I graduated from La Trobe University (Australia) with a BSc (hons) in 1979 and PhD in Microbiology in 1983.  I am currently a professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia.  In 2010, my alma mater awarded me with a DSc (honoris causa).  I have over 32 years’ experience investigating the molecular virology of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), beginning with my post-doctoral fellowship from the North of England Cancer Research Campaign, UK in 1985.  My current research interest is in the development of NDV as a therapeutic oncoviral vaccine through the use of reverse genetics.  Based on my PhD in microbial genetics, I am also involved in the molecular biology of other organisms, in particular on the use of nanobiotechnology, surface display technology and phage therapy. My collaborators include researchers from several Malaysian universities; University of Wagenigen, The Netherlands; The Oxford University, UK and the National Cancer Institute, NIH, USA. I am currently a Vice-President of World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the Islamic World Academy of Sciences, and a Council member for the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the Council of Science Advisers (CSA) of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB).