Keynote & Plenary Speakers

SRDC Research & Development Symposium 2024 Speakers Lineup

The SRDC Research & Development Symposium 2024 is a premier event bringing together 20 distinguished speakers, including industry pioneers, visionary policymakers, and leading researchers. These experts will present groundbreaking insights on the latest innovations, research breakthroughs, and regulatory developments shaping Sarawak’s R&D landscape. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the thought leaders driving the future of research and development through dynamic keynote addresses, plenary discussions, and interactive panel sessions. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this transformative conversation.

Professor Wong Tuck Seng
Sheffield University, United Kingdom

Professor of Biomanufacturing in the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biological Engineering (CMBE) at the University of Sheffield. He serves as the Director of the UK-South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub, a £7.6M initiative supported by the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Additionally, he holds adjunct positions with the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) in Thailand and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in Indonesia. Prof. Wong has received multiple prestigious fellowships, including the JSPS Invitational Fellowship (2023, declined due to the hub award), the RAEng | The Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship (2019), the Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship (2016), and the Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship (2007). With over two decades of expertise in protein engineering and engineering biology, his research spans diverse applications, including biopharmaceuticals, enzyme biocatalysis, and alternative foods. He authored the textbook ‘A Practical Guide to Protein Engineering’ (ISBN: 978-3-030-56898-6), which has been translated into German ‘Ein praktischer Leitfaden für Protein Engineering’ (ISBN: 978-3-031-32826-8). Beyond academia, he is a serial entrepreneur. In 2022, he co-founded Evolutor Ltd, a Sheffield-based biotech spinout focused on developing advanced microbes for biomanufacturing through a proprietary accelerated evolution platform. In 2024, he co-founded ReNewFood Ltd, a biotech company dedicated to developing novel protein-based flavouring ingredients to enhance the taste and nutrition of alternative foods. Prof. Wong ‘s passion for biomanufacturing has been shaped by his mentors, including Nobel Laureate Prof. Frances H. Arnold, Prof. Ulrich Schwaneberg, Prof. Sir Alan R. Fersht, and Prof. Alexander Steinbüchel.

Associate Professor Tee Kang La
Sheffield University, United Kingdom

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tee is recognized for her work in directed evolution, protein engineering, adaptive laboratory evolution and sustainable biomanufacturing. Her contributions to the field include new molecular methods, novel promoters, improved enzymes and engineered microbial hosts for manufacturing. She has authored 35 publications, including research papers in high-impact journals such as Nucleic Acid Research, Angewandte Chemie and PNAS, and heads a research team that harnesses synthetic biology to push the boundaries of biotechnology. In the UK-SEA Vax Hub, she leads the development of virus-like particles for vaccine design and delivery. She was awarded the Global Challenges Research Fellowship in 2019 for her work in sustainable bioplastics production. Her notable achievements also include engineered bacteria for the production of bioplastics, microbial conversion of carbon dioxide into bio-products, adapted microbial chassis for broad utilisation of sustainable feedstock and enzymatic recycling of plastics. As an innovator-entrepreneur, she is the co-founder and Director of Evolutor Ltd (UK) and ReNewFood Ltd (UK). Evolutor uses proprietary adaptive laboratory evolution technologies to unlock and maximise the potential of industrial biomanufacturing strain, while ReNewFood creates novel protein-based flavour ingredients to revolutionise the alternative food industry. Prior to these, she also founded SeSaM-Biotech GmbH (Germany), focusing on enzyme engineering for the industrial biotech sector.

Associate Professor Dr Low Teck Yew
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Associate Professor
Dr Low Teck Yew
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Dr. Teck Yew Low is an Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow at the UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the National University of Singapore and a BSc (Hons) in Biotechnology from Imperial College London. Dr. Low conducted his post-doctoral research at the Center for Experimental Bioinformatics (CEBI) in Denmark and the Netherlands Proteomics Center (NPC) at Utrecht University. Dr. Low has over 20 years of research experience in proteomics and biological mass spectrometry. His research has attracted substantial funding for projects on drug-protein binding, cancer proteogenomics, and phosphoproteomics. Notable grants include the Transdisciplinary Research Grant Scheme (TRGS) for drug repositioning against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) for proteogenomic studies in hepatocellular carcinoma. Beyond his academic responsibilities, Dr. Low is proactive in the field. He serves as the Secretary General and Council Member of the Asia Oceania Human Proteome Organization (AOHUPO). He is a member of the Education and Training Committee of the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO). Nationally, he is the President of the Malaysian Proteomics Society (MAPS), where he actively promotes proteomics research and supports young scientists. Dr. Low is also deeply involved in the scientific community through his editorial work. He serves as Editor-in-Chief for Proteome Science and Editorial Board Member for Molecular & Cellular Proteomics (MCP). Additionally, he reviews several high-impact journals, such as Nature Communications and Molecular Omics. He evaluates grants for prestigious organizations, including the French National Research Agency (ANR) and the Institut Pasteur PTR grants. In addition to his editorial and academic responsibilities, Dr. Low is frequently invited to share his research and insights at various national and international conferences. Since 2023, he has delivered invited talks at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, and the National Center for Protein Sciences (PHOENIX Center) in Beijing. He has also presented at the 12th CNHUPO Congress, the Proteomic Navigator of the Human Body (piHUB) Global Summit, and the 71st Annual Conference on Mass Spectrometry Society in Osaka, Japan.

