Curriculum Vitae

DR. MEGAT HAFIZZUDDIN BIN ABD HAMID

Senior Lecturer
  • Department of Molecular Medicine
    Faculty of Medicine
  • megat.abdhamid

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Megat HBA Hamid is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya. He is an immunobiologist with over nine years of experience in immune-biology, receptor-ligand signalling and spatial tissue immunology. His past work focuses on investigating the intrinsic signalling modulating immune resposnes of cytotoxic T and antibody-producing B cells. In UM, his work focuses on expanding beyond intrinsic T and B cell mechanisms, by exploring the cross-talks between immune, stromal and structural cells in the development and regulation of barrier tissue immunity, as well as during spatial and temporal progression of a disease (with a particular focus on lung injury, lung cancer and lung infections). He leverages cutting-edge technologies- including spatial proteo-transcriptomics, organoid modelling and co-culture functional assays to study cellular heterogeneity, disease-immune dynamics and therapeutic targets.

He did his DPhil in Medical Sciences at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford following completion of his undergraduate Bachelor of Biotechnology at the Australian National University. He later held postdoctoral appointments at Oxford Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford (2020-2025), where he led and co-authored multiple high-impact studies, including in Nature Immunology, Cancer Immunology Research, Frontiers of Immunology and Thorax. His research has received international recognition through invited talks, travel awards and poster prize at leading conferences including Keystone Symposium and International Congress of Immunology.

He also has experience working in industry, as an intern at the University-Industry Partnership Department, Bioeconomy Corporation, Malaysia in 2015. He has served as a reviewer for journals (Communications Biology and Immunotherapy Advances) and for international grant bodies such as the Dutch Research Council. In 2023, he was awarded the University of Oxford's Award for Excellence- recognising his passion and motivation on immunological research.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION

  • PhD (Medical Sciences), (MEDICAL SCIENCES)
    University of Oxford, United Kingdom
  • BSc (Biotechnology), (BIOTECHNOLOGY)
    Australian National University

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

  • Ahli Jawatankuasa Task Force untuk membangunkan kursus di Jabatan
    30 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2026 (Department)
  • Appointment as member of the College of Reviewers
    31 Jul 2025 - 31 Mar 2026 (International)
  • Ahli bagi Jawatakuasa Spesifikasi Sebut Harga/Tender bagi perolehan bekalan bagi Jabatan
    13 Jun 2025 - 31 Dec 2025 (Department)
  • Ahli Jawatankuasa Penyelidikan dan Jaringan Antarabangsa Jabatan
    05 May 2025 - 31 Dec 2025 (Department)
  • Ahli Jawatankuasa Spesifikasi Sebut Harga/Tender Bagi Ulta-Low Temperature Lab Freezer di Jabatan
    16 May 2025 - 31 Dec 2025 (Department)
  • Acting Manager
    01 Nov 2021 - 30 Jun 2022 (International)

MEMBERSHIPS

  • SINGAPORE SOCIETY OF IMMUNOLOGY, MEMBER
    2025 to 2025 (International)
  • ASIA PACIFIC SOCIETY OF RESPIROLOGY, MEMBER
    2025 to present (International)

AWARD AND STEWARDSHIP

  • Lockey Travel Fund
    2024, MPLS, University of Oxford, University
  • Awards for Excellence
    2023, University of Oxford, University
  • Poster Prize, IMMOX- Immunology Across Space and Time Conference
    2023, IMMOX Organising Committee, International
  • Visiting Fellow/Lecturer
    2022, Universiti Malaya, University
  • Student Travel Fund- for attending Keystone Symposium
    2019, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, International
  • Certificate of Honours Acknowledgement
    2012, Golden Key International Honours Society, International
  • Commendation for excellence in Chemistry
    2011, Department of Chemistry, Australian National University, University

