Professor Iekhsan Othman holds the position of Professor of Biochemistry and Deputy Head of School (Graduate Research) in the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia since 2006. He is also the Campus Graduate Committee Chairman who oversees all postgraduate activities in the campus (2016-2018). Previously he was Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya. He holds a bachelor degree from Bristol University (Biochemistry) with honours, and a doctorate in Molecular Neurobiology from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London University. He joined the University of Malaya as a lecturer in 1983 and during his career as a faculty member of the Faculty of Medicine, he was the Head of Department of Biochemistry (now Department of Molecular Medicine, 1996-2000) and Deputy Dean (Development and Infrastructure, 2000-2003) of the Faculty.

As an educator and teacher, he has also been involved in teaching of biochemistry, neurochemistry, and toxicology to medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy, science and medical technologists students in the designated Medical, Dental and Science Faculties. Currently, he is involved in teaching of the medical and pharmacy students in Monash University Malaysia. He is research-active in the fields of neurotoxicology, natural products chemistry, cancer and proteomics. He has published more than 100 publications in various international, national and specialized journals in his field of research, with more than 90 publications in ISI/Scopus journals. He was a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholar programme (1988/89), the Chevening Malaysian Royal Society from the British Council (1994/95) during his sabbaticals in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively. He has also received the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) award twice in the year 1995 and 2000 for advanced research on marine toxins and neurophysiology in Japan. He is the recipient of the University of Malaya’s Excellence Service Award from 1999 until 2002 and Monash University Pro-Vice Chancellor Excellence Awards for administration and research for 5 years from 2009 until 2013. He has been instrumental in setting up the animal and marine toxinology section of ‘Venom and Toxin’ research group at the University of Malaya, and currently, continuing his investigation on Malaysian snake venoms and their neurotoxins, and other biologically active molecules in Monash University Malaysia.

With the advancement of proteomics technology, Professor Iekhsan was a pioneer in setting up the Malaysian Proteomic Analysis Facilities (MAPAF), a research facility, fully sponsored by the National Biotechnology Directorate, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (MOSTE) in 2002. Currently, he is the director of the LC-MS/MS platform in Monash University Malaysia with two QToFs and one triple quadrupole capabilities. In June 2003 until March 2004, he was appointed Principal Investigator and Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Research Initiative Foundation (CARIF), looking into the genomics and proteomics research of Malaysian cancer especially on oral cancer, breast cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. At the same time, he has been involved with the setting up of the Quality Management System (QMS), leading to the successful certification of the Faculty of Medicine and University of Malaya Medical Centre with MS-ISO 9001:2000 by SIRIM Sdn Bhd, in 2002. He was the Management Representative for the Faculty of Medicine, throughout the preparatory process for the certification for the Faculty of Medicine (1997-2003). At the national level, he has been on the board of interview for the Rhodes Scholar program for the British Council, a consultant and examiner for the Malaysian Examination Board, Malaysian Venture Capitals Sdn. Bhd and Cancer Research Initiative Foundation. He sits in the various grant panels for the Ministry of Science, technology and Innovation for the various funding schemes awarded by the Ministry. He is also involved in several editorial board of scientific journals and an active reviewer of manuscript for various scientific journals.