Dr Mohammed Rizman bin Idid is an evolutionary biologist and molecular ecologist, whose scientific research projects mainly focus in providing baseline information on biodiversity and ecology of various terrestrial and marine organisms in Malaysia. His initial research projects were focused on freshwater fishes, before expanding towards the marine and coastal environment investigating jellyfish, marine fungi, and mangroves. These studies employ molecular genetic techniques, such as DNA sequencing of biological resources, species assemblages and communities in natural ecosystems. Elements of DNA barcoding and phylogenetics are utilized for species identification, detection and monitoring that facilitate conservation and management of natural ecosystems. He also applies ‘omics’ technologies to study organismal responses and adaptations to environmental stressors in the context of climate change. He is also considered as a pioneer and authority of jellyfish biodiversity and ecology in Malaysia, thus contributing his expertise towards jellyfish studies in Southeast Asia. He is active in polar research looking into the response and adaptation of climate change on fungi and the phylogenetics of marine and polar fungi. As environmental changes may elicit chemical changes, he is also interested in the bioactivity of compounds derived from fungi and marine organisms. He is currently a senior lecturer attached to the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya, where he is the Coordinator for Course Development of Academic Program and IOES Risk Coordinator. In IOES, he previously served as the Head of Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Studies Research Unit (2013-2018) and was the Coordinator of Bachok Marine Research Station (2012). He was also Coordinator for Bioinformatics Programme in the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya (2008-2012). At a national level, he represents the Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences as Executive Committee of the Confederation of Scientific and Technological Associations in Malaysia (2022-2024). He was also President of Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences (2012-2014). Since 2008, he has secured national and international research grants as Principal Investigator and as Co-Investigator totalling to RM 1,205,304 and RM 765,400, respectively. His expertise in the field of jellyfish taxonomy and ecology has earned regional recognition through regular invitations under ‘IOC-Westpac Harmful Jellyfish Workshops’ and as reviewer of international journals. His jellyfish photos have even been immortalised by Pos Malaysia as a postage stamp under Malaysia-Thailand joint issue ‘Marine Creatures’. Being a scuba-diver, he has led several national and internationally organized expedition surveys of marine parks and protected areas in Malaysia. Findings from the 2018 ‘Biodiversity Expedition in Melaka and Negeri Sembilan’ have led to the gazettement of three islands in Melaka as marine protected areas. As a polar fungi scientist, he has contributed towards many workshops and several ‘Malaysian International Symposium on Antarctica’ conferences. He is also a research grant recipient of the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation (YPASM). He was Data Deputy Advisor for Ocean Hackathon Kuala Lumpur 2022, organized by the French Embassy, Malaysia.        To date, he has H-index = 10  and published over 40 peer-reviewed articles, 4 books and 6 book chapters, with over 400 citations. He has supervised 4 PhD students and 10 master students to completion and currently oversees 6 ongoing students (2 PhD and 4 MSc). 

NORAINI AHMAD obtained her BSc (Hons) in Applied Chemistry from the Universiti Malaya in 2003. In 2008, she received her MSc in Colloid and Surface Chemistry, while in 2012 she obtained her PhD in Physical Chemistry, both from the Universiti Malaya. During her PhD studies, she went for a research attachment at the Instituto de Química Avanzada de Cataluña - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain in 2010-2012 funded by the InForm Project, EU-FP7 and the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) Malaysia. Her journey and experience led her to be selected as a Nanobiotechnology Scientist/Expert representing Malaysia at the Workshop of Scientists from Russia and the ASEAN Countries - Nanobiotechnology: Achievement and Scope held in Vladivostok, Russia in 2015. Formerly, she was a lecturer at the Centre for Foundation Studies, International Islamic University Malaysia (CFS IIUM) for more than 3 years before joining Universiti Malaya in 2008. After obtaining her PhD, she was appointed as a Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya in 2012 and was later promoted to a Senior Lecturer in 2013. Currently, she is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya. She is currently holding a number of major administrative duties, namely:1. Director, Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares)2. Coordinator, Formulation and Product Development Unit, Centre for Natural Products Research and Drug Discovery (CENAR), Universiti Malaya3. STEM Representative of the Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya STEM Centre Additionally, she has broad experience as a Deputy Director of the Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Center (UMCares)(2022-2024), in which previously as a Fellow of UMCares (2019-2021). In addition, she has been honored and invited as a Visiting Professor at several universities internationally. She has also been invited as a keynote speaker and invited speaker at several international conferences. Her areas of expertise are in Physical Chemistry (colloid chemistry, liquid crystal, surfactant, self-assembly structure, green chemistry, chemical kinetics), Nanomaterials Formulation and Drug Delivery Systems. Her research interests are focused on the formulation of nanocarrier systems based on lipids and other surfactants for pharmaceutical, medical, cosmeceutical, and nutraceutical applications. Moreover, she has been awarded several internal and external research grants as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator (>MYR12,000,000). Besides, she has won numerous awards nationally and internationally. Apart from teaching and research, Noraini is also an active member in her university, holding a number of administrative posts, technical committee member and research grants evaluator. She is also actively involved in various social activities / programmes at the national and international level.

I, Dr. Kamal azrin Abdullah @ Kalai Arasu Muthusamy am an Associate Professor and Consultant Neurosurgeon at the University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur. I earned my medical degree (MBBS) at The University Of Malaya in 1995. I completed my 4 years of General Surgical Training and started my Neurosurgical training at University Malaya Medical Centre in 2002. I underwent subspecialty training in Functional Neurosurgery and Movement Disorders under Professor Tipu Aziz (a world authority in the field of Functional Neurosurgery and Deep Brain Stimulation) at Functional Neurosurgery group, Oxford University. Under the guidance of Professor Tipu Aziz and Professor John Stein (a senior Neuroscientist at Oxford University and a world authority on Dyslexia), I received my DPhil (Oxon) from the University of Oxford and completed my training in Functional Neurosurgery in 2009. I am currently the Head of Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit & Functional Neurosurgery & Neuromodulation Unit at University Malaya Medical Centre. My Clinical Work focused mainly on Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement disorder such as Parkinson's Disease, dystonia and others. At University Malaya Medical Centre , we are the centre performing the highest number of DBS surgery Nationally & Regionally and are linked to global database. My research focused mainly on the advanced Parkinson s symptoms such as akinesia and the role of Pedunculopontine Nucleus in movement disorder. I also worked out the connectivity of the peduncolopontine connectivity in humans and non-human primates and their role in movement disorder. I have numerous publications in international medical journals mainly on the role of PPN in movement disorder as stated in my CV.