Presentation options available at the 3rd ICMBB:
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
PROF. DATUK WIRA DR. RAHA ABDUL RAHIM
Vice Chancellor,
Universiti Teknikel Malaysia Melaka (UTeM),
Malaysia
Prof. Raha graduated with a Degree in Microbiology from Oklahoma State University, USA and proceeded to do her MS degree at the University of Oklahoma. She joined Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in June 1991 as a tutor at the Department of Biotechnology and completed her PhD in Molecular Genetics at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Her main research interest is the Development of Lactic acid bacteria for delivery of useful proteins; plasmid biology, vaccine delivery and cell factory systems of lactic acid bacteria. She is also involved in other research including identification of genetic markers and authentication of halal products by molecular methods. She has supervised and co-supervised more than 80 post-graduate students, published more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals and filed several Intellectual Property rights. Prof. Raha has held several administrative posts at both the University and National levels, such as the Director of Research Management Center, Deputy Dean of Research, Biosafety Chair for Genetically Modified Organisms at UPM, and was the Director at the Institution of Higher Education Excellence Planning Division, Department of Higher Education, the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). As the Director, she was in-charge of the overall Innovation Ecosystem as stipulated in the Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint 2015-2025. Her division specifically managed MoHE’s research & development programs that are the Research Universities (RU), Higher Institutions’ Centers of Excellence (HICOEs) and MoHE Fundamental Grant Scheme (FRGS). In addition, she also coordinated the matching international and industrial grants (MyPAIR - 2019), R&D databases (MyRA and MyGRANTS) and facilitated activities relating to the promotion of R&D products from the Institutions of Higher Learning, Malaysia. She is currently the Vice-Chancellor of University Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), a public university focusing on technology enhancement and producing highly skilled technologists, and is a National Science Council member, Board member for the Malaysian Examination Council, Council member for the Engineering Technology Advisory Board, selection committee for National Academic Award, and others. Prof. Raha is also the past president of two professional societies, the Malaysian Society for Microbiology (MSM) and the Malaysian Society of Lactic Acid Bacteria (MSLAB). She is also affiliated to several other professional societies such as the Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and the Malaysian Genetics Society. At the international stage, she is a reviewer for many indexed journals, a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and was the Sec-general to the Asian Federation of Societies for Lactic Acid Bacteria (AFSLAB).
PROF. DR. GEORGES SNOUNOU
Directeur de Recherche 2ème Classe (DR2) CNRS
Senior Scientist at the UPMC/INSERM UMR S 945 “Infection & Immunité”, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI),
France.
Prof. Snounou’s scientific career has been dedicated to the study of Plasmodium protozoan parasites, the causative agents of malaria. This parasitic disease, predominantly prevalent in the subtropical poorer areas of the globe, exacts immense health and economic burdens. His interest in these pathogens does not only rest on their major impact on Public Health, but also because they offer a quintessential model for fundamental biological studies. The overall approach adopted during his research in malaria was the application of molecular biological techniques to elucidate various aspects of malaria biology. The questions he addressed were selected in the context of a broad understanding of the infection from an epidemiological, immunological, clinical and biological perspective. He did not restrict himself to a single model system. Field and clinical observations in humans allowed defining and prioritising facets of the infection for further investigation. Prof. Snounou considers it both important and intellectually enriching to confront, whenever appropriate, data derived from humans with those obtained in the laboratory models, and from observations of other natural host-parasite combinations. The importance of the genetical diversity that each parasite species displays has been a constant factor in his research. He has devised tools and approaches that have been widely adopted by the malaria research community and now constitute a basis for the molecular epidemiological studies conducted on malaria. It became possible for the first time to conduct investigations where the dynamics of distinct parasite populations could be established and correlated with immunological, biological and clinical parameters of the infection. He actively pursues investigations that address four broad topics: a) the genetic diversity of Plasmodium species that infect humans b) the biology and immunology of the hepatic stage of the infection, c) the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria, and d) the molecular characterization of Plasmodium species in higher primates.
