Institute for Medical Research

✨ 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗢 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗞 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗦 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳) ✨

Heartiest congratulations to Mr. Terence Tan Yew Chin and Ms. Teh Bee Ping from the Integrative Health Information Unit, Herbal Medicine Research Centre, on their prestigious appointment as Members of the UNESCO Global Task Force (GTF) of Experts (2026–2027) for Traditional Pharmacopoeia in the Context of Sport Values, Ethics and Integrity! 🌍🏅

🌿 About the Global Task Force (GTF):
The mandate of the GTF is to provide the international community with an evidence-informed framework to understand, evaluate, and engage with traditional, plant-based remedies within the context of sport ethics and anti-doping standards. 🔬📋

🚀 Our Commitment:
With the establishment of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab, IMR remains deeply committed to contributing on the international stage. This platform functions as an open educational resource accessible to both athletes and non-athletes alike, offering curated content to raise awareness and foster informed engagement regarding the use of herbal medicine in sports. 🤝🌱

Wishing both of them the very best in this global endeavor! 🌟👏

✨𝗚𝗟𝗣 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲✨

📍On 9–10 June 2026, personnel of the Non-Clinical Research Facility (NCRF), Institute for Medical Research (IMR) participated in a comprehensive Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Refresher Course in preparation for the upcoming surveillance inspection and continuous commitment to quality and compliance.

🔥The course reinforced key aspects of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Principles of Good Laboratory Practice, including:
✅ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟎 𝐎𝐄𝐂𝐃 𝐆𝐋𝐏 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬
✅ 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥
✅ 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
✅ 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
✅ 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
✅ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
✅ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

🔶This refresher training serves as an important platform to strengthen knowledge, promote consistency in GLP implementation, and ensure that all personnel remain competent and audit-ready.

💪🏻At NCRF IMR, we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of scientific integrity, quality, and regulatory compliance in support of reliable and credible non-clinical studies.

𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦: 𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗠𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛, 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗜 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗠

The Nutrition Unit, Nutrition, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Research Centre (NMCRC), IMR recently hosted a successful laboratory visit and training programme for the Department of Scientific Services, Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalam.
The 3-day programme aimed to facilitate knowledge sharing on nutrient analysis, laboratory practices, and food composition database development, while strengthening regional laboratory networks to foster future technical cooperation between both nations.

📅 Date: 09 - 11 June 2026 (Tuesday – Thursday) 📍 Venue: Meeting Room 1, NMCRC, Nutrition Laboratory and Advance Analytical Biochemistry Laboratory (AABL), Institute for Medical Research (IMR)
📢 Training Highlights:
Participants gained valuable, hands-on exposure to advanced nutrient analysis methodologies and high-end laboratory instrumentation utilized at IMR, which included:
🧪 Fatty Acid Analysis using GC-FID
🧪 Total Sugar Analysis using HPLC
🧪 Sodium Analysis using ICP-OES

The session concluded with productive briefing sessions, interactive laboratory tours, and an insightful exchange of best practices in nutrient analysis and food composition database development.

🧬 Key Institutions Represented:
Nutrition Unit, NMCRC, IMR
Department of Scientific Services, Ministry of Health Brunei Darussalam
Organizer: Nutrition Unit, NMCRC, IMR

📢 𝟮𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗜𝗛 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠)

🚀 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒: 𝟑 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐎! ⏳
𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐌𝐈𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐁𝐘 𝟏𝟓𝐓𝐇 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!

Theme: Crossing Boundaries, Creating Solutions: The Power of Translational Research

Join experts from multiple disciplines to explore how translational research transforms scientific discoveries into impactful healthcare solutions.

🔬 Oral & Poster Presentations
🤝 Networking with researchers, clinicians & policymakers
💡 Turning research into real-world impact

Link for registration :
https://nihconference.nih.gov.my

Let’s work together to bridge science, practice and policy for better health outcomes

✨ 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻✨

On 10 June 2026, the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) Malaysia, hosted a strategic engagement session with BGI Genomics, bringing together leading clinical and scientific experts from across Malaysia in the fields of oncology, genetic pathology, clinical haematology, clinical genetics, and haematopathology. The meeting was conducted in both physical and virtual formats.

