N²RTU Dissemination Meeting on Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Research

The Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Research and Training Unit (N²RTU) project dissemination meeting was held on 17 February 2023 at the National Institutes for Health (NIH) in Setia Alam, Selangor. The session selectively showcased ongoing research, issues, and challenges in implementing the precision nutrition approach in Malaysia and the objectives in creating a healthier Malaysia.

The N²RTU aims to create a nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics research eco-system in Malaysia; and so far, it has organized various events that brought together nearly 25 experts from across the globe, and more than 500 participants from nearly 20 economies.

The organising chairperson and the Malaysian lead for the N²RTU project, UTAR Asst Prof Dr Anto Cordelia Tanislaus Antony Dhanapal, said that the project has been successful and is expected to expand its activities at regional level in the years to come.

She added, “This Dissemination Meeting aimed to disseminate the findings and outcomes of the N²RTU activities in its first year of implementation to the stakeholders, collaborative partners, and the press. The impact and sustainability of N²RTU was assessed and discussed, and the areas that needed improvements were identified during this meeting.”

The esteemed guests to this event included UTAR President Ir Professor Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) President and CEO Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman, Head of Education British Council Malaysia Dr Prabha Sundram and Manager of the National Institutes of Health Malaysia Dr Zulkarnain Abdul Karim.

Also present were UTAR Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ts Dr Faidz bin Abd Rahman, Professor in Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics of University of Reading and N²RTU Principal Investigator Prof Vimal Karani S, the N²RTU research team, academia, nutritionists, dietitians, epidemiologists and healthcare professionals.

The Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Research and Training Unit (N²RTU) was launched last year by Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman to kick start precision nutrition in Malaysia and to study the application of the precision nutrition approach to manage obesity.

The N²RTU is funded by the British Council; MIGHT, Malaysia; the UTAR Centre for Biomedical and Nutrition Research, in collaboration with the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH).

University of Reading, United Kingdom, has established this unit to promote research and capacity building in the emerging field of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics through strategic partnerships with multi-stakeholders, both locally and globally and to accelerate nutrigenetics research in Malaysia.

The N²RTU research team

From left:

Co-investigators Dr Eddy Cheah Seong Guan, Dr Phoon Lee Quen and Dr Annaletchumy Loganathan, all from UTAR Faculty of Science, followed by principal investigators Dr Anto Cordelia Tanislaus Antony Dhanapal from UTAR and Prof Vimal Karani S from University of Reading, and associate investigators Dr Mohd Fairulnizal Mohd Noh from the Institute of Medical Research, NIH, and Dr Mahendran Appukutty from the Nutrition Society of Malaysia (not present).

UTAR Vice President Prof Faidz Abdul Rahman gave the welcome remarks

UTAR President Ir Prof Dato' Dr Ewe Hong Tat thanked the sponsors and researchers for the success of N²RTU project

Chief guest address by MIGHT CEO and President Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff

GoH address by Dr Prabha Sundram, Head of Education British Council

GoH address by Dr Zulkarnain Abdul Karim, Manager of the National Institutes of Health Malaysia.

N²RTU Principal investigator Dr Anto Cordelia talked about the emergence of a new research eco-system in Malaysia

N²RTU principal investigator from University of Reading Prof Vimal Karani S talked about precision nutrition and the N²RTU success story

UTAR Institute of Postgrad Studies director Dr Yong Thian Kok gave the thank you speech

         Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng moderating the Q&A Session

Welcoming MIGHT CEO Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman before the meeting

Meeting poster


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