School of Life Sciences

Prof Shahidul Islam

Professor

  • 031 260 8717
  • IslamD@ukzn.ac.za
  • PhD, MSc (Biochemistry), BSc Hons
  • Biochemistry
  • Westville campus

Prof Islam is one of the top 15 researchers (2019) at UKZN and holds a C2 NRF rating since 2016. His major area of research is type 2 diabetes and obesity while he has published almost 140 papers in the international peer reviewer journals including 8 reviews but excluding 10 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.

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.

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 and the top 0.1% of global researchers in Experimental Diabetes Research by ExpertScape.com. So far Prof.Islam has published 12 book chapters and more than 175 peer-reviewed, international research articles in the area of his expertise. He is currently serving as a Member of the Editorial Board, Guest Editor & Associate Editor of a number of international peer-reviewed journals, and as an “Editor-in-Chief” of the World Journal of Diabetes.

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
  • Research Unit for Applied Biotechnology (RUAB)

 

Editorial roles

  • Editor-in-Chief – World Journal of Diabetes
  • Guest Editor – Frontiers of 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