PLENARY SPEAKERS
PROF. DR. JENNIFER ANN HARIKRISHNA
Director
Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR)
Professor, Genetics & Molecular Biology,
Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Originally from the UK, Prof. Dr. Jennifer Ann Harikrishna completed her Bachelor of Sciences degree in Microbiology at the University of Surrey, U.K. then was awarded a Whitbread Scholarship to pursue her doctoral thesis on the molecular genetics of industrial yeast at the Cranfield Institute of Technology, Cranfield University, U.K. for which she was awarded Chancellors Gold Medal for the most outstanding graduate student of the year in 1990. She followed this with a two year post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) before moving to Malaysia. She held positions at TropBio Research Sdn. Bhd., University Putra Malaysia and the Malaysia University of Science and Technology before returning to work at the University of Malaya in 2006. Prof. Jenni is currently the Director of the Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR) at the University of Malaya and holds a joint appointment as a Professor in the Genetics Programme under the Faculty of Science at the University of Malaya. Prof. Jenni also holds a current appointment as an Honorary Visiting Fellow in the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology at the University of Leicester, UK. Prof. Jenni’s current research focus is on the molecular biology, biotechnology and biosafety of moncotolydenous plants including banana, medicinal ginger, orchid and oil palm. Dr Jenni became a full Professor at the University of Malaya in 2011 and currently manages CEBAR programmes as well as her own research grants as Principle Investigator, supervising several graduate students continuing to author scientific publications.
PROF. DR. JULIA GORELIK
Imperial College, London
United Kingdom
Prof. Julia is working in the interface between biophysics and cardiovascular research. She obtained her PhD. in Cell Biology from St. Petersburg Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Science. She is a Professor of Cellular Biophysics at Imperial College London. She was at the forefront in developing a new high resolution microscopic technique that is suitable for studying living cells - Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM). Prof Julia has a longstanding interest in the heart. BY combining SICM and FRET microscopy, she is studying compartmentation of cyclic nucleotide signaling in cardiomyocytes. Using SICM in combination with patch-clamp, Prof Julian is investigating local activation and function of ion channels, particularly LTCCs. This enables Prof Julian to define the link between cardiomyocyte structure and function in defined signaling nanodomains. Prof Julia is interested in how these nanodomains are disturbed in heart failures, working with human cardiomyocytes from patients. She found that the beta2-adrenergic receptors and LTCCs redistribute in failing cells leading to perturbed signaling.
PROF. HIROYUKI FUTAMATA
Professor
Shizuoka University, Japan.
Prof. Futamata's research area is in environmental microbiology (bioremediation, wastewater treatment, bio-fuel [microbial fuel cell], managing of microbial community).
PROF. DR. PASCAL DEGRAEVE
BioDyMIA (Bioengineering and Microbial Dynamics at Food Interfaces) research unit
Université Lyon 1 (Bourg en Bresse campus)
France
Prof. Pascal Degraeve is teaching food science and technology at the Université Lyon 1 in the Bourg en Bresse campus, where he is heading the BioDyMIA (Bioengineering and Microbial Dynamics at Food Interfaces) research unit. He is the author or coauthor of 80 papers in international refereed journals and 90 conference contributions. His research interests in food biotechnology are mainly focused on the investigation and exploitation of enzymes in food systems and innovative strategies for biopreservation of perishable foods based on the association of antimicrobial biomolecules or bioprotective lactic acid bacteria with biopolymers.
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PROF. DR. MOHD EFFENDY BIN ABDUL WAHID
Senior Professor,
School of Fisheries & Food Sciences,
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu,
Malaysia
Prof. Dr. Mohd Effendy is a senior Professor at the School of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. He is a member of the Institute of Marine Biotechnology and Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, both in University Malaysia Terengganu. He is working on understanding the potential of mucosal immunology in small ruminants in protection against respiratory bacteria pathogen. Apart from immunology, his research has expanded on searching for bioactive compounds from traditional herbs as well as aquatic resources for health purposes i.e. speeding up the wound healing process, reducing hypercholesterolemia, and side effects of the compound to hosts cells. He has published more than 70 research articles and is actively collaborating with many international institutions.
PROF. DR. IAN McCREADIE
School of Science,
RMIT University,
Australia.
Ian Macreadie has been a project leader at CSIRO Australia (24 years) and RMIT University (10 years) employing yeast genetic engineering for production of a viral subunit vaccine and for studies on mitochondrial function, malaria, Pneumocystis, HIV and Alzheimer’s Disease. He has published 170 articles and book chapters and has taught and co-ordinated courses in Industrial Microbiology and Protein Technologies. Currently he is an Honorary Professor of RMIT University and has been Editor-in-Chief of Microbiology Australia since 2006. He has enjoyed collaborations with Malaysian researchers studying the beneficial effects of mushrooms on neurodegenerative diseases.
