collaboratIONS

Professor Ts Dr. Goh Bey Hing specializes in biofunctionality of molecules and pharmacology, with over 200 publications spanning fundamental research and industry collaborations. He is the first Malaysian on The Advisory Board of INPST and a Chartered Biologist under the Royal Society of Biology, UK. Recognized among Malaysia’s Top 10 Outstanding Young Malaysians and Top Research Scientists, his contributions extend to research, education, and community engagement. His expertise includes bioprospecting, pharmacology, drug discovery biology, and molecular biology.

Professor Gil Garnier is the Director of BioPRIA at Monash University, specializing in applying colloids and polymers to surfaces, adhesion, composites, and papermaking. His research focuses on biorefineries, sustainable materials, and biomedical diagnostics. He led the development of GLIF, the first paper-based blood typing diagnostic, now commercialized. His team works on nanocellulose-based biomaterials, organoid growth for cancer treatment, and replacing oil-based plastics with lignocellulosic alternatives. As BioPRIA’s founding director, he drives collaborations with industry to develop renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable materials while engineering sustainable manufacturing processes.

Professor Sivakumar Manickam specializes in process engineering of nanomaterials, particularly nanopharmaceuticals, with over 25 years of experience. His research focuses on cavitation-based reactors for nanomaterial production, green extraction of natural products, water treatment, pharmaceutical nanoemulsions, and biosensors for early cancer and diabetes diagnosis. His expertise spans nanotechnology, sonochemistry, ultrasonics, environmental engineering, and green chemistry, contributing to advancements in sustainable and biomedical applications.

Professor Wiwut Tanthapanichakoon is a Technology Adviser at SCG Chemicals in Thailand and an Emeritus Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Chulalongkorn University. With 40 years of experience, his expertise spans heat and mass transfer, particle technology, aerosol engineering, and process simulation. He was the founding Executive Director of Thailand’s National Nanotechnology Center. He holds a BEng in Chemical Engineering from Kyoto University and a PhD from The University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Tawatchai Charinpanitkul specializes in the synthesis and applications of carbon and metal compound nanoparticles, including TiO₂, ZnO, and ZnS. His research also involves computational chemistry using Gaussian and CFD simulations for air pollution control. He has contributed to advancements in catalytic conversion, magnetic nanoparticles, and gas sensing materials. He is affiliated with the Center of Excellence in Particle and Material Processing Technology.

Professor Wong Tin Wui, a PhD graduate from the National University of Singapore, is a professor at Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Non-Destructive Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Centre. His research focuses on particle and scaffold design for oral, transdermal, and pulmonary drug delivery, non-destructive pharmaceutical analyzers, and innovative dosage form manufacturing. With over 110 publications, he holds editorial roles in several pharmaceutical journals and serves as an advisory board member for international awards and conferences. He is also a visiting professor at UCSI University and the National University of Singapore.

Professor Ir Dr. Ong Hwai Chyuan is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) specializing in sustainable energy, biomass energy, waste management, and the circular economy. Recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher (2019–2022) and Australia’s top early career researcher in sustainable energy (2021), he serves as Associate Editor for multiple journals and is a core member of the APRU Sustainable Waste Management program. He holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Malaya and is registered with the Engineering Council, UK, and the Board of Engineers Malaysia.

Associate Professor Apinan Soottitantawat specializes in encapsulation processes using techniques like spray drying, inclusion complexes, and hydrogels. His research also focuses on chemical process development, biomass-derived chemicals, and bioactive compound purification through crystallization and molecular distillation. He is involved in process scale-up across chemical, agricultural, food, and pharmaceutical industries and is a member of the Center of Excellence in Particle and Material Processing Technology.

Dr. Tan Khang Wei is an Assistant Professor at Xiamen University Malaysia, with prior experience as a research fellow at Kyung Hee University, Korea. He has led multiple research projects, including a national grant and an industry-funded collaborations. Passionate about undergraduate and postgraduate research, he has taught subjects such as Process Equipment Design and Chemical Process Simulation. He also developed an OBE measurement tool successfully applied across 11 programs in five schools. His research focuses on nanocellulose, nanoemulsions, and ultrasonic cavitation.

Associate Professor Dr. Ong Boon Hoong is a materials scientist and Head of the Advanced Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory at NANOCAT, University of Malaya. His research focuses on designing and synthesizing advanced nanomaterials for applications in energy, sensors, medicine, electronics, and the environment. He has secured multiple research grants, leveraging nanotechnology to address material challenges. He is also an Honorary Member of the Young Scientist Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM).

Dr. Leo Bey Fen is an Associate Professor at the University of Malaya (UM) and a research fellow at the Nanotechnology and Catalysis Research Centre. She specializes in point-of-care biosensors for pathogen detection, with extensive publications in nanomaterials synthesis, electrochemical biosensors, and nanosafety. Her work on silver nanoparticles in pulmonary surfactant was highlighted in the UK Diamond Light Source Annual Review. Her team’s biosensors have won awards, including Gold at Pecipta and Innovation of the Year at the Malaysia Medical Device Expo. She is also an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry and a reviewer for top-tier journals like Nature Communications and ACS Applied Nano Materials.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ong Siew Kooi holds a PhD in Polymer Technology from USM and is a senior lecturer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL). Her research focuses on natural rubber-based nanocomposites and deproteinized natural rubber latex modification. She has published extensively, co-authored three book chapters, and reviewed over 30 research articles. Dr. Ong also serves as a research grant evaluator, MQA panel assessor, and an active member of ISC N Rubber and PRIM.

Dr. Uracha earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Nottingham, UK, and has expertise in lipid dispaersions, polymeric nanoparticles, and drug delivery systems. She has received multiple prestigious awards, including the UNESCO-L’Oréal Women in Science Fellowship and recognition among the top 2% most-cited scientists in Pharmacy & Pharmacology. She is an Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), UK. Previously serving as Executive Vice President of NSTDA, she was appointed Executive Director of NANOTEC in 2024.

Dr. Fahmi Asyadi is a senior lecturer and also the Head of Polymer & Environment Section at Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Chemical and Bioengineering Technology (UniKL MICET) . His research centers on reaction kinetics, sol-gel synthesis, organic-inorganic hybrids, and nanocomposites.

Dr. Rishabh V. More is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Monash University. He was previously a Postdoctoral Research Associate at MIT and holds a PhD and MS from Purdue University and a B.Tech. from IIT Bombay in Mechanical Engineering. He specializes in fluid mechanics and rheology, focusing on complex fluids and soft matter for applications in energy storage, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, and environmental flows. His research integrates scientific computing, modeling, experiments, and physics-informed machine learning to study soft materials across scales.