Fatimah Salim is an associate professor specializing in natural product chemistry. She holds a B Sc, MSc, and PhD in Natural Product Chemistry from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship. Currently, she serves as the Director of the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns), a Centre of Excellence at UiTM. Her research focuses on identifying and characterizing natural products from plants and microorganisms using advanced chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, including LC-MS molecular networking. Dr. Fatimah explores Malaysian ethnobotanical plants for applications in pharmaceuticals, functional foods, and agriculture. She holds leadership roles in the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry (IKM), the Malaysian Natural Product Society (MNPS), and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM). She is also a member of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA). Dr. Fatimah has received several awards, including the 2021 Academic Young Figure Award from UiTM Dengkil and the 2023 MNPS Young Researcher Excellence Award. Beyond her academic contributions, Dr. Fatimah spearheaded the 2023 National Science Challenge (NSC) as Chairperson, driving science education and public engagement in Malaysia. She was also named one of the ‘20 Most Influential Women in 2022’ by AURA Mingguan Wanita for her public engagement in chemistry. Dr. Fatimah has published 55 journal articles and four book chapters in the field of natural product chemistry.

Che Puteh Osman is a Malaysian academic who obtained her Ph.D in Natural Product Chemistry from Universiti Teknologi MARA. She later joined the Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam as a Senior lecturer in 2013. She joined the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery as an associate fellow in 2016 and research fellow since 2018. She is currently the Deputy Director of the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery. She teaches natural product chemistry and advanced spectroscopy. She has supervised more than 10 postgraduate students. Her research interests include the identification of bioactive compounds from natural products, herbal analysis, and computational chemistry. She works with purification and structural elucidation of complex natural products using chromatography and organic spectroscopy, especially NMR, IR, and MS.

She has published more than 30 indexed journals and more than 20 conference proceedings on natural products. She obtained several awards during her academic years including International Travel Grant Award and University’s Academic Award. She is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry and assistant secretary of the Malaysian Natural Products Society. She occasionally writes on several media including social media and newspapers and appears in mass media to spread awareness on natural products and traditional medicine.

Dr. Syahrul Imran Abu Bakar earned his Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Applied Chemistry and later completed his PhD in Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). His doctoral research centered on the synthesis, bioactivity evaluation, and computational analysis of bisindolylmethane and flavone derivatives. He is a member of the Institut Kimia Malaysia (IKM) and currently serves as a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, UiTM. He is also a research fellow and head of the NMR lab at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns). Dr. Syahrul Imran has published over 100 articles in Scopus and ISI-indexed journals, with more than 3,460 citations and an H-index of 35. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of bioactive compounds, molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and computational drug-target interaction studies. He actively collaborates with both national and international researchers on projects involving antidiabetes, antimicrobial resistance, cancer therapeutics, and natural products. He teaches undergraduate courses in organic synthesis, spectroscopy, drug discovery, and molecular modeling. Prior to academia, he worked at Kotra Pharma Sdn. Bhd. as a method development and validation chemist, gaining expertise in pharmaceutical quality control and regulatory compliance using various pharmacopoeial standards.

Nurhuda Manshoor is a Malaysian academic who earned her Ph.D. in Natural Product Chemistry from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). She has been a lecturer at UiTM’s Faculty of Pharmacy since 2009 and a fellow researcher at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns) since 2011. She has completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and Tokushima Bunri University, Japan, and a sabbatical at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, where she collaborated on phytochemical research. Dr. Nurhuda specializes in pharmaceutical analysis and pharmacognosy, teaching undergraduate courses on analytical techniques, spectroscopy, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacognosy with a focus on natural products and phytochemicals. Her research centers on phytochemistry, particularly oligostilbenes and phenolic compounds in Dipterocarpaceous plants. She is actively developing advanced chromatography methodologies for isolating plant secondary metabolites, along with dereplication strategies using LC-MS and metabolomic fingerprinting supported by chemometric and mass spectrometric analysis. Her work enhances the rapid identification and classification of plant species and compounds. She holds memberships in the Malaysian Natural Product Society, International Group of Polyphenol, and Malaysian Metabolomics Society. Dr. Nurhuda’s contributions underscore her commitment to pharmaceutical education and natural product research, both locally and internationally.

Sharifah Aminah Syed Mohamad obtained her first degree in Microbiology from the University of Malaya and continued her master’s degree from Glasgow Caledonian University in Biomedical Sciences. She obtained her PhD degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Sheffield. She has been an associate professor at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, UiTM, since 1997 and a senior fellow researcher at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns) since 2022. Her academic background in molecular biology and microbial biotechnology allows her to teach postgraduate courses on molecular microbiology and undergraduate courses on microbial biotechnology, emphasizing gene manipulation principles and strategies in microbial host systems and the applications of microbial biotechnology in various sectors. Her research interests focus on antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial studies, and microbial pathogenicity, particularly among others on the increasing antibiotic resistance in emerging bacterial foodborne pathogens, the adhesion/invasion mechanisms of foodborne pathogens to intestinal cell lines in ensuring their intracellular survival, the antimicrobial activity of plant and microbial bioactive compounds against foodborne pathogens and inhibition potential of these compounds towards adhesion/invasion of foodborne pathogens. Dr Sharifah Aminah is also interested in the neuroprotection activity of plant and microbial bioactive compounds on oxidative stress-induced toxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Her dedication extends to professional affiliations, including lifetime membership in the Asian Federation of Biotechnology – Malaysian Chapter. She has been the supervisor and co-supervisor to 17 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows and has co-authored around 50 publications in national and international scientific journals.

Dr. Rozaini Mohd Zohdi is a Malaysian academic and researcher specializing in natural product discovery, particularly bioactive compounds for wound healing and metabolic disorders. She holds a Ph.D. in Anatomy from Universiti Putra Malaysia, with expertise in histology and cellular biology that underpins her research on tissue repair and regeneration mechanisms. She began her career as a Research Officer at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency before moving into academia. Currently, she is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Puncak Alam Campus, where she is involved in teaching, research, and postgraduate supervision. As a Senior Research Fellow at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns), Dr. Rozaini integrates nanotechnology-based strategies to enhance the therapeutic potential of natural products. Her research includes in vitro and in vivo studies on bioactive compounds, with a focus on wound care and tissue regeneration. She has published extensively on the pharmacological properties of stingless bee propolis and honey-based formulations. A former Deputy Director of AuRIns, she played a key role in advancing multidisciplinary research initiatives. Dr. Rozaini collaborates with government and industry to commercialize innovative therapies, with a strong commitment to translating scientific findings into real-world healthcare solutions.

Nurul ‘Izzah Mohd Sarmin is a Senior Lecturer in at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA. She obtained her Ph.D in Biomedical Science from the National University of Malaysia, where she successfully isolated a novel endophytic actinomycete, Streptomyces kebangsaanensis from a Malaysian ethnomedicinal plant. She is a Research Fellow at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns). Her research interest in the anti-biofilm activity of endophytic actinomycetes and medicinal plants against multi-species oral biofilms focuses on the role of quorum-sensing systems in regulating microbial resistance mechanisms, to reduce antimicrobial resistance cases. She underwent training as a Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London, elucidating the anti-biofilm activity of plant extracts against multi-species cariogenic consortia biofilms. She is working on isolating anti-biofilm compounds from Dipterocarpaceous plants and peptides from endophytic bacteria. She was a member of the Malaysia One Health University Network (MyOHUN) whose mission is to focus on a holistic approach including antimicrobial resistance. She has published her research findings in esteemed journals, supervised undergraduate and postgraduate students, won several awards in invention and innovation competitions, and contributed to the body of knowledge, further highlighting her dedication to advancing research in natural product studies.

