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2027 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AND FOR SEXUALITY AND GENDER FOR MENTAL HEALTH (ISSGMH) 2.0

2027 International Symposium of Sexuality and Gender for Mental Health (ISSGMH) 2.0

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SPEAKERS

Dr. Dariusz Piotr Skowronski is a Lecturer and Researcher in Psychological and Social Sciences, with a strong academic background in Psychology, Sexuality Studies, and Cross-Cultural Studies. The fields of his academic expertise include clinical and counseling psychology, psychotherapy, online counseling, behavioral psychology and neuroscience, human sexuality and gender studies, health psychology, cross-cultural psychology, social psychology, and research methodology. His teaching interests include clinical psychology and Psychopathology, Behavioral Psychology, Health Psychology, Human Sexuality, Clinical Sexology, Cross-Cultural Studies in the Japanese Context, Women’s Studies, Online Counseling, and Psychotherapy. His research includes human sexuality in the Japanese context, Sexuality Counseling, Online counseling, and Psychotherapy.

Dr. Umi Adzlin Silim is a Senior Consultant Liaison-Psychiatrist at Hospital Sultan Idris Shah, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia and a sessional consultant psychiatrist in Andorra Women and Children Hospital and Alaminda Cyberjaya. After graduating from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, she completed her Subspecialty Fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Women’s Mental Health at St. Vincent’s and Austin Hospital in collaboration with the University of Melbourne. She is committed to developing comprehensive integrated, patient-centered care by providing psychiatry services to the medically ill. Her interest in acquiring specialized mental health services for women in Malaysia manifested in her involvement in policy and service development alongside training and research.

Dr. Shaiful Bahari Ismail is the Director of the Medical Campus, and Senior Consultant Family Physician at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Medical Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. He graduated in medicine from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1992. He completed his postgraduate training in MMED (Family Medicine) at USM in 1999 and in the same year obtained his MAFP/FRACGP qualification. In the year 2006, he completed his Fellowship training program in Male Sexual and Reproductive Health at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. His research interests is on chronic diseases especially Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension, in medical education and also research in the area of sexual and reproductive health.

Firdaus Mukhtar is the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and has also been a clinical psychologist for more than 18 years. She has been nominated as the President-Elect for Asian Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and will be the Advisor for the 7th Asian CBT Conference. She is the first secretary of the Malaysian Clinical Psychological Association. In 2011-2013, he was appointed as a World Health Organization (WHO) CBT Consultant in Malaysia to develop a CBT manual to manage chronic medicine and provide CBT training to Family Physicians. In 2012, L’oreal Malaysia awarded her as a Young Female Researcher, and has won numerous awards internationally. Since 2000, she has trained many psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counselors, audiologists, undergraduate and graduate trainees, and the community, not only in Malaysia but also in several other Asian countries including Australia. She has been appointed as a Key Referral Expert by many government institutions and private industrial collaborators and is considered the world’s leading expert in depression and anxiety in general, and more specifically in group CBT and Dialectical Behavior Therapy for sexual and personality disorders.

Chonnakarn Jatchavala is an Associate Professor at Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, where she obtained her M.D. degree and military background from the Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Thailand, in 2010. She was certified by the Thai Board of Psychiatry from the Royal College of Psychiatrists of Thailand in 2013 and graduated with an MSc. in Children and Young People’s Mental Health from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2015. She had an internship in psychiatry in Taiwan and Japan in 2012 and was a research fellow fully funded by the Indian government in 2023.

Dr. Mohd Amiruddin Mohd Kassim is a psychiatrist and medical lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). He obtained his Doctor of Psychiatry from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He began his career in Hospital Queen Elizabeth, Kota Kinabalu, and has since served in several major hospitals nationwide. Academically, he has contributed to over 30 peer-reviewed publications in psychiatry and medical education, serves as a peer reviewer for several high-impact journals, and is an editorial board member for BMC Psychology. As a native Sabahan, he is committed to supporting local mental health initiatives. He collaborates closely with community partners, including Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang, Hospital Queen Elizabeth, the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS), and schools under the Sabah State Education Department. Currently, he continues his clinical duties as a psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Health at Hospital UMS.

