The Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Research and Training Unit (N2RTU) at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), funded by the British Council and the Malaysian Industry Group for High Technology (MIGHT), successfully launched the Gene Environment Nutrition Education for Youth (GENEY) program during the N2RTU School Outreach Event 2024. This initiative, supported by the University of Reading, UK, aims to introduce the concept of precision nutrition to young Malaysians by integrating it into school science activities.
The GENEY program was officially launched by Dr. Mior Hamdan Bin Haji Ghazali, A.C.M, PPD, Kinta Selatan, and Prof. Dr. Choon Chee Keong, Vice President (Student Development and Alumni Relations) of UTAR. In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Choon congratulated the N2RTU team for their dedication to raising health awareness among school children and urged them to expand their efforts to build a resilient and healthy young community.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Mior welcomed the integration of GENEY into science club activities, emphasizing the importance of starting health awareness at a young age. He promised that the initiative would be jointly organized by PPD Kinta Selatan and could even be expanded to primary school children. Dr. Mior assured the N2RTU team of his full support in advancing precision nutrition in Malaysia, setting a benchmark for other schools.
The event was graced by distinguished guests, including Prof. Lim Yang Mooi, Director of the Institute for Postgraduate Studies and Research; Ms. Lim Guat Yen, Director of the Centre for Corporate and Community Development (CCCD), UTAR; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Choong Yuen Onn, Deputy Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research (IPSR), UTAR.
The event also featured a keynote session by Prof. Vimal Karani S., Professor of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics and Deputy Director of the Institute for Food Nutrition and Health at the University of Reading, UK. Prof. Karani delivered an interactive and engaging session on precision nutrition, explaining how genes interact with food to mitigate the risk of non-communicable diseases. The session captivated students with fun quizzes and discussions, sparking their interest in the topic.
Following the keynote, Asst. Prof. Dr. Anto Cordelia, N2RTU-GENEY project lead and Chairperson of the outreach event, provided a detailed briefing on implementing GENEY in school science activities. She explained how the program would be executed and monitored, and announced that schools with the most innovative precision nutrition activities would be awarded the GENEY Rolling Trophy at the dissemination event in April 2025.
Ms. Subhashini from SMK Methodist ACS, Kampar, in her felicitation message, praised the precision nutrition concept, describing it as fresh and the need of the hour to prevent the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases.
Dr. Lim Tuck Meng delivered the closing remarks, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts from schools, the PPD, UTAR, the British Council, and MIGHT to take this initiative further. The event also celebrated Malaysia’s 67th Independence Day, with participants singing the “Jalur Gemilang” song and waving the national flag, paying tribute to the martyrs who fought for the nation’s freedom.
The outreach event saw the participation of 350 students from 15 schools in the Kinta Selatan District, along with over 100 teachers from 60 primary and secondary schools. The overwhelming attendance underscored the reach and impact of this successful initiative. Moving forward, the GENEY program will be introduced to all schools in Perak, continuing its mission of promoting precision nutrition among the youth.
Source:Dr. Anto Cordelia
