OUR SPEAKERS
Plenary Speakers
Plenary 1
Datuk Dr Nor Fariza Ngah
Title: Healthcare Services & Inclusivity
Biography:
Datuk Dr. Nor Fariza Ngah is a distinguished healthcare leader who currently holds the Deputy Director General of Health for Research and Technical Support position at the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
She has held key positions such as National Head of Ophthalmology Service (2014-2023), President of the College of Ophthalmologists Malaysia (2018-2023) and other committees about clinical research and Ophthalmology training. By profession, she is an experienced senior consultant ophthalmologist specializing in medical retina and uveitis.
Datuk Dr. Nor Fariza obtained her Master of Ophthalmology from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and trained at Moorfield Eye Hospital, London. Her research interests include Artificial Intelligence, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Age-related Macular Degeneration, with numerous publications in Ophthalmology locally and internationally.
Datuk Dr. Nor Fariza Ngah is a distinguished healthcare leader who currently holds the Deputy Director General of Health for Research and Technical Support position at the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
She has held key positions such as National Head of Ophthalmology Service (2014-2023), President of the College of Ophthalmologists Malaysia (2018-2023) and other committees about clinical research and Ophthalmology training. By profession, she is an experienced senior consultant ophthalmologist specializing in medical retina and uveitis.
Datuk Dr. Nor Fariza obtained her Master of Ophthalmology from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and trained at Moorfield Eye Hospital, London. Her research interests include Artificial Intelligence, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Age-related Macular Degeneration, with numerous publications in Ophthalmology locally and internationally.
Plenary 2
Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr Lokman Saim
Title: Embracing the Healthcare of Tomorrow
Biography:
Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Dr Lokman Saim is Vice Chancellor of KPJ Healthcare University, Malaysia. He is an ENT surgeon with a sub-specialization in Otology and Neurotology. His clinical practice is at KPJ Tawakkal Specialist Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. He was formerly a Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Director of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center.
Prof Dato’ Dr Lokman Saim is Past President of the ASEAN Otorhinolaryngology- Head and Neck Federation (1997 -1998). He is a member of College of Surgeons and Fellow of Academy of Medicine of Malaysia since 1995. He was President Malaysian Society of ORL – Head & Neck Surgeon in 1995. He is amongst the pioneers in cochlear implant surgery in ASEAN and assists in the establishment of new cochlear implant centres in ASEAN and the Asia Pacific region.
He was conferred Emeritus Professor by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia at the university’s 50th Convocation Ceremony in November 2019. He received his Medical Degree from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1984 and his Master of Surgery (ORL) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1991. He obtained his Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons Edinburgh in 1989 . He undertook the Research Fellowship in Otology and Neuro-otology at Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, in 1993-1994. He was appointed Clinical Professor at the School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University Sydney 2010- 2013.
Plenary 3
Prof Dr Michael Fenech
Title: Understanding the interactive effects of multiple micronutrients and complex mixtures of genotoxins on cellular genome health
Biography:
Professor Michael Fenech is recognised for his research in nutritional genomics and genetic toxicology and for developing the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay, which is used internationally to measure DNA damage. The IAEA and the OECD endorse the lymphocyte CBMN assay for in vivo radiation exposure bio-dosimetry and in vitro testing of chemical genotoxicity, respectively. From 1990-2018 , he worked as a scientist in Australia at CSIRO in the field of human nutrition. In 1999- 2009 he further developed the lymphocyte CBMN assay into a ‘cytome’ assay consisting of six complementary biomarkers of DNA damage and cytotoxicity. He established a similar method for buccal cells. Both are published in Nature Protocols.
His goal is to determine nutritional and environmental requirements for DNA damage prevention. In 2003 he proposed a disease mitigation strategy based on personalised prevention of DNA damage which led to the Genome Health Clinic concept. He co- founded the HUMN project on micronuclei in human populations in 1997 and the Asia Pacific Nutrigenomics Nutrigenetics Organisation in 2014. In 2018 he established the Genome Health Foundation to promote education and research on environmental and life-style factors that cause or prevent DNA damage. His Google Scholar H-index is 103 based on 50,865 citations.
