Academician Emeritus Professor Datin Paduka Setia Dato' Dr Aini Ideris

Recipient of Outstanding Contribution to Science, Technology & Innovation 2026

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Turning Science into Solutions A Vaccine Designed for the

For more than four decades, Academician Emeritus Professor Datin Paduka Setia Dato’ Dr Aini Ideris has pursued science with a practical question in mind, asking how knowledge can solve problems that affect people’s everyday lives.

Her answer has taken shape through vaccines that protect poultry, diagnostic technologies that strengthen disease surveillance, institutions that bring university research to market and generations of scientists she has helped nurture. At the heart of this work is a conviction that scientific excellence becomes most meaningful when it reaches beyond the laboratory.

Receiving the 2026 Merdeka Award for Outstanding Contribution to Science, Technology & Innovation is, for Professor Aini, deeply humbling. She shares the recognition with her family, mentors, students, researchers, technicians, farmers, industry partners and colleagues who accompanied her journey – and sees it as an affirmation of Malaysia’s ability to develop scientific solutions with relevance far beyond its borders.

Professor Aini’s vaccine innovation.

Science Rooted in Disease Control Everyday Needs

Professor Aini’s early interest in veterinary science grew from recognising how closely animal health is intertwined with human well-being, livelihoods and food security.

After graduating in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia in 1979, she pursued a Master of Veterinary Science in Avian Medicine at the University of Liverpool. She later completed her PhD at UPM and undertook advanced training at the University of California, Davis and Cornell University, USA.

These experiences exposed her to developments in molecular biology and vaccinology, while reinforcing something equally important solutions developed for temperate countries could not always be transplanted directly into tropical environments. In places where reliable refrigeration was not always available, a vaccine that worked perfects in the laboratory could become far less practical in the field.

For Professor Aini, this presented both a scientific problem and an opportunity for her to explore the possibility of creating vaccines designed for the realities of its own farms, climate and communities.

Professor Aini’s passion grew from the vital link between animal health and human well-being.

A Vaccine Designed for the Real World

That thinking led to one of Professor Aini’s defining scientific contributions – the heat-stable Newcastle disease vaccine, NDV4-UPM.

Newcastle disease can cause severe poultry losses, particularly where effective vaccination is difficult. Conventional vaccines often depend on uninterrupted refrigeration. NDV4-UPM reduced that reliance and could be administered more practically through feed or water, making the vaccination more practical and accessible, particularly in tropical and resource-constrained settings.

As Principal Researcher, Professor Aini led the development of NDV4-UPM and a tissue-culture adapted fowl pox vaccine. She later contributed as Co-Researcher to live and inactivated infectious bursal disease vaccines and a reverse genetics Newcastle disease vaccine.

Critically, these innovations did not remain within the laboratory. NDV4-UPM and the fowl pox vaccines became the first Malaysia’s university-developed animal vaccine to be successfully commercialised internationally. Together with the other vaccines, they have reached more than 20 countries. By 2022, programmes involving these technologies were estimated to have enabled the vaccination of more than 550 million poultry, including through initiatives supported by international development organisations.

The significance of Professor Aini’s work is measured in more than doses delivered. For farmers, healthier flocks meant fewer losses and greater continuity in a protein source that remains important to millions of families.

Together with other vaccines, Professor Aini’s innovation reached more than 20 countries, helping safeguard a vital source of protein for millions.

From Discovery to Science Rooted in Disease Control

Professor Aini’s work extended beyond prevention into diagnosis.

Her research generated more than 30 patented innovations and prototypes in avian science, including molecular technologies for detecting several important poultry diseases. Rapid diagnostic platforms developed under the RealCheck™, helped laboratories distinguish diseases more quickly and support earlier containment.

The importance of that capability became particularly evident during Malaysia’s avian influenza outbreaks in 2004 and 2005. Professor Aini and her team contributed her diagnostic expertise and worked alongside the Department of Veterinary Services and Veterinary Research Institute on surveillance and epidemiological monitoring, bringing scientific knowledge directly into the country’s response to a real and immediate threat.

For Professor Aini, vaccines and diagnostics form part of the same objective of providing veterinarians and farmers with practical tools to protect animal health before a disease spreads further.

Professor Aini as Avian Medicine Clinician.

Crossing the Gap from Research to Market

Scientific discovery was only part of the challenge.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Malaysia had limited infrastructure for moving university research through regulatory approval, manufacturing and commercialisation.

Professor Aini worked closely with Remee Holdings, now known as Malaysian Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals Sdn Bhd, helping to train personnel, provide technical expertise and strengthen vaccine manufacturing capability. The partnership was instrumental in establishing the first and the only domestic animal vaccine company and reducing long-term reliance on imported vaccines. She also chaired work on Malaysia’s National Biotechnology Policy from 2001 to 2003 and contributed to national biotechnology institutions and research priorities.

At UPM, she continued this emphasis on translating knowledge into value. As Deputy Vice-Chancellor from 2008 to 2013, she helped strengthen the university’s research-to-market ecosystem. That foundation, Putra Science Park, has since supported thousands of intellectual properties, hundreds of commercialised technologies and close to 100 of start-ups.

Leadership That Remained Close to Science

Professor Aini’s journey eventually took her from the laboratory to the helm of UPM, where she became the university’s eighth Vice-Chancellor and the first woman to hold the position, serving from 2016 to 2020.

Currently she is the Pro-Chancellor of IMU University, since 2021. Despite major leadership responsibilities, she remained committed to scholarship and mentorship. Over the course of her career, Professor Aini has supervised more than 100 postgraduate students, many of whom now serve in senior positions across academia, research and industry, nationally and internationally.

Her leadership extended beyond Malaysia. From 2015 to 2019, Professor Aini became the first Asian woman to serve as Vice-President of the World Veterinary Poultry Association and was inducted into its Hall of Honour. She has also contributed through scientific organisations and expert networks linked to international animal health and food security.

But titles and accolades tell only part of Professor Aini’s approach to leadership. At UPM, she championed the concept of Ihsan, the pursuit of excellence grounded in humility, responsibility and ethical conduct. Ihsan reflects the principle that has guided her career achievements and should ultimately create opportunities for others.

Professor Aini as Pro-Chancellor of IMU.

Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Malaysian Veterinary Association.

At UPM, Professor Aini
championed the concept of Ihsan, striving for excellence with humility, responsibility and integrity.

Professor Aini with Co Researchers and Postgraduate Students.

A Legacy Through Science and People

Professor Aini’s work continues across scientific governance, higher education, industry and mentorship.

She remains a strong advocate for stronger research commercialisation, food security, science diplomacy and the One Health approach linking animal, human and environmental health.

The vaccines may be among her most visible achievements, but her broader legacy lies in demonstrating a complete pathway – from understanding a real problem, to scientific discovery, commercialisation, national capability and the development of people who can carry the work forward.

As a firm advocate for food security through science.

Professor Aini receiving the FAVA Asian Animal Health Award 2026.

“Science without application is an unfinished journey; true innovation lies in turning knowledge into solutions that serve humanity”

Disclaimer:
The information in this award recipient's profile is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of the time the award was presented. Any subsequent changes, updates, or developments in the individual's life or achievements may not be reflected in this profile.

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