Dr Molamma Prabhakaran

Overview

Dr Molamma Prabhakaran is a Lecturer in the School of Sport & Health Sciences at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She completed her PhD at the National University of Singapore, where her research focused on the quantification of phytochemicals in soybeans and soy-based products. Her postdoctoral research experience spans bioengineering, polymers, nanotechnology, stem cell differentiation, and drug delivery, with a particular focus on regenerating nerve, skin, bone, and cardiac tissues. In addition, she possesses extensive expertise in advanced analytical instrumentation and characterization techniques. Much of this work has been conducted in the National University of Singapore supervising PhD students through collaborations with international universities, including Donghua University (China), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (Argentina), the Technical University of Munich (Germany), Isfahan University of Technology (Iran), and Aarhus University (Denmark).

A multidisciplinary researcher with extensive experience in materials and food sciences, she has published over 75 papers in international journals, achieving an H-Index of 65 with 16000 citations. She worked on various projects (NMRC, NRF Singapore), functioned as a Co-PI to grants including those from the Danish Science Foundation (Denmark), PhD Thesis assessor to the University of Auckland, assessor of funding application for Czech Science Foundation. She currently serves as a committee member of the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) and acts as a reviewer for materials and food science journals.

During her role as a Lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic (Singapore), she served as a student liaison officer to various food industries including Takasago, Silesia, DSM, Singapore Food Agency, EFF, and supervised student projects in collaboration with food companies like Corbion Asia Pacific, Monde Nissin, CP Kelco, Diana Foods.

Her current research in Cardiff Metropolitan University focuses on natural materials, antioxidants, food waste valorisation including spent coffee grounds, edible coatings, plant-based foods and sustainability with social impact, with a strong interest in translating research into meaningful community outcomes.