A total of 283 researchers, healthcare professionals, educators and students from across Johor came together on Oct 1 for the biennial Johor Research Day (JRD) 2026.
The event was organised by the Johor State Health Department (Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Johor, JKNJ) and the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) network of Johor, in collaboration with Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed).
Johor Health director Mohtar Pungut @ Ahmad graced the occasion as the guest of honour.
Held in conjunction with the United Nations International Day of Older Persons (IDOP), this year's theme, "Redefining Aging: Evidence, Innovation, and Care Across the Lifespan," underscored the growing importance of healthy ageing.
Johor Baru’s Hospital Sultan Ismail Clinical Research Centre head and organising chair of JRD 2026 Dr Chen May Feng said, “The theme reflects our collective responsibility to rethink how we understand ageing and how we can shape healthier, more meaningful, and dignified lives across the lifespan.”
Throughout the day, participants explored ageing from multiple perspectives through a series of expert talks. Topics ranged from preparing Malaysia's health services for an ageing population and addressing loneliness among older adults to dementia care, psychological resilience, women's health and longevity, and the emerging role of genetics and telomere science in healthy ageing.
The event also featured oral and poster presentation competitions that showcased innovative research.
For researchers and healthcare professionals, the event offered opportunities to share findings, discuss practical experiences and gain fresh perspectives.
Meanwhile, students gained valuable exposure to the research process and the opportunity to interact directly with professionals tackling real-world healthcare challenges.
“Research is integral to healthcare practice, serving as an essential tool to refine patient care and address community needs,” emphasised Hospital Sultan Ismail Clinical Research Centre medical officer and administrative manager Dr Munirah Ismail.
She added that the organisers hoped the theme of healthy ageing would encourage participants to look beyond treating illness to promote wellbeing across the entire lifespan through prevention, innovation, evidence-based practice and person-centred care.
NUMed School of Medicine head and dean Prof Harinarayan Radhakrishna, highlighted the growing significance of the biennial event.
“JRD has become an important platform for bringing together healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, and students to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and advance a culture of research excellence across Johor.”
Echoing the importance of collaboration, Dr Haji Mohtar emphasised the need to shift how society views older adults.
“It is time to shift our perception of older adults from being a societal or financial burden to seeing them as bearers of wisdom and history, and as highly valuable assets to our community,” he said.
The day concluded with a prize-giving ceremony for the competition winners, followed by the presentation of the Piala Pusingan Johor Research Day 2026 by Dr Haji Mohtar.
As Johor continues to strengthen its research ecosystem, JRD 2026 demonstrated how collaboration, innovation and evidence-based practice can help address today’s healthcare challenges while preparing for the needs of tomorrow.
Ultimately, it reinforced a shared commitment to ensuring that healthy ageing is about enabling people to live healthier, more fulfilling lives at every stage of life.
