Keynote speakers

Prof. Gary Tse matriculated at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge in 2005 to read pre-clinical medicine. He subsequently completed his clinical training at Imperial College London, as well as PhD and MD from the University of Cambridge. He is Associate Dean (Innovations and Research) at the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). He is also a Professor at the Department of Cardiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, China and a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey. Prior to joining HKMU, Prof. Tse held a joint position as Clinical Reader at the University of Kent (with permanent appointment until the retirement age) and Honorary Public Health Consultant at the Medway Council in local government, UK. He serves as a Nucleus Committee Member of the Population Health Section, European Association of Preventive Cardiology. He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health, Royal College of Pathologists and Royal College of Physicians, and an elected Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (Class II: Medicine). He has been listed on the World’s Top 2% Scientists Released by Stanford University for the Cardiovascular System & Hematology subfield since 2020 and is ranked 26th on the Top Cardiovascular Researchers from China in 2023. He has an H-index of 66 and has obtained more than HK$200 million research-related funding. He leads the Hong Kong Risk Modelling Team focusing on the use of big data and artificial intelligence for the development of predictive models for estimating biological age and risk prediction of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Dr Cynthia Chen is Assistant Professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore. Her research focuses on the economics of ageing, healthcare financing, and health system innovation, with the overarching aim of promoting sustainable, equitable, and age-ready health systems. She has led numerous large-scale health economic evaluations and simulation studies, most notably the Singapore Future Elderly Model, a microsimulation platform projecting chronic disease burden, healthcare spending, long-term care demand, and the impact of preventive health interventions. Her work often integrates real-world data, health technology assessment methods, and advanced econometric modelling to provide actionable insights for policy and resource allocation.

Dr Chen collaborates extensively with the Ministry of Health and other agencies, generating economic evidence to guide policy design and programme implementation. This includes evaluations of nationwide initiatives and value-based care pilots. Her research also examines reimbursement strategies for high-priced therapies in Singapore and the region, addressing health equity and financing challenges. Internationally, she contributes to the global public health community, serving as an Editorial Board Member for Nature Communications Medicine and Academic Editor for PLOS Global Public Health. Her publications appear in leading journals and have been cited in parliamentary debates and major media outlets. She also teaches courses in public health economics and applied health econometrics, mentoring graduate and doctoral students to bridge the gap between evidence generation and policy impact.

Dr Tan Maw Pin is a Professor of Geriatric Medicine at Universiti Malaya. After completing her undergraduate medical training at the University of Nottingham and her core medical training at Nottingham City Hospital, Prof Tan obtained a National Training Number in Geriatric Medicine at Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, where she also undertook two years of full-time research training at the Institute of Ageing and Health, Newcastle University. She is currently the Principal Investigator of the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia Long-Term Research Grant Scheme funded project, TrAnsforming CoGnitivE Frailty into Later-lifE Self-Sufficiency (AGELESS), and is the immediate past President of the Malaysian Society of Geriatric Medicine. She was a founder member of the Malaysian Falls Prevention Network (MyFalls) and Asian Falls Network, and is a core committee member of the newly founded World Falls Prevention Society. Prof Tan chairs the Malaysian Influenza Working Group which has successfully lobbied for government-funded influenza vaccination in older adults in Malaysia. She is also the organizing chair for the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics Asia Oceania Regional Congress 2028 which will be held in Kuala Lumpur.

Jerome H. Kim, M.D., is an international expert on the development and evaluation of vaccines and is the Director General of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI).  He has unparalleled experience and success in translating innovation to impact – working with key national and international stakeholders, creating a common understanding of the value proposition, developing and executing creative strategies for sustainable growth.  At IVI he led and grew a team whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for Global Health from a small Korea-based international organization to one with a global footprint and diverse and expanding funding. IVI’s oral cholera vaccine is used around the world to prevent this deadly diarrheal disease.  IVI’s typhoid conjugate vaccine, tech-transferred to SK bioscience and PT BioFarma; both have received national approval, and the SK vaccine has been prequalified by WHO. Prior to joining IVI, he was the Program Manager for the US Army’s Advanced Development Program for HIV vaccines and led the only HIV vaccine trial to show protection against infection (RV144), the identification of correlates from the trial, and analysis of viral sieve effects.  He was also the Principal Deputy of the US Military HIV Research Program doing earlier stage R&D on HIV vaccines and the Chief, Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Pathogenesis, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.  Dr. Kim is a Distinguished Visiting Professor, Seoul National University; Adjunct Professor at the Uniformed Services University (USA) and the Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University; and is an Honorary Professor, University of Rwanda and the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Kim graduated from the University of Hawaii with High Honors in History and Highest Honors in Biology, winning the Arthur Lyman Dean Prize in the Humanities and the Library Prize in Pacific Islands Area Research.  Dr. Kim received his M.D. from the Yale University School of Medicine and completed Internal Medicine Residency and Infectious Diseases Fellowship at Duke University Medical Center.  He has authored over 350 publications and has received numerous awards, including the John Maher Award for Research Excellence, USUHS, 2013; Department of the Army Research and Development Achievement Award for Technical Excellence, 2013; and the Medal of Honor for Civic Merit, Republic of Korea.

