MS. KUMARI GEETHA A/P MUNIANDY is an Aquatic Animal Health Specialist with over 17 years of experience in aquaculture health management, molecular diagnostics, hatchery laboratory operation and plankton production. She currently serves as PCR Laboratory Manager at Star Feedmills (M) Sdn. Bhd. and Hatchery Laboratory Manager at Asia Aquaculture (M) Sdn. Bhd., under umbrella of Charoen Pokphand Foods (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd, where she leads laboratory programs supporting aquatic pathogen diagnostics, disease surveillance, and biosecurity implementation for aquaculture production systems. She has extensive experience working with hatcheries and aquaculture producers to investigate disease outbreaks, improve biosecurity protocols, and enhance production performance through effective health management strategies. Kumari Geetha holds a Master of Science in Aquatic Animal Health from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Through her work, she actively collaborates with aquaculture producers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to strengthen disease management practices and support the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry in Southeast Asia.
DR. SHAHREZA MD. SHERIFF is currently a senior lecturer on fish breeding and genetics in the Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science Academicians, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). He conducts research on the genetic population of broodstock for several aquaculture fish species. In fish breeding, his research was on crossbreeding, triploidization and hybridization of aquaculture fish species. He also has been appointed as the academic advisor for aquaculture Diploma program for UNISEL and Politeknik Jeli.
DR. NORULHUDA MOHAMED RAMLI obtained her bachelor degree in Biological and Agricultural engineering at Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2004. After graduation, she worked as an officer of economic affairs with the Malaysian Farmers’ Organization Authority (Lembaga Pertubuhan Peladang) for a year. During this period, she engaged directly with farmers’ activities. Later, she pursued her MSc and PhD degree in Aquaculture at the Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Having both, engineering, and aquaculture background, Norulhuda integrates these two fields in her research related to recirculating aquaculture system, microalgae and other aquatic plants for improvement of system efficiency and water quality. Her recent research embarks on the use of internet of things (IoT) and data analytics to understand the dynamics of physico-chemical parameters and their relationship to biological processes in aquaculture systems.
DR. HENRY WONG YH possesses an 25-year tenure within the Asian animal nutrition and health industry. His professional journey commenced as a sales manager in the aquafeed sector in a multinational animal nutrition company in Malaysia. Subsequently, he ascended the corporate ladder, assuming managerial roles within multinational aquaculture nutrition firms in the Asian market. Dr. Wong’s operational footprint spanned multiple strategic locations, including Malaysia, China, Singapore, and Indonesia. In these roles, he adeptly oversaw and managed diverse aspects of the animal nutrition and health business within the Asian region. In 2013, he joined Alltech as a Regional General Manager, with responsibilities extending to Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore. Notably, he also lent his technical expertise to bolster aquaculture endeavors in China and Southeast Asia. In July 2018, Dr. Henry Wong stepped into the position of Asia Commercial Development Director for Alltech. In this capacity, he undertook the paramount mission of propelling the growth trajectory of the aqua business in the Asian market. Dr. Henry holds a bachelor’s degree in aquaculture, an MBA and a Doctorate in Business Administration.
DR. PEARL KWAN obtained her Ph.D. in Aquatic Biotechnology and is currently the Head of Research and Development for Hellas Technology Farm, a company specialises in indoor recirculating aquaculture systems. She consults fish farmers on disease, risk mitigation, and farm setup. Dr. Kwan’s extensive network within academia and the aquaculture community and her role as a Malaysia Aquaculture Development Association committee member reflect her dedication to the industry’s growth. Over the years, Dr. Pearl has advocated sustainable aquaculture farming initiatives. She leads a 12-month school program, fostering secondary school students to learn sustainable aquaculture. She is excited to inspire others to take action to protect the environment.
PROF. DR. MOHAMMAD NOOR AMAL AZMAI obtained his PhD (Epidemiology) from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2012, where he worked on the epidemiology of streptococcosis in red hybrid tilapia. He started his academic journey as a Senior Lecturer at Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia in June 2012. He has great interest in fish diseases, fish vaccination and fish ecology. Currently, his research focus on the fish diseases epidemiology and development of feed-based vaccines against fresh and marine water fish diseases. Dr. Amal and his research team has several innovations related to control and prevention of fish diseases in aquaculture. One of his research team’s patents – ViVaC UPM, a newly developed feed-based killed vaccine against vibriosis in fish, has won several international awards and in the process of commercialization with a private company. His research team is now working on the development and commercialization of polyvalent feed-based vaccine against streptococcosis and aeromoniasis in cultured freshwater fishes. He is currently the Head of Aquatic Animal Health and Therapeutics Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
DR AZILA ABDULLAH is currently a Senior Research Officer and director at the National Fish Health Research Division (NaFisH), Fisheries Research Institute, DOF. She started her duties on 3 July 2000 and has since conducted research on fish viral diseases in aquaculture, especially of marine and freshwater fish. Among the viral disease studies conducted were koi herpesvirus (KHV) and iridovirus, and the current subjects are VNN and tilapia lake virus (TiLV).
She is also the project leader for NaFisH-FRITD-IIUM collaboration project involving epidemiological studies, alternative treatments, and vaccine development for fish diseases. She has been directly involved in the development and pre-commercialization process of several innovations such as the VNN detection kit (MyVNNEasy Kit) with UMS in 2009, the patented StrepToVax vaccine (2018 – current), rapid streptococcus detection kit (UI application), Method for identification of betanodavirus antigenic determinant as a vaccine candidate (UI application) and manual Kit PKD (Innovation 2019). She also acts as a Co-supervisor to 3 postgraduate students.
