BUSINESS INNOVATION - 2019
Professor Parvez Haris
Professor Parvez Haris was born in Sylhet in 1964 and moved to the UK in 1975 where his father owned the Golden Bengal Restaurant in Cardiff.
He currently holds the Chair of Biomedical Science at De Montfort and served as the Head of Research for the School of Allied Health Sciences for many years. He has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH). He is engaged in research at the interface of chemistry, life, health and environmental sciences.
His research expertise has been widely used in both academia and in industry and has been particularly used by Pharmaceutical companies and agro-food industries. He has been funded by his University to develop an anti-cancer drug based on a natural product and a patent has been filed. His research includes the analysis of elements and molecules in living systems and the environment with particular emphasis on addressing global challenges. He is engaged in highly interdisciplinary research and involves the use of diverse biochemical and spectroscopic methods for improving our understanding of biochemical processes and food systems.
He is a pioneer in the application of FTIR spectroscopy and is internationally respected for his work in protein and food science. His research group was the first to demonstrate a correlation between high intake of rice and exposure to arsenic which was subsequently proven through a study on over 18,000 Bangladeshis in a paper he co-authored that was published in PLOS One. He has developed a biomaterial based method for removal arsenic from water, which has been subsequently confirmed by scientists from the Environment Protection Agency of USA.
Parvez has received numerous awards for his contribution in research and teaching including an "OSCAR" award for excellence in research and innovation by his University. He has secured research funding from major organisations including the European Union, EPSRC, BBSRC and the British Council. He has numerous editorial roles in scientific journals including Scientific Reports. He serves on the committees of various national and international organisations including the Royal Society.