Dr Swe Yin Khin Htun is the Honorary Fellow from the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME), the highest accolade recognizing exceptional contributions to medical education on an international scale and also a Fellow from Faculty of Surgical Trainers, the Royal College of Surgeons (Edin).

She has demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership in the field of medical education, with a series of notable accomplishments. Her contributions have been recognized both nationally and internationally, reflecting a high level of expertise and commitment.

Her innovation to merge technology with medical teaching has revolutionised the medical education world. Currently, her programs are the benchmark of quality service delivery and an example to other institutions. She, a visionary leader and a firm believer in high-standard education, has undoubtedly shaped the way medical training is done for the better, thus making her name synonymous with innovation and excellence in medical education and was awarded the “Best Medical Educator Award” from the NUH in 2020 , “outstanding Contribution outside of NUH award in 2022″ and nominated for best UG teaching award in 2024 and also the winner of 3 awards in 2024: 1) The significant contribution to ME award, 2) The excellent research and innovation award and 3) The outstanding contribution outside NUH award.”

Dr. Kathleen Chim is Programme Director and Associate Head of the Division of Health at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Li Ka Shing School of Continuing and Professional Education (HKMU LiPACE). Prior to becoming an educator, Kathleen was working as a practitioner in the UK, providing evidence-based psychosocial interventions to individuals with substance use and mental health issues in community and prison settings. Her passion lies in understanding the positive aspects of psychological trauma and using her combined experiences to help students cultivate agency and reach their untapped potential for lifelong development and growth. Kathleen received her BSc in Psychology from Royal Holloway, her MSc in Public Health and Substance Misuse from King’s College London, and her PhD in Psychology from University of Salford.

She is also registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) as a Chartered Psychologist (Division of Academics, Researchers, and Teachers in Psychology). Her research interests include the positive personal changes or transformations (i.e. posttraumatic growth) resulting from the struggles of highly challenging circumstances, the stress-buffering effects of social support, and the role of sociocultural contexts in psychological trauma and posttraumatic growth among higher education students.

Since joining HKMU LiPACE, Kathleen has led initiatives and projects in collaboration with community partners to bridge research and practice, focusing on the socio-emotional aspects of learning, positive life transitions, mental wellbeing, and empowering students to become better prepared for an increasingly dynamic future.

Dr. Janie Ling Chin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering at Durham University, UK. Since completing her PhD in 2016 on life cycle assessment (LCA) of conventional, retrofit and advanced power systems for cargo ships, she has built an extensive portfolio in sustainability, energy systems integration, hydrogen technology and thermal management.

Janie co-leads numerous high-profile research projects funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Department for Transport, Research England, the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat), Innovate UK, the European Commission, and industry. These include the UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub (£30.3m), Growing Teesside’s Hydrogen Economy and Catalysing a Just Transition to Net Zero (£11.1m), Demonstration of a Digitised Energy System Integration across Sectors Enhancing Flexibility and Resilience towards an Efficient, Sustainable, Cost-optimised, Affordable, Secure and Stable Energy Supply (also referred to as ELEXIA, ~€10m), PyroPlas: Transforming Sewage Sludge to Sustainable Transport Fuels and Materials (£8.19m), the Ayrton Challenge Programme on Sustainable Cooling Infrastructure for Fisheries in Indonesia (£2.85m), and other decarbonisation initiatives.

She leads the sustainability research in the ELEXIA project, which forms the focus of her plenary presentation at Globesync. Drawing on LCA and energy systems analysis, her work offers insights into current practices and translates research into actionable strategies for real-world decarbonisation plans. Janie also advises the United Nations as a member of the Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) WG46 on the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Intensity of Marine Fuels.

Dr. Armstrong Ighodalo Omoregie is a microbiologist and environmental scientist whose work bridges microbial biotechnology and sustainable environmental engineering. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Centre of Borneo Regionalism and Conservation, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), Malaysia. His research focuses on microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), biocementation, heavy metal bioremediation, and advanced wastewater treatment technologies.

Dr Omoregie has led or co-led numerous funded research projects in Malaysia and abroad, in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Université Le Havre Normandie (France), and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (China). His work with ureolytic bacteria and biogenic processes has been applied in building restoration, slope stabilization, landfill leachate treatment, and greywater remediation. His research has been supported by grants from Yayasan Sarawak, the MyTiger Initiative (Embassy of France), and the Kurita Water and Environment Foundation (Japan).

His PhD at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia, focused on scaling up the production of Sporosarcina pasteurii using low-cost reagents and a custom-built 3000 L reactor to enable cost-effective biocementation at field scale. His earlier MSc research explored the microbial biodiversity of Sarawak’s limestone caves, identifying native urease-producing bacteria for green construction materials based on MICP.

Dr Omoregie has authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He is active in the development and teaching of bibliometric methods, regularly conducting workshops on research trend analysis using Scopus, VOSviewer, and AI-enhanced tools. He also supervises postgraduate students and serves on research committees at UTS. He holds a BSc (Biotechnology), MSc (By Research), and PhD in Biology from Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. He is a life member of the Asian Federation of Biotechnology (Malaysia Chapter), a Graduate Technologist with the Malaysia Board of Technologists, and a member of the Hong Kong Chemical, Biological & Environmental Engineering Society.

Ar. Teo Ah Khing is a globally respected architect, master planner and visionary entrepreneur whose career spans more than three decades. Born in Kuching and raised in Miri, Sarawak, Ar. Teo is a proud Sarawakian who has left an indelible mark internationally on the built environment, while continuing to drive progressive development at home.

Armed with a Master’s in Urban Design from Harvard University and an Honours Degree in Architecture from the University of New South Wales, Ar. Teo leads with a rare blend of design innovation, strategic foresight, and business acumen. As Founder and Chairman of Imasa Dinasti Sdn Bhd and the broader TAK Group of Companies, he has delivered a portfolio of award-winning, high-impact projects across Asia, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Among his most notable masterplans are the Meydan Grandstand, Palm Deira and City Masterplan in Dubai, General Headquarters Complex and Bahria Town in Pakistan, and the “Pearl of the Caribbean” integrated development in St Lucia. Closer to home, Ar. Teo played a key role in shaping the Putrajaya Federal Government Administrative Centre, where his team was entrusted to strengthen and refine its masterplan and the award-winning Miri City Fan remains close to his heart to this day.

Today, Ar. Teo is the driving force behind Kenyalang Smart City (KSC) – a flagship urban development in Miri that redefines smart, sustainable living. As one of Malaysia’s most ambitious purpose-built smart cities, KSC blends digital integration, green design, and local character to create an inclusive, future-ready urban ecosystem. Under Imasa Dinasti’s leadership, it stands as a model for intergenerational urban development rooted in Sarawak’s growth story.

In addition to his work in architecture and planning, Ar. Teo is also renowned in the global thoroughbred racing world as Chairman of the China Horse Club.  A passionate philanthropist, his companies have channeled over USD50 million towards scholarships and charitable causes since 1993. Ar. Teo continues to lead with vision, purpose and a deep commitment to community-building and nation advancement.

Professor Sibrandes Poppema is the President and Vice-Chancellor of Sunway University in Malaysia since January 2021. He studied Medicine at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. He trained as a pathologist and holds a doctorate in Immunopathology from the University of Groningen. He held postdoc positions at the University of Kiel in Germany and Harvard University in the USA. He has widely published on subjects in immunology, haematology, oncology and transplantation and is among the top 2% cited authors in immunology. He held several leadership positions in healthcare and in education institutions, including as Director of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Alberta and later at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands. He was Dean of UMCG for 9 years and President of the University of Groningen for 10 years.

Sunway University is a private not for profit 14-year-young university and already top private university in ASEAN in several rankings. It is rapidly rising in global rankings with a #81 in the THE Impact ranking as the highlight.

Poppema’s mission is for Sunway University to become a fifth-generation university with a focus on holistic education, employability, high-quality research, strong industry collaboration, sustainable development, planetary health and community service

Petra Heidler operates as a hypnosis psychotherapist in private practice in Austria. She pursued studies in social and economic sciences, inclusive and special education, health service management, and public health and served as an HR professional and head of personnel for Austria, the GAS region and  Central Europe in worldwide organizations within the healthcare and NGO sectors.

