Dr. Than is an Associate Professor of Medical Mycology at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), where he coordinates the Mycology Laboratory and Medical Microbiology Culture Collection (MMCC), serves as Departmental Research Coordinator, and is a member of UPM’s Institutional Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee (IBBC).
His research focuses on the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata, particularly its metabolic adaptability, host immune interactions, and diagnostic development. In 2023, he received an international private-sector grant from Pfizer to improve diagnostics for invasive candidiasis. He also investigates probiotics for vaginal health and received funding from Malaysia’s Ministry of Economy to develop a probiotic strain for commercialisation.
With over 80 publications and an h-index of 30, Dr. Than has secured multiple competitive grants and holds several intellectual properties. He serves as Associate Editor for Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins and Review Editor for Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology and Frontiers in Fungal Biology. He reviews grants for national and international funding agencies, including UKRI, ERC, ANR, and NCN Poland.
He serves on the Board of Directors of Asia Pacific Society for Medical Mycology (APSMM) and as Honorary Treasurer of Malaysian Society for Lactic Acid Bacteria (MSLAB), and is an active member of ISHAM, MyOHUN, and Applied Microbiology International.
