Food Nutrition and Health Research Group

Overview

Our research group recognizes the integral relationship between the food and nutritional sciences in achieving optimal health. By connecting our research with the stakeholders, we aim to promote health and wellbeing, reduce the risk of diet-related conditions and non-communicable diseases.  

Group Mission

Food, Nutrition and Health Research Group is devoted to health, safety and all aspects of human and animal nutrition aiming to link the information arising from related disciplines:

• Dietary patterns and health of population
• Nutritional and health effects of food constituents
• Development of novel health food products
• Food safety and prevention approaches through novel microbial processes

Current Projects

Functional food and food constituents

• Chemistry of edible plants constituents and its effect on cholesterol lowering through gut micro flora bacteria – Khoo Teng Jin
• Effects of environment on crop nutrient composition – Sean Mayes
• Identification of health-beneficial components of plant-based foods and beverages, particularly dietary polyphenols – John Brameld
• Profiling the Glycemic Index of under-utilised fruit and vegetables – Susan Azam Ali
• Proteomic analysis in food crops – Chin Chiew Foan
• Underutilized plant as complementary medicine – Cheng Shi Hui
• Crop diversity for nutritional security – Festo Massawe
• Development of prebiotic plant-based diet for aquaculture – Lim Yin Sze
• Development of strategy to remove anti-nutrients such as enzyme inhibitors in legumes – Lim Yin Sze
• Legumes, soil health and nutritional security – Festo Massawe
• Profiling of phytochemicals from underutilised legumes – Lim Yin Sze

 Public health nutrition

• Nutrition and body weight status among Malaysian – Cheng Shi Hui
• Assessing vitamin D status and deficiency related health effects– Soma Mitra
• Bone health and post-menopausal women – Soma Mitra
• Dietary intake and health outcomes in infants, children and young people – Joanne Pearce
• Iodine status and knowledge of the UK population and impact of iodine deficiency on health – Lisa Coneyworth and Simon Welham
• Investigation of adiposity and related health effects in adult Malaysians, exploring ethnicity related differences – Soma Mitra
• Investigation of musculo-skeletal health in school children – Soma Mitra
• The role of fish and aquatic species in the Malaysian diet – Susan Azam Ali

 Nutritional management of non-communicable diseases

• Application of metabolomics in obesity and type-2 diabetes – Cheng Shi Hui
• Applications of vitamin E isomers as an adjunct treatment for cancers and as a supplement for health promotion – Sandy Loh Hwei San
• Cellular characteristics and the underlying mechanisms after the epigenetic drugs treatment on breast cancer cells – Eunice Siew Ching Ngai
• Effect of diet components on health in terms of obesity and cognition – Preeti Jeethwa
• Epimarker of breast cancer for early detection and intervention – Eunice Siew Ching Ngai
• The perspective of healthy diet among Malaysian public/type-2 diabetes population – Jim Chai

 Antimicrobial resistance and food safety

• Antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases in farm animals – Nabin Rayamajhi
• Probiotic and prebiotic potentials of novel lactic acid bacteria – Lim Yin Sze