The discussion was chaired by Datuk Dr Nor Fariza Ngah, Deputy Director-General of Health (Research and Technical Support), Ministry of Health Malaysia, reflecting the nation's commitment to advancing biomedical research, genomics, and precision medicine. 🇲🇾

The engagement explored opportunities for collaboration in genomics, bioinformatics, precision medicine, and translational research, with a shared vision of accelerating the implementation of genomic medicine and next-generation therapeutic innovations.

A key highlight of the session was an insightful presentation by Jeremy Cao, general manager of BGI Asia and middle east, BGI Genomics (Shenzhen, China), showcasing global advancements in large-scale genomics, precision medicine, and cutting-edge research technologies.
The session also featured discussions with Mr Cha Li, the founder and COO of Hillgene Biopharma on emerging cell and gene therapy platforms, including:
🧬 CAR-T Cell Therapy
🦠 NK Cell-Based Therapy
🧪 CD19 & CD22 Targeted Therapies
🔬 Gene Therapy Innovations

This engagement marks an important step towards strengthening international scientific partnerships, accelerating translational research, and shaping the future of precision medicine, cell therapy, and gene therapy in Malaysia.

Together, we move closer to transforming scientific discoveries into meaningful healthcare solutions, delivering better patient outcomes and a healthier future for all. 🌍🚀

𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗬𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗘𝗞𝗡𝗜𝗞𝗔𝗟 𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗔 𝗣𝗔𝗞𝗔𝗥 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗩𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗧𝗘 (𝗜𝗩𝗜): 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗖𝗨 𝗣𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗡 𝗩𝗔𝗞𝗦𝗜𝗡 𝗡𝗘𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗔🔬🧬

Institut Penyelidikan Perubatan (IMR), Institut Kesihatan Negara (NIH), KKM dengan kerjasama erat Pusat Kanser Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (PKTAAB), USM serta Institut Farmaseutikal dan Nutraseutikal Malaysia (IPharm), NIBM telah berjaya menganjurkan Mesyuarat Teknikal Bersama Pakar dari International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Republik Korea di Pulau Pinang pada 10 Jun 2026.

Mesyuarat berprestij ini memfokuskan kepada penelitian dokumen 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐂𝐓𝐃), khususnya dalam memastikan aspek keselamatan dan keberkesanan data pra-klinikal dipatuhi demi menyokong permohonan kelulusan kajian klinikal 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕-𝒊𝒏-𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 (𝑭𝑰𝑯)bagi calon vaksin negara, termasuk platform mRNA-LNP.

Sesi perkongsian ilmu yang amat komprehensif ini diterajui oleh barisan pakar antarabangsa dari IVI:
1. Dr. Ravi Ganapathy (Senior Director of the Vaccine Process Development)
2. Dr. Sang Yeon Oh (Senior Research Scientist, Regulatory)
3. Dr. Tarun Saluja (Head of the Vaccine Clinical Development)
Antara pengisian utama sepanjang mesyuarat teknikal ini termasuklah perbincangan mendalam mengenai 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐆𝐗𝐏), kajian kes penyerahan dokumen kepada 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 (𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐒) di bawah European Medicines Agency (EMA), serta strategi penyediaan data kualiti, keselamatan, dan keberkesanan vaksin.

Setinggi-tinggi penghargaan diucapkan kepada semua panel pakar, para penyelidik, dan delegasi daripada pelbagai agensi yang hadir memberikan komitmen penuh dalam meletakkan Malaysia di peta inovasi pembangunan vaksin global! 🇲🇾✨

📢 𝟮𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗜𝗛 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠)

🚀 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒: 𝟓 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐎! ⏳
𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐌𝐈𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐁𝐘 𝟏𝟓𝐓𝐇 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!

Theme: Crossing Boundaries, Creating Solutions: The Power of Translational Research

Join experts from multiple disciplines to explore how translational research transforms scientific discoveries into impactful healthcare solutions.

🔬 Oral & Poster Presentations
🤝 Networking with researchers, clinicians & policymakers
💡 Turning research into real-world impact

Link for registration :
https://nihconference.nih.gov.my

Let’s work together to bridge science, practice and policy for better health outcomes

🔬𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗙𝗚𝗘 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗚𝗦: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗠𝗥–𝗖𝗗𝗖 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻🔬

🔶The Institute for Medical Research (IMR) was pleased to welcome Senior Microbiologist, Kristy Kubota from the U.S. CDC on 8th June 2026.

🔶The visit focused on IMR's activities in enteric bacteria disease research, outbreak investigation and the application of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for genomic epidemiology.

🤝IMR and CDC have maintained a long-standing collaboration through the PulseNet network, supporting the transition from Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) to WGS-based approaches for public health investigations.

💪🏻During the visit, she toured IMR's genomic laboratories at the Biomedical Core Research Facilities (BioRCF) and met with Dr. Siti Roszilawati, Clinical Microbiologist, Pn. Hamidah Akmal Hisham and Dr. Ezalia Esa, Deputy Director of the SEAMEO TROPMED Regional Centre for Microbiology, Parasitology and Entomology. The visit was facilitated by Dr. Mohammad Ridhuan Mohd Ali and Pn. Nor Hazrin Abd Hazis.

🇲🇾The visit provided a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge and strengthen partnerships in public health microbiology. IMR looks forward to continued collaboration with the U.S. CDC in research, training and capacity building to advance genomic surveillance, outbreak preparedness and laboratory excellence.

🎉 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗗𝗥. 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗔 𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗣! 🎉

The Institute for Medical Research (IMR) proudly celebrates our very own Dr. Masita Arip (Head & Consultant Pathologist at the Allergy and Immunology Research Centre, IMR, NIH) for her successful session as an invited speaker at the national seminar held from 8-9 June 2026 in Penang!

🔬Dr. Masita took the stage at the Eastin Hotel, Penang, to deliver a highly impactful presentation titled: 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞.

💡 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐌𝐑'𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞

In her session, Dr. Masita shared critical insights into how population health trends and robust data drive strategic decisions during the early, preclinical stages of vaccine formulation. Her presentation underscored the vital role that immunological and data-driven evidence plays in ensuring new vaccine candidates are safe and effective before transitioning to first-in-human clinical trials.

This prestigious event, co-organized by the National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (PKTAAB-USM), operates under the Vaccine Program Training Grant (LPV). It is a key initiative recognized by the 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩 (𝐍𝐕𝐃𝐑) dedicated to elevating Malaysia’s vaccine self-reliance and research capabilities.

🌟 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

We are incredibly proud to have IMR’s clinical and scientific expertise represented on this platform alongside esteemed local and international vaccine experts. Thank you, Dr. Masita, for continuously championing excellence in public health research and raising the bar for Malaysia's biomedical ecosystem! 👏🇲🇾

🌍 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗕 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 🧬

In support of strengthening regional tuberculosis (TB) genomic capacity, Malaysia participated in the Asia PGI Tuberculosis Genomics Symposium 2026, represented by Dr Siti Roszilawati Ramli from the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) and Dr Shazelin Ali Pitchay from the TB & Leprosy Sector, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya. The symposium, held in Singapore from 18–19 May 2026, was organised by the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness under the Asia Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Asia PGI).

The symposium aimed to strengthen regional capacity in tuberculosis (TB) genomics through knowledge exchange, technical discussions, and collaborative learning among participating countries. The programme focused on enhancing understanding of genomic applications in drug-resistant TB diagnosis, surveillance systems, laboratory infrastructure planning, and workforce competency development, while fostering regional collaboration in TB control efforts.

Throughout the two-day programme, participants were exposed to key developments in targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) for TB, including their integration into diagnostic and surveillance systems for drug-resistant tuberculosis. Sessions also explored AI-enabled decision support tools, implementation strategies for genomic technologies, technical discussions with international experts, and country-level approaches to strengthening laboratory capacity.

🎯 Expected Key Performance Outcomes (KPI):

✅ Enhanced technical knowledge and competency in TB genomic applications
✅ Strengthened capacity for the interpretation and implementation of tNGS and WGS in TB diagnostics and surveillance
✅ Improved opportunities for regional networking and scientific collaboration
✅ Knowledge transfer to support the future strengthening of Malaysia’s TB genomic surveillance and drug-resistant TB management

The Institute for Medical Research remains committed to advancing innovative approaches in infectious disease research and supporting national efforts to strengthen evidence-based tuberculosis control through genomics and regional collaboration.