Dr. MOHAMAD HAFIZI ABU BAKAR

"Engineering cellular science into transformative solutions for human health and sustainable future food production."

Expertise: 

1. Bioprocess Technologies
2. Tissue Engineering
3. Nano Medicine
4. Mammalian Cell Culture Technology
5. Biomedical Metabolomics

Dr. Mohamad Hafizi Abu Bakar is a Senior Lecturer and Principal Investigator in the Bioprocess Technology Division, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where he leads the USM Cultured Meat Research Group. He obtained a First-Class Honours degree in Biomedical Science from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 2012 and a PhD in Bioprocess Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2015. His interdisciplinary research integrates mammalian cell culture, cellular biochemistry and bioprocess engineering to address challenges in metabolic health and cellular agriculture. His work investigates inflammation, insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction and nutrient-sensing pathways, with particular emphasis on celastrol, adipocyte–macrophage crosstalk and prohibitin-targeted nanomicelles for obesity-related cardiometabolic dysfunction. He has authored and co-authored a substantial body of publications in international journals and has secured competitive national research funding from the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Economy, and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), as well as international funding from The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Italy and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB, Italy).

In cellular agriculture, Dr. Hafizi develops serum-free culture-media strategies, investigates biomass-derived hydrolysates and applies computational approaches to improve muscle-cell cultivation and bioprocess performance. His research also encompasses functional biomaterials, cultivated meat scale-up, bioreactor process development and halal-by-design principles. He has contributed to Malaysia’s national feasibility study funded by Ministry of Economy on cultivated meat, particularly in the areas of technology and infrastructure, production scale, supply chains and facility considerations. His research translation and capacity-building activities involve collaborations with Prof. Dr. Michiya Matsusaki at The University of Osaka, Japan, and industry partners including Cell AgriTech Sdn. Bhd., Adeante Agro Sdn. Bhd., and IKA Works (Asia) Sdn. Bhd. Through postgraduate supervision, interdisciplinary research, industry engagement and practical bioreactor training, he seeks to translate fundamental cell-based science into scalable and responsible biotechnology solutions for metabolic health, sustainable food production and cellular agriculture.