Ali (as he prefers to be referred to) is interested in the genetic biofortification of common wheat (Triticum aestivum) and understanding the molecular mechanism that regulates the mobilization of iron and zinc from vegetative tissues to the endosperm. The main target is to fill the nutritional deficiency gap and determine the possibility of wheat biofortification.
He started his PhD in Biosciences at the University of Birmingham in 2019 and moved to the John Innes Centre in 2021. He was awarded a prestigious commonwealth scholarship funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for his PhD, and prior to this, obtained a master degree from Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea. During his Master’s course, he worked with Dr. Shin Dong-Hyun as a research assistant in the Plant Resource Development Lab KNU. He analyzed the antioxidant and nutritional potential of functional foods such as fermented soybean, bread wheat and Moringa oleifera.