CAFR is supported by a multidisciplinary team whose expertise spans plant sciences, aquaculture, biotechnology, food science and sustainability. Their combined strengths enable us to address agricultural challenges with practical, integrated solutions for industry and community impact. We warmly welcome new members who share our passion for advancing sustainable agri-food research.

We also welcome new collaborations, and the list below highlights our members, contact details and their specialised research areas.

Full Members

Name Email Faculty / Institution Research Focus Research Area (keywords) Specific Expertise / Skills
Ali Yassoralipour aliyas@utar.edu.my FSc Food Science, Aquaculture technology Food packaging, Food product development, Food shelf evaluation, Edible packaging Biodegradable packaging, Edible packaging, New product development from fish and fish product, Isolation and characterization of nanoparticles from food
Azida Illyani Binti Anas azida@utar.edu.my FSc Agriculture Farm management, precision agriculture Crop production using precision agriculture
Chai Tsun Thai chaitt@utar.edu.my FSc Biochemistry Phytochemicals / medicinal herbs, bioactive peptides / proteins, antioxidants Peptide / phytochemical purification, bioactivity testing, computational screening, molecular docking
Chan Mun Yee chanmy@utar.edu.my FSc Biochemistry Bioremediation, enzymes AAS, wastewater analysis, enzyme activities, NGS sequencing
Chang Chew Cheen changcc@utar.edu.my FSc Natural products, Chemical synthesis Phytochemicals, medicinal chemistry, Mannich bases Extraction, isolation and structure elucidation, organic synthesis
Chang Ying Ping changyp@utar.edu.my FSc Biochemical and Food Science Food compositional analysis, applied enzymology, food polymer science, prebiotic activity, agro-based by-product valorization SPSS, chemical analysis of biomaterial (design, data analysis and interpretation), structure-functional interpretation of food material properties
Chay Shyan Yea chaysy@utar.edu.my FSc Food Biotechnology, Functional Food Enzymatic hydrolysis of protein-rich material, Bioactive peptide, In vivo study (rat model) Protein hydrolysis, peptide sequencing and identification, microscopic assessment of animal organs
Chye Mee Len chyeml@utar.edu.my FSc Plant Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology Plant lipids, stress-tolerant crops, plant isoprenoids, health-promoting fruits Plant molecular biology, plant genetic engineering, plant lipid metabolism
Chow Yit Lai chowyl@utar.edu.my FSc Chemical biology of plant metabolites Bioactive alkaloids, lipid metabolism, disease mechanism, C. elegans Molecular and biochemical assays for mode-of-action elucidation; cell culture;
C. elegans culture
Clement Wong Kiing Fook kfwong@utar.edu.my FSc Plant Pathology, Plant Biotechnology Biological control of plant pathogens, biofertilizer development, plant tissue culture Formulation of biofertilizers, bioprospecting for beneficial microbes, early detection of plant diseases, plant tissue culture protocols
Ee Kah Yaw eeky@utar.edu.my FSc Functional food Phytochemicals, proteins, peptides, biophysical and functional properties Biochemical analysis, biophysical analysis, multi-omics, bioinformatics tools, enzymatic techniques
Gideon Khoo gideonkhoo@utar.edu.my FSc Aquaculture, Genetics, Biodiversity & Environmental Biology Larviculture and embryonic development, population and genetic diversity, ornamental fish genetics, aquatic biodiversity and conservation Larviculture and embryonic development, population genetics, ornamental fish genetics, aquatic biodiversity conservation
Goh Wei Lim wlgoh@utar.edu.my FSc Molecular ecology and evolutionary genetics Plant and animal genotyping, phylogenetics, taxonomy, population genetics Southeast Asian bamboos, edible-nest swiftlets
Gunavathy a/p Selvarajh gunavathy@utar.edu.my FSc Agronomy, Soil Fertility, Waste Management Crop production, nutrient management, soil health, organic waste recycling Agronomic crop growing, crop nutrient management, controlled-release fertilizer, soil sampling, composting and pyrolysing
Ha Sie Tiong hast@utar.edu.my FSc Chemistry, Liquid Crystals Synthesis of liquid crystalline compounds Organic synthesis
Heng Mei Hsuan hengmh@utar.edu.my FSc Soil science Soil science, microbiology, plant pathology Analysis of soil fertility and plant pathogenic microbes
Kwong Phek Jin kwongpj@utar.edu.my FSc Agriculture, Assisted Reproductive Technology Animal breeding and nutrition, embryology, animal waste conversion, functional food for reproductive health Livestock assisted reproductive techniques, nutrition study, bioactive compound extraction, in vivo and in vitro toxicity testing
Lam Ming Quan lammq@utar.edu.my FSc Multi-omics, bioinformatics, taxonomy, Waste to Wealth Bioinformatics, environmental biotechnology, enzymology, food & agricultural waste management, microbiology, multi-omics Microbial taxonomy, molecular techniques, bioinformatics tools, fermentation, NGS/TGS, LC–MS/MS
