History

Early Days

By the year 2001, the multi-disciplinary cluster-based research programme had been spearheaded by 11 main researchers from the Schools of Medical Sciences, Dental Sciences, Health Sciences and MITD located at the USM Health Campus in Kelantan. Although the cluster had established a credible track record in its research outputs, this track record was put to the test when USM decided to audit its research programmes in the year 2001. Under USM’s world class research programme, five senior professors were appointed by the Vice-Chancellor, Dato’ Professor Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, to create a research audit that would benchmark USM’s research programmes against international standards. After a year’s auditing exercise, the medical biotechnology programme was accorded recognition as a world class research programme that had met all the ten stringent criteria imposed. The programme also satisfied the strict criteria imposed on the formation of a research institute. Hence in 2003, the Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM) was established following a formalised recognition accorded by the University and the Ministry of Higher Education. This was also the first time in the history of USM that an institute was formed ‘bottom-up’ through efforts of a group of researchers in a cluster. As a fully fledged research institute, INFORMM moved into its own building in the Health Campus, Kelantan in 2003 and at this time, the Main Campus, Penang branch was set up in temporary rooms at the Eureka Complex. Research in the Main Campus commenced and was immediately productive. Finally in year 2005, USM approved the building of a new IN FORMM Building at the Main Campus and in December 2007, the much-awaited move to the new building took place.

Founding Members

Prof. Dato' Dr. Asma Ismail		Prof. Dr. Rusli Ismail		Prof. Dr.  Norazmi Mohd Nor		Prof. Dr.  Rahmah Noordin
Prof. Dr.  Zainul F. Zainuddin		Prof. Dr.  Mohd Zaki Salleh		Prof. Dr.  Nik Soriani Yaacob		Prof. Dr.  Rani Samsuddin
Prof. Dr. Phua Kia Kien		Assoc Prof Dr.  Ravichandran		Prof. Dr.  Syed Mohsin Sahil  Jamalullail