Plenary 4
Prof Dr Winnie Chee Siew Swee
Title: Targeting lifestyle and behavioral therapies along with innovation approaches for NCD care in Malaysia
Biography:
Prof Dr Winnie Chee Siew Swee is an accomplished academic with extensive experience in the field of nutrition and dietetics; she holds a BSc (Hons) in Dietetics, an MSc in Food Science & Nutrition, and a PhD in Food Science from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Prof Dr Winnie has held various key academic positions throughout her career, including Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics at the International Medical University (IMU) since 2012. She served as an Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at IMU and UKM, respectively.
In addition to their academic roles, Prof Dr Winnie have held significant leadership positions at IMU, including Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) since 2023, Dean of the School of Health Sciences from 2015 to 2022, and other administrative roles.
Prof Dr Winnie is an expert in various teaching areas such as Medical Nutrition Therapy, Professionalism in Nutrition & Dietetics, and Clinical Nutrition for Medicine. She also served as an academic advisor, reviewer, and external examiner for multiple prestigious institutions in Malaysia and internationally. Her robust academic background, leadership experience, and teaching expertise make she was a respected figure in the fields of nutrition and dietetics.
Plenary 5
Prof Dr Jonathan Miles Adams
Title: Monitoring and managing the environmental microbiome for a healthier environment
Biography:
Prof Dr Jonathan Miles Adams is a distinguished academic and researcher with over three decades of experience in botany, ecology, and environmental sciences. Holding a PhD from Université d’Aix-Marseille II, France, and advanced degrees from the University of Oxford and the University of North Wales at Bangor, his academic journey is marked by deep expertise in the geographical ecology of tree species and the global carbon cycle.
Currently, he is a Full Professor at the School of Geography and Ocean Sciences at Nanjing University in China, Jonathan has also held prominent academic positions at Cranfield University in the UK and Seoul National University in South Korea. His research focuses on microbiome ecology, emphasising DNA-based bioinformatic analysis, contributing to over 200 publications in high-impact journals, earning more than 13,000 citations, and achieving an H-index of 57.
Jonathan’s global teaching experience and his significant research contributions position him as a leading authority in ecology and environmental sciences. His work continues to influence the academic community and advance the understanding of ecological dynamics and microbiome analysis.
Guest Speakers
Guest Speaker 2
Dr. Zainal Ariffin Ahmad, FASc
Title: Collaborative efforts for NCD screening and diagnosis: Government, private, and NGO
Biography:
Dr Zainal Ariffin Ahmad FASc is a Fellow, Academy of Sciences Malaysia and currently serving as Chair of Social Sciences and Humanities focusing on the societal impact of STIE (Science, Technology, Innovation and Economic development). He is also a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) under Teamcoach International and Certified Facilitator under the Finnish National Education Centre (FINEEC). He retired as an Associate Professor from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2010 and continued serving as Professor at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) until 2015. He was awarded Anugerah Akademik Negara for Teaching in 2008. Dr Zainal served as an expert panel to the Ministry of Human Resources in developing the National Competencies Standards for Teaching and Learning and Facilitation. He conducted research, published books and academic papers, served as invited speaker and delivered keynotes at conferences in learning and development, training and social development. He was involved in Agenda 21 advocacy work for women, children and adults with different abilities and autism via the Challenges Foundation and the Malaysian Association for the Blind. He joined the UKM research team led by Professor Datuk Dr. Rokiah Omar focusing on social development of the Orang Asli in Pos Gob and Pos Lenjang as well as poverty alleviation among B40s in Selangor and Perak.
