advisor to the local organising committee for the 20th Congress of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology held in Kuala Lumpur from 3-6 December 2015. He headed the Lung Cancer Assembly of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology from 2015 to 2019. His areas of clinical interest include the up-to-date treatment of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and bronchial asthma. His research interests include molecular genotyping, novel molecular targeted therapies and immunotherapy for lung cancer, novel therapies for COPD and b2-adrenoceptor genetic polymorphisms in bronchial asthma. He has been an invited speaker for a wide range of topics in Respiratory Medicine, especially in lung cancer, COPD, asthma and pneumonia at international and regional conferences such as the World Conference on Lung Cancer and the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology annual congresses; as well as national scientific conferences and symposia.  He has published 193 scientific papers in peer-reviewed medical journals and is the author or co-author of 305 papers presented at national, regional and international scientific meetings.

Dr Catherine Thamarai Arumugam is currently attached to the Family Health Discipline, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya as a Medical Lecturer with a specialisation in Public Health Medicine. Her past publications speaks of her interest in the research on early childhood development, infectious diseases and her love for poetries. In an unwavering effort of creating a safe media environment for thriving children - she is interested to further explore on the dynamics of technology, toddlers and family relationships.  A medical degree holder from Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia - her journey as a junior doctor started at the Sungai Buloh Hospital which is also the national referral centre for infectious disease. Upon completion of housemanship training, she went on to serve as a Medical Officer in Charge of a maternal child health clinic in the district of Temerloh, Pahang. The responsibility entrusted granted her invaluable experience especially in the domains of maternal child health and disaster preparedness – stirring the passion towards public health. Dr Catherine went back to Temerloh District Health Office with a Doctorate in Public Health from Universiti Malaya - serving as an Epidemiology Officer, heading the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Unit during the COVID19 rampage. Her major tasks revolved around surveillance, outbreak response, training activities and playing the role of liaison officer for the state-level CDC department. From Ministry of Health to Ministry of Higher Education – Dr Catherine has now started her new venture as a medical lecturer, striving to be an advocate for public health issues she is passionate about through her research works and creative writings!

Mala Rajo Sathian is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Southeast Asian Studies and the founding coordinator of the Thai studies programme, both at Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. She previously held visiting research affiliations at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani campus, Thailand, and as a Fulbright Scholar at the Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, US. Her areas of research include Thailand, south Thailand and north Malaysia, relating to ethnicity and marginalisation, diasporas, conflict, governance and histories of nation building. Her publications include: Siamese in Malaysia: Beyond sixty years of heritage (2018) and various articles and chapters on ethnic minorities, identity, conflict and methodology in area studies.  She hopes to advance a message of peace and tolerance towards minority communities living in multicultural Southeast Asia through her research and writing.