Keynote Speakers
Professor Liu Boxiang
Genomic Data Science Lab,
National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
Professor Liu obtained a BA degree in Biophysics from Illinois Wesleyan University, a MS degree in Statistics and a PhD degree in Bioinformatics from Stanford University. He was a research leader at Baidu Research USA and joined the National University of Singapore as an Assistant Professor in 2022. His research group specializes in genetic regulation of molecular traits (QTLs) and single-cell multi-omics. He is the winner of the President's Award in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Stanford University CEHG fellowship, Charles B. Carrington Memorial Award, and the Chinese Government Outstanding Overseas Ph.D. Students. His research group focuses on using computational and statistical tools to understand the genetics of complex human diseases, with the long-term goal of validating known and identifying novel drug targets.
Professor Mohd Shahir Shamsir
Vice President
Innovation and Technology Managers Association (ITMA),
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia
Professor Shahir has made significant contributions to the advancement of research and innovation in Malaysia’s higher education sector. He served as the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) from 2020 to 2023, where he played a pivotal role in shaping research strategies and fostering a culture of innovation. One of his notable initiatives was championing the nationwide adoption of e-books as essential resources for research and learning. Starting with a pilot trial at UTHM, his efforts have led to widespread implementation across public universities, reflecting his commitment to modernizing academic resources and enhancing accessibility for faculty and students alike. Recognizing the importance of grassroots engagement, Professor Shahir actively provides training and mentorship to faculty members, ensuring the seamless integration of digital learning materials into academic curricula and research activities. Prior to his tenure at UTHM, he served as the Director of the Innovation and Commercialization Centre (ICC) from 2016 to 2019 and as the Deputy Director of the Research University at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) from 2012 to 2016. In these roles, he was instrumental in shaping policies and overseeing the management of intellectual property commercialization, consultancies, and contract research, further strengthening university-industry linkages.
Plenary Speakers
Professor Mai Chun Wai
Centre for Cancer and Stem Cell Research,
Institute for Research, Development and Innovation
IMU University, Malaysia
Professor Dr. Mai Chun Wai is a Professor at the Centre for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Institute for Research, Development and Innovation, IMU University. After completing his postdoctoral studies at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, he has gone on to secure over USD 1 million in research grants and consultancy projects. To date, he has published more than 100 research papers, with an H-index of 29, over 2,000 citations, and a combined impact factor of over 200. Prof. Mai has held research fellowships at renowned institutions, including the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, and the National Research Council in Naples. As a Chartered Scientist recognized by the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), he currently serves as the Focus Group Pharmacology Chair for FIP's New Medicine Special Interest Group and holds leadership roles in the Malaysian Pharmacists Society as Deputy General Treasurer and Chair of the Education Chapter. His work has earned him numerous accolades, such as the 2024 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Malaysians Award, the 2023 FIP Early Career in Pharmaceutical Science Award, the 2020 Shanghai Foreign Expert Programme Award, and the 2019 Rising Star Award by the Malaysian Association for Cancer Research. Prof Mai’s research is driven by a passion for innovation. He specializes in creating genomics and proteomics tools to tackle acute and chronic disorders and is actively involved in the discovery of new drugs, from natural compounds to synthetic ones. His dedication to advancing pharmaceutical sciences has positioned him as a leader and a collaborator on a global scale.
Professor Adeline Ting Su Yien
School of Science,
Monash University (Malaysia campus),
Malaysia
Professor Adeline is from Monash University Malaysia. She holds a PhD in Plant Pathology. Her research area is in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. In recent years, her work encompass research into Biodiversity Discovery, Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Production, as well as in Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change. Adeline is highly research-active, successfully securing 16 external grants throughout her career. She has published more than 100 refereed journal articles, 20 invited book chapters, and a single-authored book. Adeline's excellence in research has been recognized by several prestigious awards, including the National Outstanding Researcher Award (Biological Science) (2018) conferred by the Private Education Cooperative of Malaysia, several Pro-Vice Chancellor’s Award in Research and Education Excellence from Monash University Malaysia, as well as Innovation Awards with ITEX and Malaysia Technology Expo SDG.