Elvine Gunawan, born in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia graduated with a medical doctorate in 2011 and later became a psychiatrist from Padjadjaran University, Bandung Indonesia in 2018. She practices at Melinda Women and Children’s Hospital and has been the past secretary of the Psychosexual and Marriage Section of the Indonesian Psychiatry Association (Seksi Psikoseksual dan Marital, Persatuan Dokter Spesialis Kejiwaan Indonesia. Dr Elvine got certification for Mindfulness and Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT) training from the Beck Institute in 2018. She works with some organizations to promote mental health in the community, especially in West Java. Currently, he is working with the AIDS Prevention Commission for several HIV-AIDS project activities to prevent HIV transmission among the primary population, children, and adolescents. Elvine often involves helping patients with sexual marriage treatment, especially for patients with mental health disorders and vaginismus. Elvine Gunawan has some research on spiritual well-being, psychological well-being, and women’s health issues.

Dr. Elmeida Effendy is a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, and She currently serves as Head of the Psychiatry Study Program and Director of the Directorate of Public Relations, Promotion, and Protocol at Universitas Sumatera Utara. She obtained her medical degree from Universitas Sumatera Utara in 1997, completed her psychiatry specialist training in 2004, earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Medicine in 2012, a Doctoral degree in 2013, and completed subspecialty training in Biological Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology in 2014. Since 1999, she has served as an academic staff member at the Faculty of Medicine, USU, and has held several leadership positions, including Secretary of the Department, Secretary of the Study Program, Head of the Psychiatry Study Program, and Head of the Department of Psychiatry. Beyond academic and clinical duties, she is actively involved as an Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency ( Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan [LPDP] ) interviewer, Indonesian Accreditation Agency for Higher Education in Health (IAAHEH) international assessor, and Chair of the Psychiatry Collegium Training Institute. She has contributed to scientific publications, national and international conferences, professional organizations, and community mental health service. Her achievements include the Satyalancana Karya Satya award and USU Academic Leader recognition.

Dr. Nicholas Tze Ping Pang is a psychiatrist and associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. He received his Master of Medicine (Psychiatry) from Universiti Putra Malaysia and is clinically trained in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). He has also completed specialized training in sports psychiatry from the International Society for Sports Psychiatry, along with a fellowship in digital psychiatry at Marche Polytechnic University, Italy. Academically, he is actively involved in teaching medical undergraduates, supervising postgraduate students, and has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Beyond his academic and clinical roles, he participates in community mental health projects, extending psychiatric services to underserved populations in Sabah, as well as internationally in Timor-Leste. Currently serves as the Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Health at Hospital UMS.

Dr Mohd Ayub Sadiq @ Lin Naing is a medical statistician by training with a background in Medical Doctor, Public Health, and Occupational Health. He obtained an MBBS (Rgn) from Myanmar in 1985, a Master of Public Health from Mahidol University, Thailand, in 1991, a Master of Health Science (Occupational Health) from Edith Cowan University, Perth, in 1999, and a Master of Medical Statistics from the University of Newcastle, Australia, in 2002. Currently, he is an Associate Professor (Biostatistics) and Research Lead in the PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences. In addition, he is the Chair of the University Research Ethics Committee and the Head of the Teaching & Learning Centre of the university. Teaching Area of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Methodology (Quantitative Studies). His research interests include questionnaire validation and risk factors modelling.

Associate Professor Dr. Nora Mat Zin is the Head of Department, Department of Psychiatry, Kulliyah of Medicine, International Islamic University of Malaysia, Kuantan Pahang, Malaysia. After graduating from UKM in 1996, she became a medical doctor and became a psychiatrist in 2004 from the same university. She achieved her Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology with Merit University of Liverpool ten years later. Dr. Nora has a great passion for mental health education among the workers. With a scholarship background of over 15 years of experience as a psychiatrist, Dr. Nora is active in education and charity work. Dr. Nora is an active speaker at the national and international level by focusing on women’s mental well-being, women’s rights, stress and marriage, and psycho-spiritual role in the community.

