Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud is Malaysia’s first medical doctor to obtain a PhD in Health Informatics and the first public health physician in the country to be conferred five major fellowships, FFPH, FPHMM, FAMM, FASc and FISC. He is also the first Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology and Health Informatics at the University of Malaya, reflecting a distinguished career spanning academia, policy, and health systems leadership.
He previously served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) (2012–2015) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) (2015–2018) at the University of Malaya, where he played a key role in strengthening research ecosystems, advancing internationalisation, and contributing to the university’s significant rise in global rankings. Nationally, he has held senior leadership roles including Secretary-General of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and Council Member of the Academy of Medicine Malaysia (2019–2023), alongside multiple advisory and governance positions in research, public health, and higher education.
Currently, he serves as Editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, is a member of national bodies such as the National Committee on Research Integrity, the Ministry of Higher Education R&D Funds Steering Committee, and the MOSTI R&D Expert Panel. He has also recently been appointed Senior Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. In addition, he is a Digital Health consultant for the Sarawak Public Health Master Plan 2050 and remains actively engaged in international scientific collaborations, including the Inter-Academy Partnership for Urban Health.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he chaired the Independent COVID-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and led the COVID-19 Epidemiological Analysis and Strategies (CEASe) project, contributing directly to national policy and public health strategy. His thought leadership during this period was captured in his 2022 book Viewpoints during a pandemic.
A prolific scholar with over 150 Web of Science-indexed publications, he founded the Julius Centre UM (now the Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice), Malaysia’s leading epidemiology research centre. He also led the development of Malaysia’s National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation 2021–2030 and contributed to academic leadership development through national higher education transformation initiatives.
His contributions have been recognised through numerous national honours and international awards, including the APACPH Excellence in Leadership Medallion, the UM Eminent Scholar Award, and fellowship of the International Science Council (2023). His career continues to exemplify the integration of academic excellence, policy impact, and leadership in advancing public health systems.
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