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INTRODUCTION
The mission of the
faculty to be a center of excellence in education and research
in the fields of Medicine and Health Sciences is steadily
being achieved through the dedication and commitment of
its staff. This is not only seen in the increasing number
of research activities, but also in the development of infrastructure
dedicated for research.
Although researchers work in their area of choice, an interdisciplinary
collaboration in research is encouraged since the faculty
is made up of Basic Medical and Health Science Departments
as well as Clinical departments. In addition, the university
has also established research clusters where collaboration
between faculties can be enhanced.
For instance, the Sepang community-based project is being
undertaken to survey the health profile of a population
which is set in a zone rapidly changing from a rural to
an urban environment. Thus many disciplines are involved
including sociologists, nutritionists, behavioral scientists,
community health personnel, parasitologists and environmentalists.
Another example would be the setting up of the Institute
for Aging, a first in Malaysia, in which the needs, diseases
and characteristics of the aging population can be determined
and studied from a multidisciplinary approach.
The faculty is also focusing on areas such as the genetics
and novel methods for the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia,
liver, thyroid, ovarian and breast cancers; development
of DNA vaccine technology; and the screening as well as
isolation of active components in natural products for drug
development and nutraceuticals.
Research in the areas of nutritional sciences and community
nutrition are well established while areas involving occupational
health and safety are being developed. New areas of research
such as stem cell and molecular immunology are also being
explored. Research in the faculty is coordinated by the
faculty’s Research Committee which is complemented
in its activities by the Medical Research Ethics Committee
and Animal Use and Care Committee.
Research funds are mainly derived from the Ministry of Science,
Technology and The Environment (IRPA and NBD grants) as
well as from the Ministry of Education (fundamental research).
The faculty has successfully obtained external funding from
agencies such as MAKNA, The Toray Science Foundation, BERNAS,
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Quaker Products.
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