INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS AND POST DOC
2. Dr Umar Zahoor(published name: Umar Shah)
CAREER SUMMARY
I am an Innovate UK-funded Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, UK, working on designing novel food ingredients and structures using fermentation technologies applied to side streams from the fruit and vegetable industries. I am also an Adjunct Research Associate at Curtin University, Australia. Previously, I have served, as a lead researcher, on numerous commercially driven research projects funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund (as PI); the Grameen Centre for Agricultural Innovation at Charles Sturt University, supported by the Grain Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) (as PI); as well as projects sponsored by Curtin University (as PI), Edith Cowan University (NHMRC) (as researcher), and Whole Green Foods (as PI). In 2023, I established the Future Foods Laboratory at Whole Green Foods, Australia. I was the lead researcher of the laboratory where I developed novel whole plant milk alternative products, and built collaborations with the World’s leading food companies such as Noumi and Kerry Ingredients, Simplot, Sanitarium and Unigrain Australia, and with Universities such as the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University Australia.
In Australia, as early career researcher, my work secured funding of $351,493 for demand-driven research at Whole Green Foods (R&D) and Curtin University; completed three projects and one ongoing, helping transform academic research outputs into valuable commercial outcomes. Some examples: (a) led research to valorise potato industry waste into novel weaning formula for piglets (enriched with waste from the barley industry) at The Whole; (b) help fight growing threats of malnutrition in Western Australian Aged Care homes using an innovative approach of food formulations (3D printed texture modified foods) for individuals with swallowing difficulties and reduce appetite; (c) developed WHOLEGRAIN, preservative-free plant alternatives at The Whole; (d) transform carob protein from gum industry waste into potential gluten-free gluten formulation for Ingredients by Design Pty Ltd at Curtin University. Upon joining the University of Leeds, UK, I have made significant funding advancements within the first three months. This includes receiving internal funding for MS Summer School, supported by EU Funding Team at the University of Leeds (as PI). Additionally, I got nominated as a project lead by The Zinc, with support from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and invited to join the Multidisciplinary Food Systems Catalyst Community for the upcoming sandpit event in London, 2-3 July (Team Head).
I have published >15 peer-reviewed papers, 5 book chapters, and a book in CRC, Press Taylor & Frances, USA. My H-index is 11 (SCOPUS) and 12 (Google Scholar) with 858 and 1,211 citations, respectively. My research has an international reach, featured in top journals such as Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety (IF: 12.81), International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (IF: 7.7), Journal of Functional Biomaterials (IF: 5.1), Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies (IF: 6.3) and others, and cited by leading food science professional globally including my peers. According to Incites, my citation impact extends beyond my core subject, Food Science and Technology (2.27 citation impact CI), into Polymer Science (2.06 CI), Applied Chemistry (1.77), Biochemistry (1.59), and Pharmacology (1.12), demonstrating broad interdisciplinary impact.
My published research outputs come from crops including Australian sorghum grain (hydrophobic protein kafirin); Australian sorghum dried distillers’ grain with solubles (biomaterials); Australian lupin protein (as texturing agent); alginates (biomaterials); rice (starch and active bioplastics); horse chestnut (ultrasound and microwave-assisted starch); wheat (new project development); green tea (polyphenols); strawberry (antioxidants); and cherry (shelf-life).
I am a certified user of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility, skilled in Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM; Mira and NEON), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). I have also published a track record of working with Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), including peak fitting approach with TOPAS software; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), including curve fitting approach using OPUS software, electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) for polypeptide identification and ionic gelation vibrational jet flow technology. My research has also explored commercial technologies WINX™, a novel whole plant milk technology, 3D food printing technology and biofilm technology to enhance technologically-useful functionality of food hydrocolloids.