12 – 14 May 2017 – IMU’s Biomedical Science students, Chong Ho Phin (left) and Lim Xue Zhen (right) from cohort BM114 won the best prize for oral presentation and runner up for poster presentation in the 8th Malaysian Symposium of Biomedical Science held at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan, Pahang. A total of 11 universities throughout Malaysia participated in this symposium.
| 1st Place Oral Presentation (Infectious disease: Microbiology and Virology) : Chong Ho Phin |
| Effect of Copper on the Growth and Metabolism of Bacterial Isolates from Antarctica |
| 2nd Place Poster Presentation (Infectious disease: Microbiology and Virology) : Lim Xue Zhen |
| Effect of Lead on the Growth and Metabolism of Bacterial Isolates from Antarctica |
The projects presented were Ho Phin and Xue Zhen’s final year projects under the supervision of Prof Stephen Ambu and Dr Fabian Davamani. This is also part of the Antarctic flagship grant awarded to Prof Chu Wan Loy who collaborated with Prof Peter Convey from British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK , in extending facilities for obtaining samples from Antarctica. 
Lim Xue Zhen shares her gratitude to IMU for honing her abilities while Chong Ho Phin expresses her experience and appreciation to her friends and colleagues.
“I wanted everyone who was attending my presentation to understand my passion, my project, its application and its importance. “Speak to inform” and that was what I kept as my core principle for every presentation I did. I am truly blessed as my friends and colleagues were in the crowd giving me moral support. Once I started to speak, my anxieties and fears were replaced with my firm objective to inform the public of the project and my passion. I am truly grateful I was given the opportunity to present a project on a national platform.” – Chong Ho Phin
“One of the interprofessional skills that I have gained from IMU is about building up my own confidence level. I realised that after 3 years of studying in IMU, lecturers have helped me boost up my confidence level, not only by showing their enthusiasm on their job, but also their endless encouragement to the students. I know that it will definitely help to broaden my career opportunities” – Lim Xue Zhen
Written by Chong Ho Phin & Lim Xue Zhen Photo credits: Chong Ho Phin & Lim Xue Zhen
