Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia

Associate Prof. Dr. Lau Wei Hong is a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from UPM, specializing in Insect Virology. Dr. Lau has been actively involved in teaching, research, and community engagement in the fields of biological control of insect pests using entomopathogenic microbes, spider venom, and fermented plant extracts. She has led and collaborated on numerous national and international research projects, with funding from organizations such as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), and the Ministry of Higher Education. She was also appointed as the Director of the International Plant Protection Cooperation Organization. A prolific author, she has published widely in indexed journals and is a frequent contributor to academic conferences and seminars. Dr. Lau also serves as a reviewer and scientific committee member for several scholarly journals and conferences. Beyond academia, she is actively engaged in a pangolin conservation program supporting indigenous communities, with a focus on youth leadership and the preservation of pangolins and forest ecosystems. Her work is driven by a deep commitment to advancing agricultural innovation and strengthening academic–industry partnerships for tangible, real-world impact.

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia

Dr. Ong Mei Kying graduated from the Universiti Putra Malaysia with Bachelor degree in Food Science and Technology in year 2002 and further obtained her Master’s of Science in Plant Biotechnology from the same university in 2008. She obtained her doctorate degree in Postharvest Biotechnology from the University Nottingham Malaysia Campus in 2014. Since 2014, Dr. Ong is working as the Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Food Science at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar Campus in Malaysia, where she once served as the Head of the Department for 5 years in the university. She has 10 years of working experience in food and agriculture technology. She has also published and presented several papers in national and international journals and conferences. She has been teaching in the areas of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, Food Product Innovation, Postharvest Technology, Food Preservation, Sensory Science and Food Analysis. Her current research interests are on novel food product development from agricultural waste / garden pest and insect, alternative protein and sweetener, sensory analysis, postharvest physiology and technology of fresh produces.