Dr.Masita Arip MOH (Institute for Medical Research)Malaysia

Dr. Masita Arip is a prominent Malaysian Consultant Pathologist specializing in Microbiology, Allergy, Immunology, and Vaccinology. Born in Johor Bahru in 1974, she earned her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in 1999 and completed her Master of Pathology (Medical Microbiology) there in 2008. Her distinguished career spans over 27 years of clinical operations and 26 years of medical research. Currently, Dr. Masita is the Head of the Allergy & Immunology Research Centre (AIRC) at the Institute for Medical Research (IMR. She also leads the Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (MSCR) and serves as Dean of the post-graduate Diploma in Medical Microbiology for SEAMEO-TROPMED (2021-2024). Alongside her public roles, she serves as a Visiting Consultant Pathologist at Sunway Medical Centre (Sunway City), where she manages the Microbiology and Transplant Immunology laboratory and actively contributes to the Hospital Infection and Antibiotic Control Committee (HIACC). An active leader in the medical community, Dr. Masita is an Executive Committee (Exco) member of the Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy (MSIDC) and serves as Chairperson of the MSIDC Immunology Interest Group (MyIMIG). She has published 77 scientific papers and secured vital national assets, including a RM3.1 million CSR laboratory upgrade grant. As a pioneer in vaccinology, she is the Principal Investigator for Malaysia’s pre-clinical mRNA COVID-19 vaccine project, backed by a RM3.025 million MOSTI fund. Her "MyAllergen" commercialization project won 14 innovation awards between 2024 and 2025. Dr. Masita remains a vital public health communicator and strategic advisor across the Asia-Pacific region