Dr. Nurhafiza Binti Zainal is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. She holds a Dual PhD in Medical Microbiology from Universiti Malaya and Medicine from National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Additionally, she earned an MRes in Biotechnology from Imperial College London, United Kingdom, and a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Universiti Malaya. Her areas of expertise include immunology and virology. Dr. Nurhafiza’s research explores the intricate relationship between viruses and the host immune response, particularly the role of host protein expression and genetic factors in shaping disease outcomes. Her work also investigates mechanisms such as cross-reactive immunity and antibody-dependent enhancement to improve vaccine development and antiviral strategies. She has served as both Principal Investigator and Co-Researcher on numerous national-level research grants, including projects under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), MOSTI, and Universiti Malaya internal funding schemes. Dr. Nurhafiza is also the recipient of the prestigious IEIF International Education Innovation Fund – ASEAN Research Collaboration Project, hosted by The University of Adelaide. Her awarded project focuses on the development and evaluation of inactivated vaccines for viral diseases, with potential applications in animal health.