Amalina Mohd Tajuddin is a Malaysian academic, researcher at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns), and senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). She holds a PhD in Science and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Chemistry from UiTM. With over a decade of experience in teaching, supervision, and postgraduate research, she specializes in single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD), inorganic synthesis, and catalysis. Her research focuses on the development of metal complexes for diverse applications, including catalysis, corrosion inhibition, and biomedical uses such as enzyme inhibition and antimicrobial properties. She is skilled in the study of Schiff bases, hydroxamic acids, and their metal complexes, while also actively exploring computational chemistry and collaborating with international partners. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, covering areas like crystallography, anticancer evaluations, corrosion inhibition, and catalysis. She has secured numerous research grants, led innovative projects, and led workshops to sow a new generation of crystallographers. In addition to her research, Amalina is a dedicated educator, teaching courses in general, inorganic, and physical chemistry. She contributes to curriculum development by holding course and program leadership roles at UiTM to ensure quality education. She is also an active reviewer for scientific journals and conferences. Her dream is to bridge fundamental and experimental chemistry, specifically within the world of metal complexes and their application for the next generation of synthetic chemists.

Nurunajah Ab. Ghani is a natural product chemist and senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. She earned her Ph.D. in Natural Products Chemistry in 2018, specializing in the biotransformation and phytochemistry of plant and liverwort extracts. Her expertise spans natural product chemistry, biotransformation, and the isolation of bioactive compounds, contributing to the discovery of therapeutic agents from natural sources. Since 2020, she has been a Research Fellow at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns). Dr. Nurunajah has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles in esteemed journals, focusing on chemical profiling, isolation of chemical compounds, and bioactivity studies such as cytotoxicity and antioxidative properties. Her work has highlighted the medicinal potential of rare and underutilized plants, advancing the field of natural products for health and medicine. An accomplished mentor, she has supervised numerous postgraduate and undergraduate students. Many of these projects have led to significant findings and scientific contributions, including research on antimicrobial agents and bioactive compounds from Malaysian flora. Dr. Nurunajah’s contributions have earned her global recognition, including the prestigious Young Scientist Award at the International Symposium on Essential Oils (ISEO) in Vienna, Austria, in 2019. Her dedication to research, education, and the advancement of natural product chemistry underscores her position as a leader in the field, fostering innovation and impactful discoveries that benefit science and society.

Nurulfazlina Edayah Rasol is a committed academician and researcher specializing in natural product studies and LC-MS identification. She earned her Ph.D. in Natural Product Chemistry in May 2020 and subsequently joined Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at AuRIns. Beyond her academic duties, she actively consults as an LC-MS expert, assisting researchers in chemical profiling and compound identification. Her research primarily explores the bioactive potential of Malaysian plants, emphasizing LCMS technology. She has led several projects, including an internal grant on Heterostemma piperifolium, a rare limestone plant species. Her dedication secured her an International Exchange Research Grant from The Royal Society, UK, allowing her to collaborate with Prof. Dulcie Mulholland at the University of Surrey, a prominent figure in natural product chemistry. Building on this, she obtained the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) to study Heterostemma as a potential stimulant drug candidate. Actively involved in national and international collaborations, she frequently contributes to research grants and consultancy in LC-MS and molecular networking. A member of the Malaysian Natural Product Society and the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research, she is passionate about mentoring students, ensuring they gain practical LCMS skills, and fostering both research excellence and hands-on learning.

Siti Hajar Binti Sadiran is a senior lecturer and researcher specializing in microbial natural products. She obtained her PhD from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and is currently a Research Fellow at the Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Products Discovery. Her research primarily focuses on the bioactive potential of microbes, specifically their antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties. She studies microbes isolated from diverse ecosystems, including Arctic and Antarctic regions. Additionally, she is engaged in isolating bioactive compounds and identifying fungal species. Her teaching portfolio encompasses microbiology, bacterial taxonomy, human pathogens, and microbial metabolism. She has actively supervised and co-supervised undergraduate and postgraduate students and has shared her research findings through publications in reputable journals. Furthermore, she is a member of the Malaysian Natural Products Society and the Asian Federation of Biotechnology – Malaysian Chapter. She has received several awards at various invention and innovation competitions.