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 30 researchers (2017, 2019, 2021) 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 220 papers in the international peer reviewed journals including 14 reviews but excluding 14 book chapters and many editorials. He is also serving as a member of the editorial board, review editor, and guest editor of a number of international peer-reviewed journals in the area of his research. Since 2021, he has been serving as a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the World Journal of Diabetes.

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  listed many times 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

  • Endocrinology and Metabolism, particularly type 2 diabetes and obesity;
  • Development of animal models for type 2 diabetes and obesity;
  • Medicinal and functional foods and food supplements
  • Natural and artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes
  • African medicinal plants including seaweeds
  • Drug discovery. 

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 medicinal plants and seaweeds extracts, fractions, isolated pure compounds, medicinal and functional foods, food supplements, and artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols 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 chronic diseases.

Collaborators

  • Prof Michael Horowitz, University of Adelaide, Australia
  • Prof Lu Cai, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA
  • Prof Miguel Prieto Lage, University of Vigo, Spain
  • 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, University of Adelaide, Australia
  • Prof Jaqueline Silva, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil
  • Prof Jianbo Xiao, University of Vigo, Spain
  • Prof Osama Mohammed, Beni-Suef University, Egypt
  • Drs Auwal Ibrahim & Aminu Mohammed, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
  • Dr Chika Chukwuma, University of Free State, South Africa
  • Drs Veronica Salau & Kolawole Olofinsan, University of Free State, South Africa

Affiliations

  • Biomedical Research Group
  • Department of Biochemistry
  • INTI International University, Putra Nilai, Malaysia

Editorial roles

  • Co-Editor-in-Chief – World Journal of Diabetes
  • Guest Editor – Frontiers in Chemistry & Marine Drugs
  • 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