Guest Speaker 4
Professor Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar
Title: Gender Issue from the Health Sciences and Religious Perspective
Biography:
Professor Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar is a lecturer of Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). She graduated as a Medical Doctor from National University of Malaysia in 1997 and obtained her PhD in Health Sciences (Physiology) from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in 2007. She received best postgraduate student award for the Medical Faculty of IIUM the same year. Dr Rafidah develops great interest in gender physiology and chooses to focus on studies of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender when she joined USIM, in line with the philosophy of the university that is Integration of Revealed Knowledge (Naqli) And Rational Science (Aqli) in academic and research. She has been working closely with Family Health Development Division (FHDD), Ministry of Health Malaysia where she was appointed as expert panelist in drafting the guideline for gender health issues for Health Clinics. She was also appointed as expert panel in developing modules regarding sexual orientation and gender identity issues by Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM). Professor Dr Rafidah Hanim is also active in humanitarian and advocacy works. She is the president of the International Women’s Alliance for Family Institution and Quality Education (WAFIQ), the Co-Chairman of the Malaysian Alliance of Civil Society Organisations in The Universal Periodic Review Process (MACSA) and the vice president of Ikatan Pengamal Perubatan dan Kesihatan Muslim Malaysia (I-Medik). She had also been involved in flood relief mission under I-Medik. Dr Rafidah Hanim actively writes in newspapers and news portals on the subject matter and has also been invited as a panelist on Malaysia Hari Ini TV3, TV Al-Hijrah and Bella NTV 7 as well as a guest on radio shows on Bernama and IKIM.fm. In 2017 She was awarded “Anugerah Wanita Cemerlang Negeri Kedah – Bidang Kepimpinan Kesihatan in conjunction with Women’s Day.
Guest Speaker 5
Professor Dr. Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh
Title: Safe Steps Forwards: Updates on Preventing Falls in Older Adults
Biography:
Professor Dr. Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh is a lecturer at the Physiotherapy Program and the Center for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Before joining UKM in 2005, she worked as a practicing physiotherapist with the Ministry of Health, Malaysia for 16 years. She obtained her PhD from the University of Brighton, United Kingdom, in 2009. Currently, she also serves as an executive council member for the World Falls Prevention Society. Her primary research focuses on Geriatric physiotherapy, Spine and ageing, and functional analysis. She has conducted extensive research on falls risk assessment in older persons and is a leader in geriatric physiotherapy research in Malaysia. Her ongoing projects include falls exercise programs, cognitive frailty, implementation of community-based exercise programs, and mobility among older persons. Her research has resulted in several publications in highly regarded journals.
Guest Speaker 6
Dr Gan Han Ming
Title: Sustainable Health through Accessible Gut Microbiome Profiling: A Malaysian Perspective
Biography:
Dr Gan Han Ming is an accomplished microbiologist who is highly skilled in Illumina Next-Generation Sequencing
(NGS). Graduating with a BSc from the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, in 2008, supported
by a JPA scholarship, he later pursued his PhD at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai Johor. His diverse
scientific journey, encompassing varied lab environments, has sharpened his ability to adapt to
new challenges and adeptly tackle biotech-related issues swiftly. Gan's expertise extends to establishing and
overseeing genomics facilities at esteemed institutions like Monash Malaysia and Deakin Australia,
where he spearheaded projects focusing on aquaculture and conservation genetics. Among his notable
accomplishments is the publication of Malaysia's inaugural arowana genome and the creation of
genomic databases for diverse bacterial and animal species. In the realm of gut microbiome research,
Gan took the lead in pioneering Malaysia's first studies on shrimp gut microbiomes. Furthermore, he
contributed significantly to one of the initial investigations into chicken gut microbiomes in the country.
After returning from Australia, Gan has been experimenting with new molecular techniques and
software on the Nanopore sequencing platform, leading to some of the first Covid-19 genomes being
sequenced on the Nanopore in Malaysia. Presently, Gan channels over a decade of his NGS expertise
into Patriot Biotech Sdn Bhd. His dedication to democratising NGS technology through Patriot Biotech
promises enhanced accessibility to molecular genomics, propelling innovation in genomics for Malaysia,
by Malaysians.
Guest Speaker 7
Associate Prof Dr Sarva Mangala Praveena
Title: Navigating the Microplastics Pollution: Insights from Environmental Studies & Global Health Implications
Biography:
Dr. Sarva Mangala Praveena is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental
and Occupational Health at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her scholarly pursuits have led her to
specifically focus on the pervasive issue of microplastics pollution. Her research extensively
explores the occurrence and health risks of microplastics in various environmental matrices,
including agricultural soils, bottled water, and other consumer products. Her groundbreaking
work on the methodological approaches for microplastics analysis in soil highlights her
commitment to enhancing detection and assessment techniques. Her research output has
contributed significantly to the understanding of microplastics' environmental distribution and
their implications for human health as well as in shaping environmental policies and health
strategies.