Dr. Lai Meng Yee obtained a Bachelor of Science (Microbiology) from Universiti Sains Malaysia (2006) and a Master of Biotechnology (2011) and PhD (2018) from Universiti Malaya. She served as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine (2019–2024) and has been a Senior Lecturer in the same department since July 2024. Her expertise includes molecular parasitology, malaria epidemiology, and diagnostic kit development. Her research focuses on host–parasite interactions, parasite invasion mechanisms, and host cell receptors/ligands. She identified a potential host binding partner of Toxoplasma gondii and studies malaria pathogenesis using molecular epidemiology. Her work includes the distribution of zoonotic malaria parasites and the detection and differentiation of human and zoonotic species using molecular techniques such as real-time PCR, recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). She has developed diagnostic assays for malaria, SARS-CoV-2, and dengue, several of which are patented. Recently, Dr. Lai has focused on lateral flow–based diagnostics for rapid detection of zoonotic and human malaria parasites. In collaboration with an industry partner, she is developing LAMP-LF and RPA-LF point-of-care kits, as well as a novel aptamer-based LAMP platform. These technologies aim to provide sensitive, portable, and affordable diagnostics for use in resource-limited settings. She has received multiple innovation awards, including Gold and medal prizes at the Korea Creative Invention Contest 2017, Cabaran Inovasi Inklusif 2018 Zon Tengah, World Invention Innovation Contest 2018, International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada 2022, and Innovasi Kreativiti Teknologi Keusahawanan dan Masyarakat. Most recently, she received the Medical Science Field Order of Merit at the Korea International Women’s Invention Exposition 2025. To date, Dr. Lai has published over 50 ISI-indexed papers, with 609 citations and an H-index of 14 (Web of Science), and 863 citations with an H-index of 15 (Google Scholar). She has supported more than 40 postgraduate research projects, with 2 Master’s and 1 PhD students successfully graduated. She currently supervises 1 PhD student, 2 Master’s students, 2 final-year project students, and 4 interns. Recently, she was awarded a research grant from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia to advance her zoonotic malaria research, and also serves as Co-Principal Investigator in parasitology projects involving entomology and ectoparasites. Overall, Dr. Lai’s work has advanced disease detection and prevention, establishing her as a leading young scientist and role model in the research community.  

Dr Nithiah Thangiah has been working in the research field for the past 12 years. She has been involved in many projects on population health at the Centre for Population Health (CePH), Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya. Her research interest includes survey design, data management and data analysis. She is comfortable in using SPSS, Stata and JASP for data analysis. She has gained a Masters in Applied Statistics and PhD in Public Health (Adolescent Health). Her PhD in cluster analysis has enhanced her statistical skills while exploring adolescent health and CVD risk factors in Malaysia. She has published and co-authored several papers during her career as a researcher.

Professor Dr THONG Meow Keong studied medicine and trained in Paediatrics at the University of Malaya. He received genetics training in Singapore and was a Fellow in Clinical Genetics at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide and as a Senior Fellow at the renowned Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He was recognized as the first board-certified clinical geneticist in Malaysia and helped established Clinical Genetics as a subspecialty in the National Specialist Register Malaysia. He established the first Genetics clinic with genetic counselling service at the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur in 1995 and headed the Genetics & Metabolism Unit at the Department of Paediatrics. He received a Doctorate in Medicine from University of Malaya in 2004, for research on the molecular genetics of beta thalassaemia and discovering the molecular basis of beta thalassaemia in the Kadazandusuns in Sabah.   Professor Thong was a Fulbright scholar at the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, USA and a past recipient of the 8th Royal College of Physicians of London and Academy of Medicine of Malaysia Annual Research Award, Australia-Malaysia Fellowship in Research Excellence, the Travel Award by the Asian Society for Pediatric Research Japan, University of Malaya Distinguished Service awards. He also won three gold medals in ITEX and Biotechnology Asia invention and innovation competitions. In 2019, he received the Minister of Education of Malaysia Award for Curriculum Design and Innovation as well as University of Malaya's Excellence Award for 'Distinguished Research in Science'. He was also the recipient for the prestigious American Society of Human Genetics Advocacy Award 2022 and the Star Golden Hearts Award in 2024 in recognition of efforts in developing genetic and genomic healthcare for all. Professor Thong has published over 120 peer-reviewed publications on research work done on genetic disorders that hitherto have not been well documented in the various Asian subpopulations. He co-authored 8 books, including Handbook of Hospital Paediatrics (2nd edition), Problem-based Learning in Medical Sciences and Rare Journeys of Love and 15 book chapters, including a chapter in the prestigious Oxford monograph Genomics and Health in the Developing World and presented in many national and international conferences, including 200 proceedings and 10 keynote / plenary lectures. His h-index for Web Of Science / Scopus / Google Scholar was 26 / 29 / 36, respectively with over 2600 citations (Scopus). He worked closely with the Ministry of Health Malaysia in developing the counselling module for thalassaemia and other clinical practice guidelines. He collaborated with the World Health Organization and March of Dimes in preparing a document on management of birth defects and haemoglobinopathies as well as rare diseases. He was the lead author for two policy papers, including a White Paper on 'Rare Diseases in Malaysia' written in conjunction with the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and helped developed the National Policy on Rare Diseaes in Malaysia in 2025 He was the past President of the Asia-Pacific Society of Human Genetics, founding Vice President of the Medical Genetics Society of Malaysia, Chairman of the Clinical Genetics sub-speciality committee of the National Specialist Register Malaysia, appointed member of the Education committee member in Paediatrics by the Malaysian Medical Council and President of the College of Paediatrics, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia. He was the Head, Department of Paediatrics, University of Malaya from 2009 – 2011 with the notable achievement of overseeing the successful transition of the Department of Paediatrics to the new Women’s and Children’s Health Complex of UMMC. He was also appointed as the founding Head, Genetic Medicine unit of the University Malaya Medial Centre. He was elected as a Fellow of Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, Academy of Medicine Singapore, Academy of Sciences Malaysia and ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology. He was elected a steering committee member of the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative (G2MC) in 2022. Professor Thong is also a reviewer for international journal manuscripts, research grant applications as well as an examiner for national and international medical examinations in Sydney, Melbourne, Dhaka and Hong Kong. He co-authored the new Malaysian Paediatrics postgraduate curriculum in conjunction with the National Postgradaute Medical Curriculum Writing project. He organized the 10th Asia-Pacific Conference on Human Genetics and is the founding National Advisor to the Malaysian Rare Disorders Society in 2004. He helped established the Genetic Counselling Society of Malaysia. He organised the first UM-Chinese University of Hong Kong Certificate Course in Clinical Genetics and Genomics at the University of Malaya. His current interests include delineation of rare disorders, preventive and curative strategies for genetic disorders, genetic counselling, inborn errors of metabolism. medical education and access to genetics and genomics services in developing countries. He was the first to start expanded newborn screening program in a public hospital in Malaysia and initiated enzyme replacement therapy before 2000 and gene therapy for patients with spinal muscular atrophy in 2020. He undertook the first clinical trials for gene therapy and won awards for  being the top research reruiter in Malaysia. He has obtained over 20 research grants worth over RM8 million and has international collaborations with renowned centres in Australia, Saudi Arabia, USA, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. He started the first clinical genetics and genomic education programs for medical students followed by specialist trainees in Malaysia as well as trained the first genetic counsellors