Mr Lawrence Yap
Hilleman Laboratories, Singapore

Mr. Lawrence Yap is a distinguished leader in the biopharmaceutical/ vaccine industry, currently serving as the Head of Global Technical Operations at Hilleman Laboratories. With an impressive career spanning multiple top-tier organizations, Lawrence oversees the establishment and operations of clinical manufacturing facilities for vaccines and biological therapeutics targeting infectious diseases. His strategic vision and technical expertise have been instrumental in the development of an innovative, flexible vaccine manufacturing facility designed for rapid pivot during pandemics. In addition to his role at Hilleman Laboratories, Lawrence contributes to global health initiatives as a member of the Program Steering Committee for the AFRICAN Vaccine Workforce Development Program under the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program. His work in this area focuses on strengthening vaccine production capabilities and workforce development in low and middle-income countries. Before joining Hilleman Laboratories, Lawrence was the Site Head and CMC Director at Takeda Vaccines Singapore, where he managed the technology transfer and production of clinical trial materials to support global clinical trial programs. His leadership was critical in optimizing and scaling up processes for successful technology transfer to CMO partners. Lawrence’s experience also includes his tenure as Senior Manufacturing Manager at Amgen Singapore, where he led the start-up of the Next Generation Manufacturing Facility, utilizing reconfigurable manufacturing models and single-use technologies. He also served as Manufacturing Manager at Baxter Bioscience Singapore, where he was involved in the technology transfer and startup of a green field facility producing Advate, a recombinant Factor VIII product, as well as other multi-purpose product projects. Lawrence’s commitment to education and workforce development is demonstrated by his previous academic roles, where he established biopharmaceutical manufacturing training programs at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Republic Polytechnic. His early career included a role as Assistant Production Manager at A-Bio Pharma, a pioneering local biologics CDMO startup. Lawrence holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Hon) and a Master of Industrial and System Engineering from the National University of Singapore.

Dr Samaporn Teeravechyan
Biotec Thailand

Dr. Samaporn Teeravechyan is a senior researcher in the Virology and Cell Technology Laboratory at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) under the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand. She received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in Public Health from Harvard University, and has always maintained a deep interest in the study of infectious diseases. Her main expertise is in basic virology research, studying RNA virus cell entry, pathogenicity and attenuation at the molecular level for viruses that pose threats to human and animal health. Zoonotic diseases are also topics of great interest, and she is deeply involved in pandemic preparedness networks in Thailand. Her virology expertise has also been applied to the design and development of vaccines either by attenuation of viral molecular clones or in the context of viral vectors, as well as the development of cell lines to support vaccine production. More recently, she has been involved in pushing vaccine candidates through the various stages of pre-clinical development such as immunogenicity testing, challenge testing, safety testing, and technology transfer for GMP production.

Datu Dr Adrian Susin Ambud
Department of Veterinary Services, Sarawak

Datu Dr. Adrian Susin is the director of the Department of Veterinary Services, established on January 3, 2017. With 31 years of experience, he has led various fields and positions throughout his career, including Chief of Livestock Industry Development Division, Veterinary Health Division, Veterinary Enforcement Branch, and Chief Veterinary Services Officer in Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Mukah, Kapit, Sibu, and Kuching. In addition to his public service, he has been involved in the internal auditing of overseas livestock establishments and served as a national auditor in Food Safety for Certification of Veterinary Health Mark (VHM), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Good Animal Husbandry Practices (MyGAP). He is a member of the Malaysian Veterinary Council (MVC) and a Malaysian delegate to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). Dr. Adrian has also been involved in formulating standards under SIRIM related to GMP for EBN Processing Plants and GAHP for Swiftlet Ranching. His mission includes eradicating rabies and African Swine Fever in Sarawak by 2030, as well as increasing Sarawak’s livestock industry value from RM2 billion to RM4 billion by 2030.

Mr Shariman Jamil
SMD Semiconductor Sdn. Bhd.