For about 20 years, Petra Heidler has been a lecturer at universities and universities of applied sciences, a speaker both domestically and abroad, an advisor to businesses, a member of ethics committees, and a researcher in fields like mental health, psyche and wounds, migraines, and burnout. She values networking, mentoring young scholars, and fostering connections among business, science, research, and individuals.

Dr. P. Raviwharmman Packierisamy is a Public Health Medicine Specialist and the current Miri Division Health Officer in Sarawak, Malaysia. He obtained his MBBS from Melaka Manipal Medical College in 2004, followed by a Master of Public Health (2010) and Doctor of Public Health (2017) from the University of Malaya. He is also a graduate of Malaysia Epidemiological Intelligence Program (Field Epidemiology Training Program).

He has over 20 years of experience in clinical and public health medicine, beginning his career as a Medical Officer at Hospital Teluk Intan, Perak before transitioning into public health medicine practice. He has served as Epidemiology Officer in both Perak and Sarawak and, since 2020, has led the Miri Division Health Office, overseeing disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, crisis preparedness, and public health service delivery.

His scholarly work encompasses vector control, tuberculosis, measles, typhoid, and food- and waterborne diseases. He has presented at regional and international conferences, with several publications in indexed journals. He has also contributed to national technical committees on infectious disease surveillance, TB screening, malaria elimination, and disaster preparedness.

His contributions have earned him multiple Ministry of Health Excellence Service Awards (2008, 2016, 2020) and the Sarawak State Government Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang (P.B.K) Award in 2022. He actively mentors’ postgraduate public health trainees, serves as adjunct lecturer and supervisor, and contributes to various professional and community health organizations. His special interest includes field epidemiology, outbreak investigations, crisis preparedness and disaster response, health economics, and strategic public health facilities planning.

Dr Fredolin Tangang is a climatologist and currently affiliated with Universiti Brunei Darussalam. He was a professor of climatology at the National University of Malaysia since 2007 until his retirement in 2023. He is known for his contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), where he served as Vice-Chair of IPCC Working Group 1, and for his leadership in advancing regional climate change modelling in the Southeast Asia. He founded and led CORDEX Southeast Asia from 2013 to 2023. He earned a PhD from the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 1997 where he developed a model to forecast the El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO). His research interests include climate change and variability, regional climate projections, and the analysis of extreme weather events, providing critical insights into how climate change will impact Southeast Asia in the coming decades

Sheena is a healthcare professional (Registered Nurse, Singapore) with a strong commitment to advancing education, health equity, and policy innovation. She is an incoming Expert in Residence at the Harpswell Foundation in Cambodia, where she will focus on enabling access to education and healthcare in remote communities. Sheena is also an incoming fellow at FACTS (Think Tank), where her work will center on policy issues spanning future trends, ASEAN affairs, technology, security, and current global challenges.

Sheena holds an honorary visiting researcher position at the National University of Singapore’s School of Public Health. As a Global Leadership Nursing Institute (GLNI) Scholar at the International Council of Nurses in Geneva, she is poised to contribute to global health leadership and advocacy.

Her research interests include the intersections of climate action and health, health equity, leadership, public policy, and social entrepreneurship. Passionate about fostering meaningful change, Sheena combines academic rigor with practical engagement to address pressing societal issues.

Outside of her professional endeavours, she enjoys travelling to connect with diverse communities and gain insights into the world through multiple perspectives.

Dr. Noor Izni Binti Mohamed Shapie is a Public Health Medicine Specialist at Miri Divisional Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia, with over 10 years of experience in public health. Her areas of expertise include adolescent health, primary health care, maternal and child health, and school health programmes. She obtained her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from the International Medical University (IMU), followed by a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from Universiti Malaya (UM).

Throughout her career, Dr. Noor Izni has been actively engaged in developing and implementing community-based initiatives to improve the health and well-being of the community especially adolescents. She has organized health carnivals and outreach programmes targeting teenagers in Miri, integrating health education, preventive services, and interactive activities. These programmes have successfully increased awareness on key health issues, including sexual and reproductive health, mental health, healthy coping strategies, while fostering community participation and intersectoral collaboration.

