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Professor Dr. Chua Kek Heng is a professor of molecular biology in the Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya. His research areas include various disease polymorphism studies, mutation investigation studies, characterization of bacterial virulence factors and diagnostic kit development.

Professor Dr. Chua has attained outstanding achievements in terms of publications, intellectual property rights and patents. His commitment and relentless hard work has lead to more than 140 high quality publications. His contributions in science and technology are not only limited to novel scientific innovations but also allow further understanding between human disease and their association with various genetic factors and microorganisms. On a personal note, Professor Chua has a pleasant disposition and gets along very well with his fellow academics and staff. He is also modest and always willing to assist younger and “inexperience” staff to higher goals. Professor Chua is an outstanding scientist as he does not concentrate on his own achievements, but he “builds” leaders. He makes it his duty to prepare and train his younger staff, colleagues and students to carry on his research.

Professor Dr. Chua’s commitment to the study of genotyping of diseases has resulted in the successful mapping of important disease predisposing markers for systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn’s disease and retinopathy in the Malaysian population. The frequencies and distributions of those polymorphisms or mutations in the three main ethnic groups in Malaysia are vital in disease development prediction and allow early preventive measures. These innovative approaches, tests and kits will allow more cost effective, rapid, sensitive and specific detection and confirmation of human diseases and microbial infections. His efforts have been recognised at the national and international levels as he currently holds 20 national and 7 international patents. A diagnostic kit for malaria was developed by Professor Chua. It has been successfully commercialised in 2011. The kit is the world’s first PCR based malaria detection system which is able to detect all 5 different species of plasmodium (malaria parasites) in a single PCR assay.

Professor Dr. Chua has contributed much to the transfer of scientific knowledge in his capacity as a committee/panel member for the evaluation of numerous internal and external grants/projects, namely Science Fund, FRGS, UMRG, PPP and ERGS. He is also actively involved in organizing national/international workshops to introduce up-to-date technologies to young Malaysian researches and to train young scientists in molecular “bench” skills. To date, he has delivered more than a hundred presentations in various seminars, expositions and conferences. At an international level, he has been a reviewer for many ISI (WOS) publications.

Professor Dr. Chua has also been selected to represent the University of Malaya in various major national and international exhibitions/competitions such as Bio-Malaysia, International Invention, Innovation and Technology exhibition (ITEX), International Exposition of Research and Invention of Institutions of Higher Learning (PECIPTA), USA Invention New Product Exposition (INPEX), Nuremberg International Invention Fair (IENA), Germany, Biotechnology Asia Expo, International Exhibition of Inventions, New Technology & Products, Geneva, Switzerland and the Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF), Korea. He has been awarded with more than 90 prestigious scientific recognitions for his perseverance in research and for his excellent research innovations. Overall, Professor Chua’s contributions to both the scientific community and to society are highly commendable.