SPEAKERS
Officiated by:
Keynote Speaker
YB Tuan Chang Lih Kang
Minister of Science, Technology & Innovation, Malaysia (MOSTI)
Keynote Speaker
Academician Datuk Dr Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen FASc
President of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM)
Plenary Speakers
Prof. Subha Bhassu
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Head of Animal Genetics and Genome Evolutionary Biology Lab
Institute of Biological Sciences,
Faculty of Science,
University Malaya
e-mail: subhabhassu@um.edu.my
Prof Dr Subha Bhassu, Head of Animal Genetics and Genome Evolutionary Biology Lab. Her first degree is Biomedical Science ( Hon) from UKM and PhD in Molecular Biology ( specialized in Molecular, Population and Quantitative Genetics) The academic interest is research in human-animal -environment area which is coined as Halo genomics. This area of interest concentrates on ONE health concept in biomedical, agricultural and environmental context. The expertise covers all biology from cellular to phenotype level. Aquatic animals have been an interest for one to use it as reference to study host-pathogen and environment interactions. Genomics and Molecular Biology is a tool we use to address problems such as disease, nutrition and the environment. In our work, we hope to explore the role of genetics in understanding phenotypic expressions and to understand the gene-gene interactions and apply them to address the problems within the aquatic system(host), pathogen and environment. In relation to that, we use research questions that we tackle how we can work in synergy to use the current genomics, transcriptomics and molecular biology approaches to further develop innate potential of aquatic animals. As an academic professional, She has developed many course structures according to the Malaysian MQF program for UM and Inti University College and has served as moderator for INTI Biotechnology courses. She is an associate member of Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Marketing & Recruitment Centre of UM. She is committee member for International Biosafety Committee, UM, and Auditor for the Enforcement committee for Biosafety at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. She is an associate member of the national framework on biosafety and biosecurity committee (IBBC) for health under the Ministry of Public Health.
Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Ikmar Nizam Bin Hj. Mohamad Isa
Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Ikmar Nizam Bin Hj. Mohamad Isa is an award-winning Professor in the Faculty of Science at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) since 2019. Prior to this position, he served as a senior lecturer at the School of Fundamental Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) from 2006. He earned his bachelor’s degree (B.Sc. Computational Physics and Electronics) in 2002, followed by his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2006 at the age of 28. His Ph.D. research focused on the development and application of novel gel-type polymeric materials as conductive electrolytes for energy storage systems or batteries. The central aim of his research activities is to bridge the gap between green/natural materials and energy. Currently, his primary research interest revolves around the development and application of innovative solid-state bio-polymer materials as conductive electrolytes for energy storage systems (batteries) and electrochemical devices.
The outcomes of his research have been presented and published in numerous articles across various international and national refereed journals, symposiums, and conferences, focusing on materials studies, analytical physics, engineering, and technology. Presently, he has published over 100 articles in refereed international journals/books (2006–2023), along with more than 80 proceedings and numerous research abstracts resulting from his work. He has garnered numerous awards at international competitions such as the British Invention Show, MTE, ITEX, and Korea Inventions News (KINEWS). Notably, his achievements in the 2016 edition earned him the title of Visiting Professor at the Korea Invention Academy, with a total of 6 awards achieved.
Professionally, he has held several positions at university such as Department head of Physical Sciences from December (2008 until 2013), Director of Corporate Communication and Image Development Centre (2013 until 2014), Director of Research Management Centre (RMC) in 2015 before stepping down to focus on his professorship. During his time at USIM, he was elected to university senate member in 2020 and currently the elected Dean of Faculty of Science, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM).
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chew Fook Tim
Department of Biological Sciences
National University of Singapore
14 Science Drive 4
Singapore 117543
email: dbscft@nus.edu.sg
Associate Professor Dr Chew Fook Tim, a Malaysian born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, obtained his PhD from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1998. He was formerly a Research Fellow at the Department of Paediatrics, NUS (1999-2001), before joining the Department of Biological Sciences (NUS) in July 2001. He is currently the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore (NUS), overseeing the Undergraduate Programmes at the College of Humanities and Sciences, and International Programmes at the Faculty of Science. He is also an Associate Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, teaching both Undergraduate and Postgraduate Molecular Genetics, Immunology and AgriSciences; and is the Principal Investigator of the Functional Genomics Laboratories, Molecular Immunology and Allergy Laboratory, Research Centre on Sustainable Urban Farming, and the NUS Agritech Centre. His key areas of research are in the Genetics of Allergic and Skin Diseases, Skin Ageing, Allergen Characterization, and Large-Scale Crop Breeding, where he has published >200 scientific articles and holds multiple patents. He has been a lead scientific consultant to several organizations including Syngenta Crop Protection, Sime Darby, First Resources, Genting Plantations, Musim Mas and Olam International, where he works on the Genetics of Major Crops, and the Commercialization of Molecular Breeding and Seed Production Programs, as well as several Biomedical organizations
Dr. Tan Chon Seng FASc
Dr Tan obtained his first degree in Biochemistry from University Malaya in year 1986, then a Masters degree in the same field in 1988. He joined Malaysia Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in 1990 as research officer. Five years later, he was awarded a scholarship to pursue Ph.D studies in Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology at Leicester University, UK. His main areas of research are genetic engineering and recombinant technology, particularly in protein and enzyme over expression in bacteria, yeast and plant. Inspired by nature, and after an insight by Tun Dr. Mahathir, he worked relentlessly to explore the medicinal segment of Tiger Milk Mushroom, whilst discovering new species of this gem in Malaysia by developing genetic markers for identification. Dubbed The Patriarch of Tiger Milk Mushroom, his devotion and expertise towards the development of this medicinal gem is unparalleled. He retired from MARDI in year 2017. He is now the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Ligno Biotech Sdn Bhd, a biotech research company that produced medicinal mushrooms (mainly Malaysian origin Tiger Milk mushroom) as an active ingredient for local and international industry
Dr. Tan Chon Seng FASc
Retired Principal Research Officer
Fellow Academic of Science, Malaysia.