She has produced at least 15 scientific papers in the index and non-index journals, 33 presentation papers and at least 15 technical reports as well as being a reviewer for journals such as Aquaculture research, Pertanika and JoVE (Journal of visualized experiment), in addition she is also the chief editor of the Malaysia Fisheries Journal (MFJ). His latest book entitled ‘Viral Disease Nervous Necrosis in Marine Fish’ was published in 2020 for public reading.
MR. MOHD ADDIN AAZIF MOKHTAR is a Professional Industrial Marine Fish and Shrimp Aquaculturist; A highly accomplished and dedicated Aquaculturist with 12 years of extensive field experience in sustainable aquaculture practices. Proven expertise in all facets of farm operation and management, consistently achieving high yields and profitability. Specialized in advanced fish breeding techniques and hatchery management for commercially viable species. A strong proponent of proactive fish health management, implementing robust biosecurity protocols and diagnostic practices to ensure low mortality rates and optimal stock vitality. As a Senior Technical Manager with Evergreen, currently working closely with GST Group of Companies in Penang and other Aquaculture projects in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, providing technical support and knowledge sharing on modern industrial scale farming operations.
DR. ZARIRAH MOHAMED ZULPERI is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, with expertise in Fish Endocrinology. Her research focuses on the hormonal axis, regulatory pathways, and roles of various hormones in maintaining homeostasis in aquatic organisms. She emphasizes studies on fish physiology and reproductive systems, particularly in developing artificial hormones to enhance breeding and reproductive performance in cultured species. Dr. Zarirah has secured several national and international research grants, including the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE), Geran Inisiatif Putra Muda from Universiti Putra Malaysia, and one of the subleaders in International Development Research Centre (IDRC) grant from the Government of Canada. She is an active member of the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) and a lifetime member of the Malaysian Fisheries Society (MFS). She served as Treasurer for the Asian Fisheries Social Science Research Network (AFSSRN) from 2021 to 2024 and currently holds the position of Honorary Treasurer of MFS for the 2025–2027 term. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Zarirah actively engages with farmers, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to promote knowledge transfer and innovation in sustainable aquaculture.
DR. AZILA ABDULLAH is currently a Senior Research Officer and director at the National Fish Health Research Division (NaFisH), Fisheries Research Institute, DOF. She started her duties on 3 July 2000 and has since conducted research on fish viral diseases in aquaculture especially of marine and freshwater fish. Among the viral disease studies conducted were koi herpesvirus (KHV) and iridovirus, and the current subjects are VNN and tilapia lake virus (TiLV).She is also the project leader for NaFisH-FRITD-IIUM collaboration project involving epidemiological studies, alternative treatments and vaccine development for fish diseases. She has been directly involved in the development and pre-commercialisation process of several innovations such as the VNN detection kit (MyVNNEasy Kit) with UMS in 2009, patented StrepToVax vaccine (2018 – current), rapid streptococcus detection kit (UI application), Method for identification of betanodavirus antigenic determinant as vaccine candidate (UI application) and manual Kit PKD (Innovation 2019). She also acts as a Co-supervisor to 3 postgraduate students. She has produced at least 15 scientific papers in index and non-index journals, 33 presentation papers and at least 15 technical reports as well as being a reviewer for journals such as Aquaculture research, Pertanika and JoVE (Journal of visualized experiment), in addition she is also the chief editor of the Malaysia Fisheries Journal (MFJ). His latest book entitled ‘viral disease nervous necrosis in marine fish’ was published in 2020 for public reading.
DR. MUHAMMAD AZFAR ISMAIL is an expert in fisheries postharvest and processing, seafood quality, and sustainable aquaculture systems. He integrates cutting-edge food science with aquaculture technology to enhance seafood safety and product innovation. He completed his postdoctoral studies at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia (2025), focusing on marine-based packaging films, and earned his Ph.D. in Animal Science and Biotechnology from Seoul National University, Korea (2024) specializing in hyperspectral imaging for precise meat quality assessment. He has published extensively in high-impact journals such as LWT, Food Engineering Reviews, Aquaculture Reports, Food Engineering, and npj Science of Food. He is the recipient of the ASEAN-FEN Outstanding Young Fisheries Scientist Award 2024 and actively contributes to international research collaborations, industry-academia partnerships, innovative aquaculture projects, and global student mobility programs.
DR. ROSLIZAWATI AB LAH is a marine scientist and lecturer at the Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Malaysia. Her research focuses on the biology, ecology, and nutritional quality of molluscs, with particular emphasis on seafood safety and risk assessment for human consumption. Her work integrates marine biodiversity, fisheries science, and environmental monitoring to examine how environmental factors influence nutritional composition, trace element accumulation, and the safety of shellfish. She has also investigated the responses of molluscs to environmental stressors such as ocean acidification. Dr. Roslizawati has successfully secured several competitive research grants, including the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), an international grant from the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), the Strategic Research Grant – Niche (SRG-Niche), the Talent and Publication Enhancement Research Grant (TAPE-RG), and the Environmental and Social Sustainability Fund (ESSF) at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. She has published in reputable international journals and actively contributes to research on sustainable seafood, marine resource management, and seafood safety.
