On May 7 2025, the President and representatives from the Dr. Wu Lien-Teh Society attended the award ceremony for the Dr. Wu Lien-Teh Award for Best Student in Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), Universiti Malaya, organized by Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya. Dr Nur Nabila Abd Rahim, a dedicated mother of three, is the winner for this award fourth year in a row. She attended the award ceremony with her children and father. She was enrolled on the DrPH programme when her second child was 5 months old, while attending her viva examination, while her youngest was just months old. Receiving the award on her youngest child first year’s first birthday is a special gift for the family.
Dr Nur Nabila is a Public Health practitioner with over 10 years of progressive experience in research, policy, and field implementation, recently awarded the Doctor of Public Health (Drph) by the University of Malaya. She is currently serving the Ministry of Health in the Institute of Medical Research, National Institutes of Health. She has a strong background in conducting influential academic research in public health through proficient use of quantitative and qualitative analysis, including statistical methods, data visualisation tools, and qualitative analysis software. She is also experienced in developing and managing research projects utilising diverse data collection tools, including survey platforms, electronic health record systems, and qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups. Her key focus areas include environmental health, occupational health, and the application of data science in public health.
Her DrPH thesis titled Association of Air Pollution with Cardiovascular and Respiratory Hospitalisations in Peninsular Malaysia: A Time Series Multi-District Analysis. She won two Best Oral Presentation Awards for her project at the 54th Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference 2023 and the 23rd National Public Health Colloquium.
Receiving the Best Oral Presenter Award at the 54th Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference 2023 in Kuching, Malaysia.
Presenting at the 25th NIH Scientific Conference, Shah Alam (August 2024) — “Exploring the Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics on the Cardiovascular System: A Scoping Review.”
Awarded Best Oral Presenter.
Apart from her academic excellence, she actively engages with the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. She advocates for drug policy reform and harm reduction through public engagement and education. She also participated in the vaccination outreach programme at the Orang Asli community.
Vaccination outreach programme at Desa Temuan, Damansara Perdana — serving the Orang Asli community through targeted COVID-19 vaccination efforts as part of inclusive national public health response.
Outreach programme at Kampung Orang Asli Gurney, Hulu Selangor — engaging the community through health education and basic medical services as part of rural public health efforts.
Volunteering at the “Support. Don’t Punish.” campaign event at Universiti Malaya — advocating for drug policy reform and harm reduction through public engagement and education.
Today’s ceremony was graced with the presence of Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student Affairs), Professor Dr Zamri Radzi and guest Professor Rokiah Don, Associate Dean Industry Partnership at International Medical University and former Director of Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health. On behalf of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Professor Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman, Deputy Dean of Higher Degree, officiated the ceremony, acknowledging the wider role of public health and real-world public health practice addressing population needs. The Dr Wu Lien-Teh Award reflects value in leadership, community engagement and scientific rigour as of Dr Wu himself. Professor Dato’ Seri (Dr.) Anwar Fazal wittingly opened his speech with the recollection of his alumni experience in UM, followed by a succinct summary of Dr Wu’s life journey, including fights against racism and opium. Professor Dr Victor Hoe emphasises the strict, transparent and systematic approach from shortlisting eligible candidates to selecting the winner.
From the winner’s supervisors, Professor Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki praised her exceptional resilience and intellectual excellence in tackling environmental impact on cardiovascular health with innovative solutions; Dr Abqariyah Yahya admired her passion in learning being remarkable as she took additional effort to enhance her self learning; Dr Wan Rozita Wan Mahiyuddin commended her readiness to sort out complex questions and mentioned “soft is power” about her soft-spoken character yet demonstrated diligence and resilence.
“Winning the Dr. Wu Lien-Teh Award is incredibly meaningful to me – not just as a recognition of academic achievement, but as a celebration of the people, challenges, and moments that shaped my journey. When I enrolled in the Master of Public Health program, my son was just five months old. And when I sat for my Doctor of Public Health viva, my youngest was only two months old. Balancing motherhood and research was not easy, but it reminded me that learning and growth can happen even in life’s most demanding seasons.
I’m grateful to my supervisors and the UM community for nurturing both independence and support – a rare combination. My time here not only sharpened my analytical thinking but also gave me the confidence to communicate science. It is even more special to continue my work at the Institute for Medical Research, where Dr. Wu himself once walked the halls. I hope to honour that legacy by carrying forward the spirit of evidence-based, compassionate public health.”
Dr Nur Nabila Abd Rahim, winner of 4th Dr Wu Lien-Teh Award in Best Student in Public Health
This year, we also celebrated the success with three other shortlisted candidates, Dr. Malar Velli, Dr. Kalaashini a/p Ramachandran, and Dr. Hazwa Harith, to recognize their success. All candidates were female for the first time.
From left to right: Dr. Hor Chee Peng, Mdm Ong Siou Woon, Prof. Dr. Shahrul Bahyah, Dr Hazwa Harith (candidate), Dr. Kalaashini Ramachandran (candidate), Dr Nur Nabila (award recipient), Dr Malar Velli (candidate), Prof. Dato’ Seri (Dr.) Anwar Fazal, Mr Ronald Quay Ong Guan, Prof. Dr. Victor Hoe, Mr Ronald Quay Ong Guan and Prof. Dr. Zamri Radzi.
This award was set up by the Dr Wu Lien-Teh Society in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya in 2021. It aims to inspire fellow awardees to continue their passion in public health and to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Wu Lien-Teh. Dr. Wu Lien-Teh was a highly respected public health physician and an internationally acclaimed plague fighter in the medical fraternity. Not only was he the first Malayan student who graduate from the University of Cambridge in Medicine, he was also the first nominee from Malaya to be considered for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1935. In the advent of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Wu’s contributions as a plague fighter a century ago, right from the face mask design and implementation of a variety of public health measures, epitomize his control strategies since the beginning of this pandemic.
The selection process for this award is conducted by an independent panel of academicians set up by the Faculty of Medicine and approved by the Senate of Universiti Malaya, with 4 domains of evaluation (leadership, community engagement, academic standing and professionalism). The awardee receives a medal, RM 1000 cash prize and a certificate from the Dr Wu Lien-Teh Society.