Prof Shahidul Islam is one of the top 30 researchers (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024) 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 255 papers in the international peer reviewed journals including 14 reviews but excluding 19 book chapters and many editorials. Recently he published his first edited book entitled “Organic Acids in Diabetes: Applications and Mechanisms” from an international publisher, Taylor & Francis and second edited book on “Diabetic Neuropathy” is currently in press to be published from Elsevier Academic Publisher. Recently, he has been appointed as a “South African Research Chair in Ethnopharmacology” by the National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa. He has been 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 also served as an ‘Academic Leader’ for the Biotechnology cluster (Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology) in Westville Campus from February 2018 – July 2026 and previously served as a Chair of the University Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC) (2015-2018). 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. Due to his excellent contribution to the University of KwaZulu-Natal over the years, in 2025, he has been awarded the highest honour of UKZN, entitled “Fellow of the University of KwaZulu-Natal 2025”.
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.
