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Biography
Dr. Yap Yee Jiun was born on 10 August 1978 in Malaysia. In 1992, he moved to Singapore and studied at New Town Secondary School, developing a keen interest in physics. During his studies at Catholic Junior College (Singapore) from 1996 to 1997, he was selected for the Nurturing Talented Undergraduates: Residential Technology Induction Programme on University's Courses at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). He began his undergraduate studies in 1998 at the University of Manchester with financial aid from an award under the British Scholarship Scheme 1998, graduating in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physics with Astrophysics. He then moved to London and continued his studies in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Brunel University, receiving his doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy) in 2006. He returned to Malaysia and joined the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS) in 2006 as a Senior Researcher. He was elected a Member of the Institute of Physics (UK) in 2007 before becoming a Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Malaya (Malaysia) in 2009. In 2014, he joined the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) as an Assistant Professor, and was promoted to Associate Professor with effect from 1st January 2018. He received the Gold Research Award from the Faculty of Engineering (FOE) in December 2018 and assumed the position of Head of Department (HOD) for the Department of Applied Mathematics on 1st February 2019. He became Head of School (HOS) after the Department of Applied Mathematics evolved into the School of Mathematical Sciences in February 2019, following his initiation for a change. While serving as the HOS, he established the Industrial Advisory Board within the school and also developed a new Bachelor of Science (BSc) Mathematics and Data Science programme which was launched in 2021. During his tenure as the HOS, he developed a Master of Philosophy (Applied Mathematics) programme and a Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Mathematics) programme which were launched in 2023. He received the Research Excellence Award and the Teaching Excellence Award from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FOSE) in 2021. He signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Algae International Berhad on 21 December 2022, thereby establishing a university-industry research collaboration. He became the Co-Director of Smart Systems Research Cluster in 2023 and established two data science research units: Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Research Group as well as Machine Learning Research Group. He received the 34th International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2023 Silver Medal under the Biotechnology classification as the sole inventor.
List of Awards:
FOE Research Award 2018 (Gold)
FOSE Best Marketing Team 2019 (Bronze), serving as HOS
FOSE Marketing Speakers of the Year 2020 (Gold)
FOSE Most Enthusiastic Marketer 2021 (Bronze)
FOSE Research Excellence Award 2021
FOSE Teaching Excellence Award 2021
ITEX 2023 Silver Medal
Teaching Summary
- Logic and Analysis
- Linear algebra
- Calculus
- Ordinary differential equations
- Partial differential equations
Research Summary
- Evolutionary game theory
- Mathematical modelling in biotechnology
Research Grants Received (External Research Grants):
Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education
Reference Code: FRGS/1/2020/STG01/UNIM/02/2
Title: Evaluation of solvent bubbling mechanism on the biomass production and cell disruption in a microalgae cultivation system
Duration: 1 November 2020 to 31 October 2023
Approved Budget: RM 111500
Role: Leader
PHC-Hibiscus Grant from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research (MESRI).
Reference Code: MyPAIR/1/2020/STG05/UNIM/1
Title: An investigation on algal proteins partitioning mechanism in ionic liquid biphasic flotation system
Duration: 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2022
Approved Budget: RM 45000
Role: Member
Current Research Students:
Current PhD Student (as Main Supervisor):
Lau Zhi Lin (supported by FRGS grant: FRGS/1/2020/STG01/UNIM/02/2)
Current MPhil Student (as Co-Supervisor):
Tham Pei En
Recent Publications
PEI EN THAM, HOOI REN LIM, KUAN SHIONG KHOO, KIT WAYNE CHEW, YEE JIUN YAP, HELI SITI HALIMATUL MUNAWAROH, ZENGLING MA, SARAVANAN RAJENDRAN, LALITHA GNANASEKARAN and PAU LOKE SHOW, 2023. Insights of Microalgae-based aquaculture feed: A review on circular bioeconomy and perspectives Algal Research. 103186 (In Press.)
ZHI LIN LAU, SZE SHIN LOW, EJIKEME RAPHAEL EZEIGWE, KIT WAYNE CHEW, WAI SIONG CHAI, AMIT BHATNAGAR, YEE JIUN YAP and PAU LOKE SHOW, 2022. A review on the diverse interactions between microalgae and nanomaterials: Growth variation, photosynthetic performance and toxicity Bioresource Technology. 351, 127048 JING YI CHIA, KUAN SHIONG KHOO, TAU CHUAN LING, LARRY CROFT, SIVAKUMAR MANICKAM, YEE JIUN YAP and PAU LOKE SHOW, 2021. Description and detection of excludons as transcriptional regulators in gram-positive, gram-negative and archaeal strains of prokaryotes Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology. 32, 101933 WAI YAN CHEAH, PAU LOKE SHOW, YEE JIUN YAP, HAYYIRATUL FATIMAH MOHD ZAID, MAN KEE LAM, JUN WEI LIM, YEEK-CHIA HO and YANG TAO, 2020. Enhancing microalga Chlorella sorokiniana CY-1 biomass and lipid production in palm oil mill effluent (POME) using novel-designed photobioreactor Bioengineered. 11, 1
Past Research
- Complex systems
- Evolutionary game theory
- Cournot duopoly model in game theory
- Mathematical modelling in biotechnology
Research Grants Received:
External Research Grants:
1)
Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education
Reference Code: FRGS/1/2015/SG05/UNIM/03/1
Title: Study of Partition Behavior of Ionic Liquid Based Aqueous Two-Phase Systems to Imporve Bio-Seperation Process of Microbial Lipase From Fermentation Broth
Duration: 2 November 2015 to 31 October 2018
Approved Budget: RM 100800
Role: Member
2)
Prototype Development Research Grant Scheme (PRGS) from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education
Reference Code: PRGS/2/2015/SG05/UNIM/03/1
Title: Efficient protein downstream processing of valuable bioproducts using aqueous two-phase flotation at industrial scale
Duration: 1 December 2015 to 30 November 2017
Approved Budget: RM 110000
Role: Member
Internal Research Grants:
1)
University Malaya Research Grant (UMRG)
Grant Number: RG112/10AFR
Title: Game Theory Applied to Nonlinear Systems
Duration: 1 May 2010 to 30 April 2011
Approved Budget: RM 34000
Role: Leader
2)
University Malaya Research Grant (UMRG)
Grant Number: RG175/11AFR
Title: Game Theory Applied to Nonlinear Systems
Duration: 15 June 2011 to 15 June 2012
Approved Budget: RM 38000
Role: Leader
PhD student successfully trained as Main Supervisor:
Dr Tey Siew Kian (2017)
PhD students successfully trained as Co-Supervisor:
Dr Revathy Sankaran (2018)
Dr Chew Kit Wayne (2019)
Dr Chia Shir Reen (2020)