Miri – 14 September 2022 – Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) PhD candidate Ivan Sam Jian Hung recently showcased his research project at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Middle East, Africa & Europe (MENA) Research Conference: Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in Doha, Qatar. He was among four student representatives representing Malaysia at the conference under the sponsorship the ACS.
Sam enrolled in Curtin Malaysia’s Higher Degree by Research (HDR) programme following his graduation from the undergraduate chemical engineering programme and is currently conducting postgraduate research relating to ethnobotanical plants and malaria parasites.
At the conference, Sam presented a poster highlighting the synergistic medicinal benefits of turmeric and black pepper, which is a part of his postgraduate research work entitled ‘Enhancement of Antimalarial Property of Alpinia galanga Extract through Nanoemulsion Formulation with Essential Oils of P. nigrum, C. odontophyllum, N. sativa, C. domestica and P. betle’.
The research project, which aims to provide an alternative to current antimalarial drugs utilising local and traditional plants from Sarawak, is being supervised by Associate Professor Stephanie Chan Yen San, Associate Professor Jobrun Nandong and Dr. Jibrail Kansedo of Curtin Malaysia, and Dr. Angela Siner of University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
According to Sam, the research incorporates traditional plant remedies with current technologies to increase the effectiveness in inhibiting malaria, which is friendlier compared to western medication.
Sam thanked the ACS Qatar Chapter and ACS Malaysia Chapter for the opportunity to participate in the conference and present his research work. He also thanked the Sarawak Research Development Council (SRDC) for funding his research project, and Curtin Malaysia, the Curtin Malaysia Graduate School and the Sarawak Biovalley Pilot Plant at the Curtin Malaysia campus for providing the necessary resources and facilities to carry out the research.
In congratulating Sam on his achievement at Doha and his ongoing research, Dean of Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science Professor Tuong-Thuy Vu said Sam was one of the many bright minds in the HDR programme conducting research that will have long-lasting impacts on industry and local communities.
Prof. Thy also commended Assoc. Prof. Chan for her efforts as head of the faculty’s Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, a supervisor of HDR students, and an active researcher herself, saying that she fully embraced and supported the diverse and multi-disciplinary research projects ongoing in the HDR programme.
Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tiktok.
Online Education Fair 线上教育展
Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia)
科廷大学马来西亚分校
https://edufair.fsi.com.my/curtin