INVITED SPEAKERS
DR. DAVID ROSS APPLETON
Head of Biotechnology and Breeding,
Sime Darby Plantation
Group Research & Development,
Malaysia
Dr. Appleton obtained a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Auckland, New Zealand with experience in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, as well as Process Engineering. He came to Malaysia in 2008 on attachment to Universiti Malaya after working for five years for MerLion Pharmaceuticals in Singapore as a Principal Research Scientist in Drug Discovery. He went on to join Sime Darby in 2010 and is currently the Head of Biotechnology and Breeding in Sime Darby Plantation R&D since 2015.
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DR. MADHURI SONAL SALKER
Tübingen University,
Germany
Dr Madhuri Salker completed her medical degree in at Kings College London, then moved to the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London where she obtained a PhD in Reproductive Medicine. In 2014, she received the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship and relocated to Tübingen University, Germany. She was subsequently awarded the DFG Excellence Fellowship (German national research funding agency). In 2019, she was awarded the Margarete von Wrangell-Habilitationsprogramm für Frauen (Tenure track) which is a joint funded project by the EU and by the state of Baden-Württemberg. Her main research interest is on understanding the local mechanisms within the endometrium involved in implantation and early pregnancy loss.
PROF. DR. CHONG PEI PEI
Professor
Taylor's University,
Malaysia
Prof Chong graduated from UMIST, the University of Manchester (UK), with a First Class Honours degree in B.Sc. in Biochemistry and later went on to pursue her Ph.D. at the same university. She received full scholarships for both her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. She is mainly a molecular biologist who adopts the molecular and omics platforms to solve problems in infectious disease diagnosis and fundamental questions about the role of viral etiology in premalignant conditions and carcinogenesis. She was involved in collaborative research in various fields including microbiology and infections, and cancer genetic susceptibility. Prior to joining Taylor’s university , she served with University Putra Malaysia for many years and held the position of Acting Deputy Dean of Research at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. She had also worked as a Visiting Research Associate Professor in National University of Singapore (NUS). She has been actively involved in collaborative research in topics such as links between genetic polymorphism and cancer risks for virus-associated cervical cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer and more recently, prostate cancer. She also worked with an NUS team to unravel the role that the HPV virus plays in cancer initiation in some subsets of breast cancer.
ASSOC. PROF. DR. ARINTHIP THAMCHAIPENET
Associate Professor,
Department of Genetics,
Kasertsat University, Bangkok
Thailand
Prof. Arinthip Thamchaipenet has been working on diversity, taxonomy, and genetics of actinomycetes for nearly thirty years. Her interest is on plant-actinomycetes interaction towards increment of growth, stress tolerance, and plant immunity. She has been working on genome analysis and gene manipulation to activate new silent biosynthetic gene clusters to produce new bioactive compounds.
ASSOC. PROF. DR SITI AQLIMA AHMAD
Universiti Putra Malaysia,
Malaysia
Siti Aqlima Ahmad has completed her PhD at the age of 29 from Universiti Putra Malaysia from Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences. Se is the head of laboratory of Eco-Remediation Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her research interests are in the fields of bioremediation, toxicology, environmental biotechnology and enzymology. Overall, these researches are focused on tropical and polar environment including Antarctica and Artic. Besides, she had published 157 journals in Scopus. Currently, her H index for 2021 in Scopus had reached 18.
ASSOC. PROF. DR. JAMES BADGER WING
Osaka University,
Japan
Originally from the UK, Dr Wing completed his PhD training and first postdoctoral research at the University of Sheffield, UK, where he worked on innate immunity and vaccination. From here he became interested in the regulation of B-cell responses and moved to the laboratory of Professor Shimon Sakaguchi at the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Japan, in 2010. While there Dr Wing’s research has focused on the control of B-cell responses by regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and their subgroup, T-follicular regulatory cells (Tfr). In 2019 he formed the laboratory of Human Immunology (Single Cell Immunology) as a new group at the IFReC, Osaka University. He is currently working on the use of mass cytometry to explore the diversity of Tregs and other cell types in a variety of settings, such as autoimmunity and infectious disease.