Cheah Hong Leong has ten years of experience in microbiology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics, as well as seven years of experience as a translator of research writings. He also has a short history of working as a quality control microbiologist in the pharmaceutical industry. He earned his bachelor's degree from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in 2011 and continued his postgraduate studies in molecular biology and bacteriology at Universiti Sains Malaysia, where he received his master's degree in 2014 and his Ph.D. degree in 2022.

His doctoral research focused on RNA-seq analysis to establish the transcription start site landscape and small RNA profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He also conducted a similar study on Leptospira biflexa as a side project. His studies have revealed the complexities of regulatory networks and sRNAome that contribute to the survival of these bacteria in hostile environments.

In January 2023, he joined Monash University Malaysia as a research fellow under the Malaysian BioGenome Project and has since shifted his research focus to conservation genomics. He is currently working on the establishment of reference genomes and population genomics of native aquatic animals in Malaysia, such sea cucumbers, sharks and rays, and peat swamp fishes, under the guidance of Prof. Qasim Ayub. Additionally, Hong Leong's other research interests include eDNA-based monitoring of marine biodiversity and the study of mangrove ecosystems. He is also interested in population genomics of other marine species, such as mantis shrimps, and mud crabs.

Research Interests (Past):

• Antimicrobial and antifungal drugs screening
• Designing molecular diagnostics kits for the detection of bacterial pathogens
• Establishing transcriptomes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Research Interests (Present and prospective):

• Conservation genomics of aquatic species in Malaysia
• Population genomics of sea cucumbers, elasmobranchs, mantis shrimps, mud crabs, etc.
• Gut microbiota of sea cucumbers and their ecological roles
• Aquaculture genomics
• Environmental DNA and RNA
• Aquatic biodiversity
• Mangrove ecosystems

Current Student (Co-Supervision)

Nur Syamilah Bt Rosli (External, Universiti Sains Malaysia)