MPOC’s Science and Sustainability Engagement Series is a science-based online platform recently launched to update palm oil industry stakeholders on the latest developments in the area of sustainability, environment, health and nutrition. Experts are invited to present on this online platform regularly to enhance awareness and knowledge-building among industry stakeholders.
The second webinar series, titled “Series 2: Palm Tocotrienols Webinar” was held on 2 June 2021. The event featured 3 key leading researchers in the field of tocotrienols who deliberated on the latest scientific development of palm tocotrienols and its marketing potentials.
Moderated by Dr. Ruslan Abdullah, Director of MPOC’s Science, Environment and Sustainability Division, papers presented in the two-hour long webinar include:
- “Healthy Aging with Palm-Derived Tocotrienols” by Dr. Yap Wei Ney, Davos Life Science Pte Ltd, Singapore.
- “Benefits of Palm Tocotrienols in the Aging Brain” by Prof. Emeritus Dr. Yuen Kah Hay, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
- “Palm Tocotrienols: Immune-enhancing Potential” by Prof. Dr. Ammu K Radhakrishnan, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia.
Following the presentations, a lively discussion ensued. A large number of questions received during this session indicates a great interest from the audience to learn and know more about the benefits of palm tocotrienols. The webinar was attended by 378 participants online.
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| Presentation 1 | |
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Dr Wei Ney Yap |
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| Presentation 2 |
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| Prof Yuen Kah Hay School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USM |
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| Presentation 3 |
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| Prof Dr Ammu Monash University Malaysia |
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Dr Wei Ney Yap is now Section Head of KLK-Oleo Biological at Davos Life Science Pte Ltd. She holds a PhD in Pharmacology from National University of Singapore. She has more than 10 years’ research experience in tocotrienols (a palm oil derived natural vitamin E), specifically the benefits and mechanism of action of this active ingredient in human health and nutrition. She is currently leading a team to generate the scientific evidences span across preclinical studies including establishment of cell line and animal models for proof of concept studies; as well as clinical trials for efficacy investigation. Her research work has received educational fellowship award from the European Academy of Dermatology Venereology (EADV) in 2014. Moreover, the company she is working now has previously received 2017 finalist for the Nutraingredient Award for the Heart Health Category at VitaFood Europe, Geneva.
Prof Yuen Kah Hay obtained his B.Pharm. and M.Sc. from USM and Ph.D. from University of London. He has been lecturing at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, USM for over 40 years. He was also a consultant to Hovid Bhd since 1992. He began investigating palm tocotrienols in the late 90s and helped Hovid to launch the first tocotrienol product in Malaysia, including the development of a patented system used in Tocovid Suprabio. He was also the lead investigator of several clinical studies investigating the neuroprotective effects of tocotrienols and their therapeutic benefits in Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver. He has retired from USM on December 2016 and from Hovid on December 2020. He was conferred the title Emeritus Professor by Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2019 and was listed as the “World’s top 2% Scientists” by Stanford University in 2020.
Prof Dr Ammu is a Professor in Immunology at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Monash University Malaysia. She obtained her Bachelor of Science (Hons) and Master of Science degrees in Biochemistry from University Malaya and her PhD in Therapeutic Immunology the University of Cambridge, UK. She also undertook two-years of post-doctoral studies after completing her PhD at the University of Oxford, UK. Her main area of research is developing immune-therapeutics to boost host immune system to fight cancer, infections and other immune-related disorders.
