Professor  Norlia Abdullah is a Senior Consultant at the Department of Surgery, the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical  Centre (UKMMC)  & Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Specialist Centre (UKMSC). She obtained the medical degree, MBBS (University of Malaya) in 1990 & the Dr. Surgery (UKM) in 1997. She underwent Subspecialty / Fellowship training in Breast Surgery at the Breast & Endocrine Unit, The Dept. of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine  UKM, and in  Breast Cancer Management & Breast Reconstructive Surgery at the University of London. She underwent a clinical attachment at the Siriraj Hospital, Thailand. She has undergone the Breast Ultrasound Course for Non-Radiologists at the Frenchay Hospital, North Bristol, UK. She has worked in various breast units including UCLH &  Guy’s Hospital in London, Heartlands Hospital & Solihull Hospital in Birmingham.

She was registered in the National Specialist Registry since 2011 . She was conferred the  Fellowship of The Academy of Medicine Malaysia. She is a life member of both the Malaysian Medical Association & the Academy of Medicine Malaysia. She was a member of the British Medical Association & was a committee member of the Medicolegal Society of Malaysia. She heads  the Breast Reconstructive Surgery division and the Breast Information Centre in UKMMC. She is the head of the Breast & Endocrine Unit. She was one of the facilitators of the UKM Doctor in Surgery Programme.  She has the trademark BADIS (Breast Abscess Drainage & Irrigation System) registered under her name. She has co-authorship on The holistic web-based breast cancer diagnostic learning system. She is co-author of two versions (Malay & English) of the  Information support tool (booklets) for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. She has the copyright for an operative technique for excision of benign breast lumps named The Submammary Evert (Sub-E) Technique.  She is a reviewer of several journals. She has 40  publications &  1 chapter in a book. She has been involved in several local and international research projects. She founded the UKM Breast Cancer Support Group, TEMAN (Team Effort in Maintaining Awareness & Nurturing breast cancer survivors) in February 2014.  She is also a member of the Cancer Resource, Education & Support Group (CaRE), Universiti Putra Malaysia. She frequently gives public breast awareness  & health talks. She has been interviewed on local television & radio. She has been invited to give professional talks in local & international events.