School of Life Sciences

Prof Shahidul Islam

Professor

  • 031 260 8717
  • IslamD@ukzn.ac.za
  • PhD, MSc (Biochemistry), BScHons
  • Biochemistry
  • Westville Campus

Prof Islam is one of the top 15 researchers (2019) at UKZN and holds a C1 NRF rating since 2022. His major area of research is type 2 diabetes and obesity while he has published more than 180 papers in the international peer reviewer journals including 12 reviews but excluding 12 book chapters and one editorial. He is also serving as a member of the editorial board and guest editor of a number of international peer-reviewed journals in the area of his research.

Apart from above, Prof Islam is also serving as an Academic Leader for the Biotechnology cluster (Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology) in Westville Campus and previously served as a Chair of the University Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC). He has also been awarded the 2015 College Distinguished Teacher Award for his teaching excellence.

Prof Islam is one of the leading researchers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and was recently listed in the top 2% of global researchers by Mandeley.com and the top 0.1% of global researchers in Experimental Diabetes Research by ExpertScape.com.

Research interests

Type 2 diabetes and obesity; animal model development; antidiabetic, antiobesogenic and toxicological interventional trials; mechanisms behind the antidiabetic effects of various plant extracts, fractions, isolated pure compounds, medicinal and functional foods, food supplements and artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes. 

Research profiles

Google Scholar
ResearchGate
ORCID

Current projects

Prof Islam’s research focuses on type 2 diabetes and obesity; animal model development; antidiabetic, antiobesogenic, and toxicological interventional trials; mechanisms behind the antidiabetic effects of various plant extracts, fractions, isolated pure compounds, medicinal and functional foods, food supplements, and artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes with an ultimate goal for better understanding the rapidly changing pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and obesity and to develop better alternative medicines and supplements for the better management of these non-communicable diseases.

Collaborators

  • Dr Auwal Ibrahim & Dr Aminu Mohammed, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
  • Prof Balaji Meriga, Sri Venkateswara University, India
  • Prof Bernard Portha, University of Paris Dideroc, Paris, France
  • Prof Christoph Beglinger & Dr Bettina Wolnerhansen, University of Basel, Switzerland
  • Prof Daisuke Koya, Kanazawa University, Japan
  • Dr Graham Lyons, Univesity of Adelaide, Australia
  • Prof Jaqueline Silva, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil
  • Prof Jianbo Xiao, University of Vigo, Spain
  • Prof Lu Cai, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
  • Dr Ochuko Erukainure & Dr Chika Chukwuma, University of Free State, South Africa
  • Dr Osama Mohammed, Beni-Suef University, Egypt

Affiliations

  • Biomedical Research Group
  • Department of Biochemistry

Editorial roles

  • Editor-in-Chief – World Journal of Diabetes
  • Guest Editor – Frontiers in Chemistry
  • Associate & Review Editor – Frontiers in Pharmacology & Drug Discovery
  • Member of the Editorial Board – Food & Nutrition Report
  • Recent Patent in Food, Nutrition and Agriculture, Bioresearch Communication

Media