Dr. Ryna Imma Buji is the Deputy Medical Director and a Consultant Psychiatrist at Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang, Sabah, Malaysia. She graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, in 2005. She began her career in psychiatry and mental health as a medical officer in 2008 and subsequently obtained her Doctor of Psychiatry (DrPsych) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur, in 2016. Throughout her career, Dr. Ryna has been dedicated to advancing mental health services through clinical practice, professional training, hospital administration, and contributions to psychiatric research and publications. She has extensive clinical experience in both adult psychiatry and child and adolescent mental health. Her professional interests include improving access to quality mental healthcare, strengthening mental health services, and promoting mental health awareness within communities across Sabah.

Dr Mohammad Firdaus bin Abdul Aziz is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Addiction Psychiatrist under the Ministry of Health Malaysia and is currently serving as Hospital Director of Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang, Sabah, which is one of the four psychiatric hospitals in Malaysia. He completed his Addiction and Substance Abuse subspecialty training through the Ministry of Health Malaysia, including training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia. Dr Firdaus has experience in addiction psychiatry, methadone maintenance therapy, and substance use management and has contributed to national addiction-related guidelines and education programs. Beyond administrative duties, his interests include addiction medicine, opioid use disorders, dual diagnosis, and the integration of mental health with addiction services.

Dr. Helen Benedict Lasimbang is a a Professor at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and Nutritional and Functional Medicine Practitioner with more than 30 years of experience in clinical practice, academia, and healthcare leadership. She obtained her medical degree and Master of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of Malaya and is certified in Nutritional and Functional Medicine by the Association of Nutritional and Functional Medicine Practitioners (ANFMP). Her professional career spans service with the Ministry of Health Malaysia, private specialist practice, and academia. Since joining UMS in 2012, she has held key leadership positions, including Head of the Department of Reproductive Health, Deputy Dean (Postgraduate Studies and Research), and Director of Hospital Universiti Malaysia Sabah from 2018 to 2024.

Dr. Ruziana Miseran is a consultant psychiatrist and an Associate Professor with a passion for family, child, and adolescent mental health. She graduated with a medical degree from the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM) in 2003. She then furthered her academic journey by obtaining a Doctor of Psychiatry (Master’s) degree from the National University of Malaysia in 2013. Following a brief but impactful tenure as a clinical specialist with the Malaysian Ministry of Health, Dr Ruziana transitioned to academia by joining the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 2004. She then pursued a Ph.D. in Psychological Medicine. Her research focused on the role of parenting programs in ameliorating emotional and behavioural issues in Malaysian children. She actively contributes to the academic community as an editor and reviewer for reputable national and international journals.

Dr. Khadijah Hasanah Abang Abdullah is a psychiatrist and Medical Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). She trained in medicine at the University of Manchester, completed her specialty training in Psychiatry at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Psychology from Cambridge Muslim College, UK. Her clinical and research interests are centered on gender identity, sexual orientation, and mental health across cultural and religious contexts. Her publications were on many topics, including gender dysphoria, transgender well-being, and Islamic perspectives on sexuality. Her work offers a distinctive comparative lens on gender sensitivity and inclusivity across Eastern and Western contexts.

Dr. Alexander Lavender is a certified medical specialist who began his career as a medical doctor in 2011. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in medicine from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) before pursuing his specialization, successfully earning his Master of Psychiatry from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in 2021. His deep involvement in mental health and the management of psychiatric cases began in 2015. Throughout his clinical tenure, he has developed a specialized interest in handling psychiatric cases involving individuals with emotional regulation issues, while emphasizing the importance of psychotherapy as an intervention for those in distress. Equipped with his experience and specialized training, he is highly committed and determined to contribute toward elevating and improving the quality of mental health services in the state of Sabah.