Mr. Shariman Jamil began his career as an analogue IC design engineer at Spansion Inc. in 2004, a global flash memory ICs company based in Silicon Valley. Shariman spent many years in Silicon Valley developing flash memory ICs for mobile phones before he moved to design centres in Tokyo and Penang, where he developed highly integrated power management technologies for energy-saving electronics. In 2020, Shariman joined the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak as an interim CEO for the new Sarawak Science Centre, where he led the development of a new science centre master plan with the Singapore Science Centre. While at the Ministry, Shariman was also acting as Head of Talent Development, spearheading skills training and industrial partnership under the Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy PCDS 2030. He initiated semiconductors and IC design partnerships between the government and key industry players to strengthen the local semiconductor ecosystem and position Sarawak as an attractive investment destination for the semiconductor industry. In 2022, Shariman led the formation of the new Sarawak Microelectronics Design or SMD Semiconductor Sdn. Bhd. and subsequently appointed as the CEO of the company, aimed to catalyse the growth of high-value-added semiconductor activities in Sarawak through innovative development and application of technology in supporting the strategy and aspiration of the State government, its strategic partners and clients in the sector and to be a leading R&D Centre for global semiconductor companies. Shariman received a Bachelor of Engineering degree (BEng Hons) in electronics from Surrey University, UK, and a Master of Science degree (MSc) in microelectronics from Queens Belfast University, UK. He studied for a Doctorate (PhD) in analogue IC design at the Technical University of Graz, Austria and withdrew from his studies to pursue other personal interests. During his past career, Shariman attended Elite Management Training at Said Business School, Oxford University, UK.

Professor Dr Ho Jeong Kwon
Yonsei University, South Korea

Professor Ho Jeong KWON graduated from Seoul National University (BSc, Korea), received MS and PhD degrees from the University of Tokyo (Japan) and did postdoctoral research at Harvard (USA). He returned to Korea in 1999 and was promoted to full professor at the Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University in 2008. He has served as director of the chemical genomics Leader Research Initiative and served as an adjunct professor, College of Medicine, Yonsei University and Lund University (Sweden). He serves as the president of KSBMB (24-present) and the past-president of AOHUPO (20-22), KHUPO (10-11) and a council member of HUPO (05-08, 15-17, 19-present). He has published over 235 papers in reputed journals and has served as Editor-in-Chief of Proteome Science and Editor of reputed journals. He has also filed over 50 patents and received many awards including DongHeon Biochemistry Award (KSBMB), YakSan Academy Award (KSVB) and Sura Academy Award (KMB). His research interests focus on the discovery of bioactive small molecules, target identification and validation, integration of omics technologies for innovation in drug discovery and translational research.

Professor Datu Dr Andrew Kiyu Dawie
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Professor Datu Dr. Andrew Kiyu is currently a Senior Principal Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. He joined UNIMAS in 2017. He obtained his MBBS and MPH degrees from University Malaya and Doctor of Public Health in Epidemiology from Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. He is a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, and a member of the Academy of Medicine, Malaysia. He has over 40 years’ experience in public health, initially as a district medical-officer-of-health, then as an epidemiologist, Deputy Director for Public Health in Sarawak, and finally as Sarawak State Health Director. He was involved in the management of disease outbreaks, notably the Hand Foot and Mouth Diseases outbreak in 1997, SARS in 2003, Nipah in 1998, and now COVID-19. Dr Andrew is well-known internationally for his work in Healthy Cities and settings and has served as WHO short-term consultants on the subject. He is an honorary consultant epidemiologist as well as honorary advisor for healthy cities for Sarawak government.

Mr Alvin Lee
BioD Medica, Malaysia

Mr. Alvin Lee has over 15 years of experience in clinical research, regulatory affairs, and healthcare technology. His career spans roles that have allowed him to contribute to the development and management of clinical trials, regulatory compliance, and the commercialization of medical devices and pharmaceutical products. Alvin began his academic journey at the University of Malaya, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with distinction and a Master of Medical Science in Cardiovascular Pharmacology. These early years laid the foundation for his deep understanding of pharmacological processes and equipped him with the knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of the healthcare industry. Starting his career as a Clinical Research Associate, Alvin gained valuable experience in managing clinical trials and ensuring regulatory compliance. His work with leading organizations such as Novartis and Quintiles (now IQVIA) provided him with a strong platform to develop his skills further, particularly in overseeing clinical trials and contributing to innovative research practices. In 2020, Alvin assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer at BioD Medica, where he oversaw operations in Malaysia and Singapore. Under his leadership, the company expanded its clinical research and regulatory services, driven by a strong emphasis on sustainable growth and strategic development. Alvin co-founded Pakar Technology in 2022, where he played a key role in developing an AI-powered digital platform that integrates IoT sensory data with medical expertise. This platform aims to enhance patient care and health monitoring, reflecting his interest in leveraging technology to improve healthcare services. In 2021, Alvin co-founded Carepool Asia, a telehealth service that has expanded to include mental health and dietitian consultations. His work in managing the operational aspects of the platform has supported its growth and integration of SaaS solutions, making healthcare more accessible to users. Throughout his career, Alvin has engaged with the medical community through guest faculty positions, speaking engagements, and publications. He has also been involved in initiatives such as the MySTEMI network and MySTEMI Foundation, which focuses on improving heart attack care in Malaysia.