Siti Nasuha Hamzah, Ts. Dr

Research background

Siti Nasuha Hamzah (SNH) is currently a lecturer and academic researcher at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She began her academic research in the medical entomology field with a focus on mosquito biology and bionomic. Subsequently, she developed an interest in toxicology study, which led to studies on the effects of insecticidal used for mosquito control on living life and the environment including human communities. Her evolving research interests span in the proteomic and biochemistry involved in the detoxification process which leads to insecticide resistance cases in Malaysia. Her focus is on the detoxification enzymes, including the specific enzymes recognized as oxidative stress-related enzymes. Her laboratory currently has active research projects i.e. studying the role of toxico-proteomics by assessing the specific toxicity component from living organisms samples. As pesticides have been an essential part of agriculture to protect crops and livestock from pest infestations and yield reduction for many decades, the environment, as well as people, have been exposed to several types of chemical substances with a broad spectrum due to the rapidly evolving technology. Despite their usefulness, pesticides could pose potential risks to food safety, the environment, and all living things. Updated, her research interest developed into finding a biosafe material to replace chemical insecticide used in insect pest control management. Recently, she managed to synthesise a biosafe nano-metal oxide that has a big potential as a nanopesticide in alternative pest control methods. Her focus is now to study more on the mechanism and to prove this nano-pesticide is safe for the environment and humans. Thus, the main concern in SNH’s current research focuses on the impacts of pesticides used as well as to develop a biosafe nano-pesticide as an alternative control method that is sustainable to the environment and other living things including humans. Approaches of the study involve the techniques of identification, biochemistry, proteomics, molecular biology, biophysical analysis, bioassays, lab and field surveillance, classification system and chemical testing and analysis.

Research focus

Toxico-proteomics, pest management, biosafe nano-pesticid

Selected publications

1. Ahmadu Bukar, Siti Nasuha Binti Hamzah, Sarah Abdul Razak, (2025). Expression Patterns of Detoxification Enzymes Underlying Susceptibility Status in Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) from Dengue Hotspot Areas in Penang, Malaysia., Serangga, 1 - 26
2. Rahim N.H., Sarah Binti Abdul Razak, Fong C.S., Xue C., Hasikin K., Rohman F., Siti Nasuha Binti Hamzah, Yaseen T., Kaplan A., Khan M.N., Ercisli S., (2025). Climate mitigation through urban forests: ecosystem services and species diversity in Rimba Ilmu, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. Genetic Resources And Crop Evolution,1-16 DOI:10.1007/s10722-025-02578-7 Thuduhenage Dona Anjana Chamilka
3. Thuduhena, Nurhidanatasha Binti Abu Bakar, Siti Nasuha Binti Hamzah, (2024). Effects of ellagic acid on hemoglobin ingestion, transport, and digestion in the digestive vacuole of Plasmodium falciparum, Journal Of Microscopy And Ultrastructure. DOI: 10.4103/jmau.jmau_96_24
4. Siti Nasuha Binti Hamzah, Kalaavathi A/p Manoharan, Nurulhusna Abdul Hamid, (2024). Susceptibility Of The Poultry Strain Musca domestica Linnaeus (Diptera: Muscidae) Larvae Toward Pyrethroids And Organophosphate Insecticides. Serangga, 29 (4)
5. Siti Nasuha Binti Hamzah, Hsieh Ting Chuan, Siti Khadijah Binti Mohd Bakhori, Shahrom Bin Mahmud, Syahirah Binti Zakaria, (2024). The Physiological Effect Of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Nanopesticide On Aedes aegypti Larvae. Malaysian Applied Biology, 53 (4)