As an advocate for adolescent sexual and reproductive health education, she frequently conducts workshops, talks, and awareness campaigns for adolescents, parents, and educators. Her approach emphasizes creating safe and supportive environments for young people to discuss sensitive topics, while ensuring they receive accurate, evidence-based information to make informed decisions and adopt healthier lifestyles. By combining mental health awareness with sexual and reproductive health education, she promotes a holistic approach to adolescent development.

In addition to her contributions to adolescent health, Dr. Noor Izni has played an important role in strengthening primary healthcare services and school health programmes, with a focus on promoting health equity and accessibility. She also mentors junior colleagues and medical students, sharing her expertise to cultivate future leaders in public health.

With her dedication and vision, Dr. Noor Izni continues to champion adolescent health as a public health priority, working towards building healthier and more resilient youth populations in Malaysia.

Her research interests focus on health literacy, social communication, and communication strategies in indigenous communities and vulnerable groups. Her work has been published in reputable international journals, and she has received various research grants, including a global grant from Dalberg UK related to heat stroke literacy among Indonesian farmers and a Diktisaintek grant for research on eco-social literacy in the Baduy indigenous community.

In addition to her academic role, Liza is often invited to speak at forums on strategic communication, public relations, community literacy, and women’s empowerment. The combination of her roles as an academic, researcher, and practitioner has enabled her to consistently build bridges between science, public relations practice, and community service.

Farid is a faculty member in the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Serang Raya (UNSERA), Indonesia. He has academic and professional experience in product design, health innovation, and additive manufacturing (3D printing). His research and teaching interests emphasize ergonomics, sustainable product development, and the application of advanced manufacturing technologies to improve healthcare and community well-being.

He currently serves as Chairperson of the Institute for Research and Community Engagement (LPPM) UNSERA, where he played a central role in facilitating faculty involvement in research and community service. In this role, he is responsible for strengthening applied research collaborations and supporting initiatives that link academic knowledge with real-world challenges.

He also oversees annual student community service programs (KKM), focusing on economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, and public health. These programs aim to build community capacity while fostering student learning through direct engagement with society.

With his expertise in industrial engineering, design, and innovation, he continues to contribute to advancing research, teaching, and community engagement, while promoting initiatives that support sustainable development and improve quality of life.

Professor Tin Tin Su is a public health physician, the director of the South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) Health & Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) at Monash University Malaysia. She led a turning point of SEACO’s research excellence on climate change, environment and health. She established a remarkable initiative named “Climate change and health impact monitoring through the eHealth at SEACO” (CHIMES) project, which introduced an innovative architecture to conduct cutting-edge climate change and health research. This initiative has now been leveraged into a Wellcome Trust-funded project on “Health effects of heat in South East Asia.”

She plays a significant role in the global initiative of Climate Change and Health Evaluation and Response System (CHEERS). Leveraging her strong partnership with regional stakeholders and well-regarded contribution to climate change and health, she secured funding from the Canadian and UK governments to establish and lead Monash University’s “Regional Hub for Asia Climate Change and Health (REACH)”.  The REACH aims to advance research that promotes climate literacy, empowers communities, strengthens health systems and supports vulnerable groups

Kimberly Kupresan is an American expat based in Miri, Sarawak, specializing in community development, health systems, and storytelling. With over a decade of experience in U.S. healthcare, she leads Carecombo, LLC—a dynamic consulting platform that partners with governments, NGOs, and institutions to design community-centred systems.

As both consultant and storyteller, Kimberly embraces the philosophy of “looking for the world in a grain of sand,” showing how complex ideas can be understood through the everyday stories of individuals and cultures. Her work focuses on amplifying these voices by forging strategic community partnerships that align mission, political capital, and financial resources—driving lasting impact through resilient infrastructure and culturally responsive solutions.

Her leadership includes founding a paediatric health department for 100,000 students in New Orleans, one of America’s most culturally rich and complex cities. Over three years, she helped secure $20 million (USD) in funding and mobilized up to 100 specialists to address medical and mental health needs in schools. She also designed a region-wide COVID-19 support system for 3,000 schools and educators. These initiatives were powered by cultural ambassadors, multidisciplinary collaborators, and relatable stories that united a wide matrix of stakeholders. Her clinical and volunteer background—2,500 hours of direct patient care and board service for a French-immersion charter school—further informed this work.

Beyond consulting, Kimberly explores identity and cultural pluralism through writing and film. Current projects include a documentary on Sarawakian Indigenous art for international audiences, as well as publishing insights on healthcare models that integrate cultural authorities and multidisciplinary collaboration.