Born in Melaka in 1977, Zailan bin Siri received his BSc (Hons) in Computational and Industrial Mathematics from Universiti Malaya in 2001, followed by an MSc in Applied Mathematics from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2004 and a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2012. He began his academic journey at Universiti Malaya in 2002 as a Tutor, became a Lecturer in 2004, was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2012, and rose to Associate Professor in 2018.

Since October 2020, he has held several strategic leadership roles, including Head of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (2020–2022), Quality Manager for the Faculty of Science from January 2024, and Deputy Dean (Undergraduate) starting September 2024.

In the classroom, he delivers a wide spectrum of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Applied Mathematics, focusing on problem-solving, computational methods, and mathematical modeling. He has effectively supervised numerous MSc and PhD candidates, with 13 doctoral and 8 master's theses completed under his guidance.

His research expertise lies in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Numerical Methods and Analysis, Boundary Layer Problems, and Mathematical Modelling. To date, he has authored over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and is leading multiple research grants as Principal Investigator. He is also extremely active in academic development and mentorship, contributing to curriculum design and quality assurance at UM and participating in national efforts to strengthen secondary school mathematics and addittional mathematics under the Ministry of Education, Malaysia.

Committed to enhancing the standard of mathematical sciences in Malaysia, he continues to foster a collaborative and dynamic environment within the Faculty of Science, making significant contributions to education, research, and institutional leadership.