Polly Yap

Polly Yap is a Research Fellow at Monash University Malaysia's Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She holds a PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of Malaya, focusing on gut microbiome dynamics in preterm neonates and multidrug-resistant bacteria. Since 2021, her research has centered on One Health genomic studies of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Gram-negative pathogens, integrating clinical, environmental, and indigenous population samples. She leads international initiatives to strengthen viral surveillance in low-resource settings using portable sequencing technologies.

• Active roles: Principal Investigator for capacity-building projects in LMICs, member of YSN-ASM Science Leadership group, and Lesson Leader for One Health Lessons.
• Key expertise: Microbial genomics, NGS technologies, AMR mechanisms, and gut microbiome studies.

Research interests span infectious disease genomics, metagenomics, and natural product-based drug discovery, with a focus on Southeast Asia's EID and AMR hotspots. Her work aligns with UN SDGs 3 (Good Health) and 17 (Partnerships).

Publications emphasize genomic epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and microbiome interactions. Awards include Best Poster (2024), Best Oral Presentation (2022), and YSN-ASM membership (2023). She reviews for journals like PLoS ONE and serves on editorial boards, including the British Journal of Biomedical Science.