Professor Qasim Ayub
Monash University Malaysia Genomics Platform
Monash University (Malaysia Campus)
Malaysia
Professor Ayub grew up in Pakistan and after obtaining his medical degree from the Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, he was offered a Thomas Jefferson Doctoral Fellowship to study at the University of North Texas, USA. It was there that he discovered his passion for science that has lasted till now. In 1992 he was offered a position to set up the tissue culture and flow cytometry facility in the Biomedical and Genetic Engineering Laboratories, Islamabad, Pakistan. His research focus gradually shifted towards human genetics as this laboratory became a focal point for the collection of indigenous population samples from Pakistan for the Human Genome Diversity Project. This collection formed the basis for a Wellcome Trust Collaborative Research Initiative Grant to analyze Y chromosomal DNA variation in Pakistan that resulted in the identification of markers that are routinely used in forensic DNA analysis nowadays. He received the President of Pakistan’s Medal of Excellence in Science for this work. In 2008 he moved to the world renowned Wellcome Sanger Institute and was involved in several projects, including the 1000 Genomes and gorilla sequencing projects. He joined Monash University Malaysia in 2017 and is currently the Deputy Head of School (Research) and Director of the Monash University Malaysia Genomics Platform. He continues to conduct research on genomics of human and non-human species with a focus on indigenous populations, particularly from South Asia. He also leads the Malaysian BioGenome Project that aims to generate high quality reference genomes for endemic eukaryotic species in Malaysia.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Goh Hoe Han
Institute of Systems Biology,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM),
Malaysia
Associate Professor Dr Goh is a plant molecular biologist who obtained his PhD from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom in 2011 before starting his first academic position at the Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Upon joining INBIOSIS, he pioneered the Plant Functional Genomics Research Group focusing on the molecular exploration of tropical plants and crop improvement using functional genomics approaches. Some of the tropical plant species include kesum, ketum, Rafflesia, and Nepenthes pitcher plants, as well as important crops, such as mangosteen, papaya, rice, tomato, and oil palm. His group has published over 85 indexed articles in reputable journals and seven books with a Google Scholar h-index of 22 and i10-index of 47 with 1,558 citations. For public outreach, he actively contributes op-eds as a columnist for New Straits Times. Dr Goh’s expertise in functional genomics is demonstrated as an instructor for qPCR and transcriptomics workshops and has been recognised as a regular invited speaker at international conferences and participating in national roundtable discussions.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chen ZhiYuan
School of Computer Science,
University of Nottingham,
Malaysia
Dr. Chen ZhiYuan is the Head of School and an Associate Professor at the School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia. She has been a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, since July 2022, and a Professional Member of the British Computer Society (BCS). Dr. Chen has extensive experience as a Principal Consultant for various government agencies, research organizations, and industries, including MIMOS (Accelerative Technology Lab), BAE Systems, TM R&D, Crops for the Future, and Tentacle Technologies. Dr Chen received her MPhil and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Nottingham in 2007 and 2011, respectively. Before joining UNM, she served as a Research Associate at the Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute in the UK. Her research interests include computer science, machine learning, data mining, user modeling, and artificial intelligence. She has published extensively in these fields and has contributed to the academic community as keynote speakers and session chairs at numerous international conferences in computer science and engineering.
Invited Speakers
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd. Nazri Ismail
Analytical Biochemistry Research Centre,
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Malaysia
Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr. Mohd. Nazri lsmail is an Associate Professor at the Analytical Biochemistry Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia. He holds a Ph.D. in glycomics from Imperial College London and has a specialisation in proteomics, metabolomics, chromatography, and mass spectrometry. His research spans a variety of fields, including metabolic mechanisms in diabetes, immunomodulation, cancer proteomics, and natural product analysis. He has supervised many MSc. and PhD. students and is actively involved in various research grants. His work has been published extensively in reputable journals, he obtained several medals in innovation competition, and he holds several patents and copyrights. Dr. Nazri is also a frequently invited speaker at international conferences, contributing significantly to advancements in biochemistry and biotechnology.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noor Baity Saini
Faculty of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences,
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM),
Malaysia
Dr. Noor Baity Saidi is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UPM, with a Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Science from The University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on host-pathogen interactions, soil microbiomes, and biocontrol strategies, particularly for Fusarium wilt in bananas. Dr. Baity has successfully secured numerous national and international research grants, advancing her projects in plant disease management. Her expertise in Fusarium wilt has contributed significantly to addressing challenges in Southeast Asia’s banana production. Recently, she was awarded a prestigious fellowship by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for a one-year research attachment in Japan, where she is exploring innovative solutions for mitigating Fusarium wilt through soil microbiomes.
Asst. Prof. Chm. Dr. Khoo Kuan Shiong
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.
Yuan Ze University, Taiwan
ChM. Dr. Kuan Shiong Khoo is an Assistant Professor in Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Yuan Ze University, Taiwan. His research focuses on the upstream and downstream processing of bioactive compounds such as proteins, lipids and carotenoids (i.e. astaxanthin, lutein and fucoxanthin) as renewable energy from microalgae biomass using various extraction technologies such as liquid biphasic system, assisted-liquid biphasic system and ionic liquids technologies. His research interest also involves in microalgae-bacteria consortium for food waste management, wastewater treatment and volatile organic compound bioremediation, algae-based biofuels, and bioplastics, incorporation of Internet-of-things (IoT) and machine learning into microalgae biorefinery. He has published over 200+ journal articles (90% are ranked in Q1 journals) during his postgraduate careers (2019 – 2021) and his current h-index is 50 and i10-index is 150 with 9000+ citations in the research field. His is as an active reviewer in various high impact journals including Chemosphere, Bioresource Technology, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Environmental Research, Bioresource Technology, Science of the Total Environment, Fuel, Phytochemistry Reviews, Scientific Reports (Nature), Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering Journal, Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy and Bioengineered He is currently an active Review Editorial in Frontier Sustainable Chemical Process Design and Circular Economy journal. He is also the guest managing editor for Bioengineered journal (Recent advances in bioprocess for sustainable high-valuable bioproducts: current and future perspective (POCER2022)). He is also served as managing and co-guest editor in some reputative journals that includes Chemosphere, Bioengineered and Energy NEXUS.
Dr. Ong Wee Kiat
Director,
ImpacFat, Singapore
Wee Kiat graduated from the University of Strathclyde, UK in 2008. He joined Dr Shigeki Sugii’s team at A*STAR, Singapore as a research fellow and studied adipose-derived stem cells. He is also a pharmacist passionate about formulation and compounding to address unmet medication needs. Wee Kiat joined ImpacFat, founded by Dr Shigeki Sugii, in 2022 as a director. ImpacFat specialises in cell-based or cultivated fish fat. Through stem cell and cellular agriculture technology, ImpacFat strives to develop healthier and more sustainable food choices. The A*STAR spin-off held the first-ever tasting event, approved by the Singapore Food Agency, on 1st Dec 2022.
