Our History & Milestones
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. Spearheaded by 11 researchers from the Schools of Medical Sciences, Dental Sciences, Health Sciences and MITD located at the USM Health Campus in Kelantan, the multi-disciplinary cluster-based research programme was drafted. After a year’s auditing exercise, the programme 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 the 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 INFORMM Building at the Main Campus and in December 2007, the much-awaited move to the new building took place.
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2001
The initial concept for a research institute was drafted.
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2003
Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM) was established with the main building at USM Health Campus.
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2005
Official opening ceremony of the INFORMM Health Campus building by the Minister of Education.
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2007
INFORMM's USM Main Campus Penang building was completed.
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2008
INFORMM was awarded the IDB’s prestigious prize in Science and Technology (S&T) by the Islamic Development Bank.
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2009
INFORMM was awarded with the Higher Institution Centers of Excellence (HICoE) by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Malaysia.
INFORMM FOUNDING MEMBERS
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Prof. Emerita Datuk Dr. Asma binti Ismail
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Prof. Rusli Ismail
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Prof. Dr Norazmi Mohd Nor
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Prof. Dr Rahmah Noordin
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Prof. Dr Zainul F. Zainuddin
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Prof. Dr Mohd Zaki Salleh
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Prof. Dr Nik Soriani Yaacob
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Prof. Dr Rani Samsuddin
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Prof. Dr Phua Kia Kien
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Assoc. Prof. Dr Ravichandran
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