Lee Kok Chang leekc@utar.edu.my FSc Fermentation and enzyme technology Cellulase, xylanase, filamentous fungi, agricultural biomass waste Enzymatic conversion of lignocellulosic biomass, biopigment production
Lim Boon Hoe bhlim@utar.edu.my FSc Rubisco engineering Rubisco, protein engineering, molecular biology, cyanobacteria, algae Gene engineering, protein expression in E. coli
Lim Shun Jinn lsjinn@utar.edu.my FSc Operation Research, Pure Mathematics Data envelopment analysis, algebra Financial ratio efficiency
Lim Tuck Meng ltmeng@utar.edu.my FSc Organic Chemistry Radical chemistry, electrochemistry, spectroscopy Isolation and characterisation of compounds
Michelle Ng Yeen Tan ngyt@utar.edu.my FSc Microbiology and protein purification Endolysin, effects of microplastics in food chain Food and environmental microbiology, antibacterial studies, in vivo toxicity testing, protein processing
Nor Ismaliza binti Mohd Ismail ismaliza@utar.edu.my FSc Molecular biology, enzyme and protein Endolysin, aquaculture effluent treatment Antimicrobial screening, protein and enzyme purification
Nurdiyana Aqilah Binti Roslan aqilahr@utar.edu.my FSc Animal Nutrition Rumen microbiology, rumen fermentation, small ruminants Rumen microbiology in small ruminants
Ong Mei Kying ongmk@utar.edu.my FSc Food Preservation, Postharvest Technology Sensory evaluation, agrifood preservation, new product development Postharvest technology, agrifood preservation
Ong Siew Teng ongst@utar.edu.my FSc Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry Chemistry, adsorption studies Adsorption studies
Ooi Ai Lin ooial@utar.edu.my FSc Aquatic ecology Aquatic biodiversity, plankton, hydroponics & aquaponics Environmental sampling and analysis of aquatic organisms
Pedram Kashiani pedram@utar.edu.my FSc Plant Breeding Marker-assisted breeding, QTL mapping, agronomy, biostatistics, machine learning, IoT in agriculture Hybrid breeding, chromosome mapping, genetic diversity, MAB/MAS, QTL, smart agriculture, UAV & IoT systems
Phoon Lee Quen phoonlq@utar.edu.my FSc Molecular genetics Genetic markers, disease interaction, epigenetics Genetic and epigenetic regulation in plant defence
Sim Kooi Mow simkm@utar.edu.my FSc Natural products chemistry, medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis Indole alkaloids, triazole Schiff bases, N-acylhydrazones, oxadiazoles Plant extraction, chromatography, NMR analysis, organic synthesis
Sim Kheng Yuen simky@utar.edu.my FSc Food microbiology, food fermentation Food microbiology, thermal and non-thermal processing Food fermentation, starter cultures, UVC application
Tan Ji jtan@utar.edu.my FSc Agricultural biodiversity Taxonomy, phycology, arachnology, molecular phylogenetics, phylogenomics DNA barcoding, seaweed culture, macro- and nature photography
Tan Yen Nee tanyn@utar.edu.my FSc Food Microbiology, Functional Food Food microbiology, natural product extracts, functional foods Bioactive compound extraction, formulation optimisation, food product development
Teo Kah Cheng teokc@utar.edu.my FSc Microbiology Food microbiology, medicinal chemistry Antibacterial assay of synthesised organic molecules
Teoh Chaiw Yee cyteoh@utar.edu.my FSc Aquaculture Feed formulation, aquaculture nutrition, aquatic disease, fatty acid metabolism Fish and shellfish sampling, feed and fisheries chemical analysis, fatty acid analysis
Tey Lai Hock teylh@utar.edu.my FSc Biochemistry, Green Chemistry, Biotechnology Microalgae cultivation, nanoparticles, enzymology, waste treatment Microalgae cultivation, nanoparticles, enzymology, waste treatment
Tong Pei Sin tongps@utar.edu.my FSc Agriculture, biodiversity Plant growth, forestry Weed science and crop production
Wong Fai Chu wongfc@utar.edu.my FSc Biochemistry Proteins and peptides, medicinal herbs Protein and peptide application, medicinal herb extraction
Wong Hann Ling hlwong@utar.edu.my FSc Molecular biology & agricultural biotechnology Biofertilizer, plant–microbe interaction, biocontrol Molecular cloning, recombinant protein expression, gene editing, microbial characterisation
Wong Wey Lim wongwl@utar.edu.my FSc Agriculture, biological control, parasitology Biological control, aquaculture disease, functional morphology Morphology, chemical analysis, olfactometry, bacterial isolation, disease challenge studies
Yip Foo Win yipfw@utar.edu.my FSc Chemistry General Chemistry Fundamental & Inorganic chemistry

Associate members

Name Email Faculty / Institution Research Area (keywords) Specific Expertise / Skills
Loo Joo Ling loojl@utar.edu.my LKC FES Aquaculture Engineering, Aquaculture Feed and Nutrition, Enzyme and Food Biotechnology Aquaculture quality monitoring and surveillance system. Nutrition and feeding for aquaculture.
Enzyme isolation, assay and utilisation
Tan Gim Cheong tangc@utar.edu.my FSc Biomedical Science (Fertility),
Microbial Pathogenesis 		Molecular Pathogenesis
Updated: 15.12.2025