Email : tanchonseng@gmail.com
Invited Speakers
Prof. Ho Chai Ling
Professor Dr. Ho Chai Ling is currently a professor at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Prof. Ho’s current research interests include omics of tiller development in rice, molecular interaction involving oil palm and Ganoderma, and agar biosynthesis in red algae. To date, she has published over 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals including Genomics, BMC Genomics, Rice, Phytochemistry, Carbohydrate Polymers and Algal Research. She has filed five patents and two copyrights.
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology,
Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences
University Putra Malaysia
email: clho@upm.edu.my
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsham Juliana
Medical Physiology
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
email: njuliana@usim.edu.my
Dr. Norsham Juliana is an accomplished professional serving as an Associate Professor of Medical Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Her diverse career includes notable roles such as Deputy Director of the Research and Innovation Management Centre and Editor of Me Books Asia, focusing on health-related children's books. She is recognized for her contributions as a Guest Associate Editor and Review Editor for Frontiers in Pharmacology, a prestigious Q1 Journal with a Journal Impact Factor of 5.1. Additionally, she serves on the Editorial Board of the Malaysian Journal of Science, Health & Technology (MJoSHT).
Dr. Juliana holds both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her expertise lies in human circadian physiology and integrative nutrition. Throughout her career, she has been involved in 29 research grants, with 8 projects as the principal investigator, accumulating a total grant value exceeding 2 million MYR. Notably, she has excelled in industrial collaborations, particularly with the National Heart Institute of Malaysia, where she has led and been engaged in cohort and clinical trial studies focused on high-risk open heart surgery patients since 2009. Her scholarly contributions are extensive, encompassing over 60 works, including 3 books, chapters in books, and 51 peer-reviewed research papers. Dr. Juliana has demonstrated her commitment to knowledge dissemination beyond academic circles by contributing articles to mainstream media outlets such as Bernama, Medical Gazettes, and New Straits Time. In terms of academic impact, Dr. Juliana boasts a current Web of Science (WOS) h-index of 9 and a Google Scholar reported h-index of 12. Beyond her academic pursuits, she actively participates in applied research that directly benefits the community, resulting in the creation of 7 intellectual properties, including patent filings, utility innovations, and copyrights.
Dr. Norsham Juliana's dedication to knowledge transfer is evident through various programs, such as the 'Knowledge transfer programme' and 'Food for Children’s Development.' These initiatives aim to ensure that the insights gained from evidence-based studies are effectively transferred to society. Currently, she is engaged in teaching and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Dr. Juliana's multifaceted contributions showcase her as a dynamic figure in academia, research, and community engagement.
Dr. Khoo Kuan Shiong
Kuan Shiong Khoo has published over 200+ journal articles (90% are ranked in Q1 journals) and his current h-index is 43 and i10-index is 120 with 5000+ citations in the research field of microalgae. His current research interest focuses on transitioning toward net zero emission through upcycling food waste as an alternative culture medium for microalgae biorefinery. He has received several awards including IChemE Malaysia Award 2022: Young Researcher Award and World’s Top 2% Scientists 2023. He obtained his degree in Applied Chemistry with major of Sustainable Chemistry at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia from 2015 to 2018. He then successfully obtained his PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at University of Nottingham, Malaysia within 2019 to 2021.
Algae Bioseparation Research,
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science,
Yuan Ze University,
Taoyuan, Taiwan
Asst. Prof. Ts. Dr. Liew Kai Bin
Assistant Professor
Head of Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and industry
Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Cyberjaya
Email : liewkaibin@cyberjaya.edu.my
AP. Ts. Dr. Liew Kai Bin is the current head of department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Industry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Cyberjaya (UoC). He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, Master in Science (Pharmaceutical Technology), and Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmaceutical Technology) from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). He served as community and industrial pharmacist prior to joining the academia. He has experience in various pharmaceutical related fields including research and development, product development, bioequivalence study, analytical chemistry, regulatory affair and public health pharmacy. He constantly engages in the development of pharmaceutical and traditional medicine industries in the country. Dr Liew is also a chartered scientist recognized by Royal Society of Biology and registered professional technologist with the Malaysian Board of Technologist.
Dr Liew’s current research interest focuses on orally disintegrating dosage forms, nanoparticles and micellar formulations, anti-cancer research and cosmeceuticals. He has published more than 100 publications in international journals and books chapter. He is recognized for his contributions as reviewers for Q1 journals such as PLOS ONE, Heliyon, Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications and Scientific Reports. He was awarded national and international grants that worth more than RM 800k. He has been repeatedly invited as speaker to deliver speeches in various countries such as Japan, India and Indonesia. He has also supervised research projects for both undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy students. Dr Liew’s research product has won several outstating, best innovation, gold and silver awards in international exhibitions including Malaysia Technology Expo and International Innovation and Technology Expo.
Dr. Nazlina Haiza Mohd Yasin
Dr. Nazlina
Senior Lecturer
Bioenergy
Environmental Biotechnology
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
email: nazlinayasin@ukm.edu.my