PUBLICATIONS

Article in Journal
  1. 7.Bottomley, MJ, … Hamid MA, et al., 2025. Localised signalling networks co-opt TGF-B2 to promote an immune-exclusive mesenchymal niche within human squamous cell carcinoma. medRxiv
  2. Pereira Pinho M, … Hamid MHBA, et al., 2025. Comprehensive characterisation of tumor-specific CD8 T cells in HR+ breast cancer patients reveal an impaired antitumoral response in patients with lymph node metastasis. Cell Reports Medicine , In Press
  3. 1.HAMID MHBA, Cespedes PF, Jin C, et. al., 2024. An unconventional CD61 integrin expression on human antigen-specific CD8+ T cell promotes anti-tumor effector and cytotoxic immunity. Nat. Immunol., 25(5), 834-846.
  4. Dong, T & HAMID MHBA, 2024. Transient synaptic CD61 pairing with CD103 increases the cytotoxicity of antigen-specific T cells. Nat Immunol, 25, 739-740.
  5. 10.Zhao Y, … Hamid MBA, et al, 2023. Phenotype and characterisation of the immunosuppressive mechanisms of malignant pleural effusion fluid. Eur. Resp. J., 62(suppl 67).
  6. 9.Zhao Y, … Hamid MBA, et al, 2023. Dactinomycin could prime immune cell therapy via activation of tumor cell STING. Eur. Resp. J., 62(suppl 67).
  7. Peng Y, … ABD HAMID M, et al., 2022. An immunodominant NP105-113-B*07:02 cytotoxic T cell response controls viral replication and is associated with less severe COVI-19 disease. Nat. Immunol., 23(1), 50-61.
  8. Zhao Y, … Hamid MBA, et al, 2022. Patient derived malignant pleural effusion cell cultures as a platform to understand pleural malignancies and advance personalised treatment. ERJ Open Res., 8(suppl 8).
  9. Asciak R, … HAMID MA, et al., 2021. Pleural fluid has pro-growth biological properties which enable cancer cell proliferation. Front. Oncol., 11, 1-8.
  10. 2.ABD HAMID M, et al., 2020. Self-maintaining CD103+ cancer-specific T cells are highly energetic with rapid cytotoxic and effector responses. Cancer Immunol. Res., 8(2), 203-216.
  11. 3.Kanellakis NI, Asciak R, ABD HAMID M, et al., 2020. Patient-derived malignant pleural mesothelioma cell cultures: a tool to advance biomarker-driven treatments. Thorax, 75(11), 1004-1008.
  12. ABD HAMID M, Peng Y, Dong T. 2020. Human cancer germline antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell- what can we learn from patient. Cellular & Molecular Immunol., 17(7), 684-692.
  13. ABD HAMID M, et al., 2020. Defective interferon gamma production by tumor-specific CD8+ T cells is associated with 5’methylcytosine-guanine hypermethylation of interferon gamma promoter. Front. Immunol., 11, 310.
  14. Asciak, R, … Hamid, MA, et al., 2020. Studying the biological properties of pleural fluid: pleural fluid alone is adequate for cancer cell proliferation in vitro. Eur. Resp. J., 56(suppl 64).
  15. Yao X, Hamid MA, et al., 2020. Clinical perspective and practises on pleural effusions in chronic systemic inflammatory diseases. Breathe, 16(4), 200-203.
  16. ABD HAMID M, et al., 2019. Enriched HLA-E and CD94/NKG2a interaction limits antitumor CD8+ tumor-infiltrating T lymphocyte responses. Cancer Immunol. Res., 7(8), 1293-1306.
  17. HAMID MA, et al., 2018. Unexpected involvement of IL-13 signaling via a STAT6 independent mechanism during murine IgG2a development following viral vaccination. Eur. J. Immunol., 48(7): 1153-1163.

RESEARCH INTEREST

  • Immunology (T cells, B cells, ligand-receptor interactions, phenotypes)
  • Bioinformatics- Transcriptomics (scRNA-Seq, spatial transcriptomics, data mining, R-based, Rstudio)
  • Lung Biology (lung disease, lung cancer, infection, inflammation)

PAPER PRESENTED

INVITED SPEAKER
  1. Decoding the Lung Immune Ecosystem: From Fundamental Insights to Biomedical Impact, 1st International Biomedical Conference 2025, Persatuan Pegawai Penyelidik KKM (International) (03 Sep 2025 - 04 Sep 2025)
  2. Deciphering the mechanisms and characteristics of CD103+ antigen-specific T cells, SBMS School Seminar, School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW (University) (28 Jun 2024 - 28 Jun 2024)
  3. Functional roles of CD61+ cancer-specific T cells, Oxford Centre for Immuno-Oncology Network Annual Symposium, Oxford Centre for Immuno-Oncology (National) (07 Jun 2024 - 07 Jun 2024)
  4. Pandemic and Cancer: Perspective from Immunological Research, Breakfast@UMHealth, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya (University) (22 Nov 2023 - 22 Nov 2023)
  5. The functional immune role of CD61 in cancer-specific T cell responses, CAMS - Oxford Network Conference, CAMS (International) (01 Jun 2023 - 03 Jun 2023)
POSTER PRESENTER
  1. Unconventional human CD61 pairing with CD103 promotes TCR signaling and antigen-specific T cell cytotoxicity, Keystone Symposium, Keystone (International) (17 Mar 2024 - 20 Mar 2024)
  2. CD61 integrin role in cancer T cell cyotoxicity, IMMOX-Immunology Across Space and Time Conference, MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit (International) (11 Sep 2023 - 12 Sep 2023)
  3. Enriched HLA-E and CD94/NKG2A Interaction Limits Antitumor CD8+ Tumor-Infiltrating T Lymphocyte Responses, International Congress of Immunology, International Union of Immunological Societies (International) (17 Oct 2019 - 19 Oct 2019)
  4. Self-maintaining CD103+ cancer-specific T cells are highly energetic with rapid cytotoxic and effector responses, Keystone Symposium, Keystone (International) (14 Mar 2019 - 16 Mar 2019)

ACADEMIC/ PROF. SERVICES

Evaluation
  1. (2025) Panel Seminar Thesis Bagi Calon Phd Jabatan Perubatan Mikrobiologi, University, (Internal Examiner)
  2. (2025) Reviewer for Dutch Research Council (nwo) Round Open Technology Programme Otp 2025 Fund, International, (Reviewer)
  3. (2025) Review for a Research Article Manuscript, International, (Reviewer)

SUPERVISION

Postgraduate Student
PhD/ Doctoral
  1. (2024) The role of CD61 integrin in the immune response efficacy of CD8 cytotoxic T cells, YiWu Xu (Oxford University, Oxford, UK)

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ACTIVITIES

  • Interviewer for Multiple Mini Interview for Intake of MBBS Program, (04 Jun 2025 - 04 Jun 2025) (University)

COURSE ATTENDED

Internal/ External Course
  1. MOLECULAR MEDICINE BIOSAFETY AND BIOSECURITY WORKSHOP, JABATAN PERUBATAN MOLEKUL, FAKULTI PERUBATAN (15 Jul 2025 - 16 Jul 2025)
  2. THE ROLE OF BIOREACTOR IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE STUDY , JABATAN PERUBATAN MOLEKUL, FAKULTI PERUBATAN (10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025)
  3. INTERNATIONAL BIOMEDICAL CONFERENCE 2025, KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA (03 Sep 2025 - 04 Sep 2025)