This research programme focuses on addressing the unique challenges and needs of mobile and marginalised populations in terms of healthcare and research participation, and to advance ethical considerations and practices in these areas.
Dr. Mohammad Nur Eman Nazlan
Eman Nazlan is a dedicated Research Officer at the Southeast Asia Bioethics Network. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Health Research Ethics at Universiti Malaya. With a robust background in medicine and a keen interest in ethical issues, Eman is committed to advancing ethical standards within the healthcare and research sectors in Malaysia. He aspires to play a pivotal role in the development and refinement of bioethical frameworks, ensuring that medical and research practices uphold the highest ethical standards and principles.
Ms. Komathi Perumal
Ms Komathi Perumal holds a Master of Medical Science, specialising in cancer biology. She currently serves as a Project Manager at the SEA Bioethics Network, based at the University of Malaya (UM).
Ms Komathi’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through her co-founding role at ePink Health, an innovative omnichannel virtual healthcare platform. Here, she oversees research and development activities and is currently focusing on the development of AI-assisted pre-cancerous detection.
Furthermore, Ms Komathi has a Google Scholar profile with published scientific collaborations alongside prestigious institutions such as the University of Queensland, Kaohsiung Medical University, and UNESCO (Asia Pacific). This remarkable achievement exemplifies her dedication to impactful research and collaboration.
Driven by a passion for bringing positive change to the healthcare landscape through innovation. She is always eager to network, learn, and collaborate with like-minded individuals.
Dr. Jayakayatri Jeevajothi Nathan
Jayakayatri Jeevajothi Nathan (Kay Nathan) holds a Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology, specialising in Molecular Biology and Immunology. Currently based at Universiti Malaya, she serves as a Research Manager for The NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (RESPIRE), focusing on global respiratory health. Additionally, she is the Network Manager for the Southeast Asia Bioethics Network.
Kay Nathan is deeply committed to community engagement in research and its translation into practice. She works closely with patients, caregivers, community leaders, and healthcare providers, fostering collaboration and inclusivity. Her contributions include co-developing the “We have Asthma” Activity Book for Children with Asthma and the “Stakeholder Engagement in Global Health Research: A Resource Guide”, facilitating effective stakeholder engagement worldwide.
As a dedicated trainer, she organises workshops on stakeholder engagement and community empowerment, sharing her expertise with fellow researchers and practitioners. Kay Nathan’s dedication to bridging research with community needs underscores her passion for making a meaningful impact in global health research and bioethics.
Ms. Napat Khirikoekkong
Napat is a Senior Social Science Researcher and Engagement Facilitator with the Bioethics and Engagement Department at the Mahidol Oxford Medicine Research Unit (MORU) in Bangkok, Thailand. Napat has led a number of projects focused on the challenges faced by marginalised communities along the Thai-Myanmar border, including: the Resilience, Empowerment, and Advocacy in Women’s and Children’s Health Research (REACH) study; the Tak Community Advisory Board (T-CAB), which enables the marginalised population within the Thai-Burmese border region to raise issues of concern; the Thai-Myanmar Young Person’s Advisory Group (Y-PAG), which provides a platform for dialogue between young people and researchers; and, from 2021 to the present, the Melioidosis Vaccines Attitudes to Vaccines (MeVa) study, which explores attitudes toward vaccines in general, the melioidosis vaccine, and the community’s perception of participation in clinical trials.
Under the supervision of Prof. Phaik Yeong Cheah, Napat will be engaging with MORU’s stakeholders for a priority-setting engagement titled “Embedding the Voice of the Community in MORU Health Research Priority Setting.” This will involve MORU’s stakeholders in Thailand and at field research sites, with the primary objective of exploring and understanding the perspectives of stakeholders, which will inform future MORU research priorities. The secondary objective is to identify ethical and practical issues related to healthcare research priority setting, specifically in relation to involving communities and end users.
Napat has been part of an advisory group for CONNECT by The Global Health Network (TGHN) since 2023, bringing experience with community health workers and marginalised communities to the discussion.
Dr Tay Pek San
Dr Tay Pek San is the network lead for the Southeast Asia Bioethics Network. She is a practising lawyer in Kuala Lumpur. Prior to joining legal practice, she was an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya, where she taught undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as conducted research and writing. She specialises in intellectual property law and contract law. Currently, she continues to teach intellectual property law at the Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya. She is the author of the book Intellectual Property Law in Malaysia, now in its second edition. This book is the primary text used by intellectual property law students in higher education institutions in Malaysia. She is also the co-author of Khaw on Copyright Law in Malaysia (4th edition), which is the key reference book for postgraduate students studying and researching copyright law.
Associate Professor Tamra Lysaght
Dr Tamra Lysaght is an Associate Professor at Sydney Health Ethics in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney. She is also a Visiting Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore School of Medicine. Her research interests lie broadly in the ethics, regulation, and governance of emerging science and biomedical research. She has expertise in empirical bioethics and works on policy-relevant ethical issues surrounding stem cell research, regenerative medicine, genomics, precision medicine, reproductive technologies, and digital health technologies. She has secured multiple competitive research grants and published widely in high-impact journals in bioethics, science, and medicine. She is currently on the Steering Committee of the SEA Bioethics Network and co-PI on the Wellcome Trust Research Development Award in Humanities & Social Science (222870/Z/21/Z) that supports the Network.
Associate Professor Sharon Kaur
Sharon works at the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, Malaysia. She teaches Medical Law and Ethics to both undergraduate and graduate students. Her research interests have primarily revolved around medical research ethics and issues of competency and consent. She is one of the co-Principal investigators on the Southeast Asian Bioethics Network.
Dr. Mohammad Firdaus Abdul Aziz
Firdaus Aziz is a senior lecturer and the Deputy Dean of Research & Innovation at the Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya in Malaysia. He obtained a DPhil from the University of Oxford, where he was based at the Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies (HeLEX) to research the ethics of human stem cell research and the appropriate governance framework for Malaysia, based on a comparative regulatory analysis of Commonwealth countries. He also holds an MA in Biotechnological Law and Ethics and a BSc (Hons) in Genetics and Molecular Biology. His research interests span a range of areas, including medical law, governance, and the ethics of emerging technologies. Currently, he is working on precision medicine, gene editing, biobanking, and stem cell technology. He is also a co-investigator of the Southeast Asia Bioethics Network, supported by the UK Wellcome Trust, and a co-investigator of the NIH Fogarty grant for developing a master’s programme in health research ethics at UM.
