Staff Profile

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Ts. Dr. Irine Runnie Henry Ginjom

Senior Lecturer
PhD in Food Science & Biotechnology (University of Queensland, Australia, 2009)
MSc in Food Chemistry & Biochemistry (Universiti Putra Malaysia, 2003)
BSc (Hons) in Agricultural & Food Sciences (University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, 1997)

Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science

Office No:+60 82 260 630
Fax No:+60 82 260 813
Room No: E612, Building E, FECS
Email: ihenry@swinburne.edu.my
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Biography

Dr Irine joined Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus as lecturer in 2011. She had been teaching as well as convening a range of units for Bachelor of Science programmes – Concepts of Biology, Food Science, Communication for Scientists, Grand Challenges in Science, Consumer Chemistry, Research Skills in Science, Natural Products and Analytical Chemistry. She served as Science Discipline Leader from 2019 and 2021. Currently, she is a member of FECS Occupational Health & Safety Sub-Committee and Swinburne Sarawak Human Ethics Sub-committee.

Dr Irine had supervised or co-supervised more than 10 MSc and PhD students to completion. Her research interest is on functional foods, especially those related to native Sarawakian botanicals.  The research focuses on the efficacy, stability, and bioavailability of bioactive during processing and storage.

She also actively involved in promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields among younger generations by conducting STEM workshops in primary and secondary schools in Sarawak, Penang, Perak, Kelantan and Johor.

Research Interests

  • Natural products & functional foods
  • The effects of food processing and storage on nutrient and bioactive contents
  • Utilization of food wastes and by-products

Professional Memberships

  • Professional Technologist, Malaysian Board of Technologist (MBOT)
  • Life Member, Nutrition Society Malaysia
  • Ordinary Member, Malaysian Nature Society

Research Grants

  • 2020– 2022; Physicochemical characteristics and bioactive contents of Sarawak stingless bee honey (SBH); Irine Ginjom (PI); Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC)
  • 2018-2019; Bioactive substances in Eucheuma cottonii; Irine Ginjom (PI); Kinzouku Trading Sdn. Bhd.
  • 2015-2019; Preparation and optimization of encapsulated capsaicin for oral delivery and reduced gastric irritation; Irine Ginjom (PI); Swinburne Sarawak Research Grant (SSRG) & Melbourne Sarawak Research Collaboration Scheme (MSRCS)
  • 2015-2018; Encapsulation of hydrophobic capsaicin within yeast cells for oral delivery with reduced gastric irritation; Irine Ginjom (PI); Melbourne Sarawak Research Collaboration Scheme (MSRCS)
  • 2014-2016; Screening and quantification of antioxidant compounds in selected edible plants of Sarawak; Irine Ginjom (PI); Swinburne Sarawak Research Grant (SSRG)

Awards

  • Highly Commended – Swinburne Vice-Chancellor’s 2019 Community Engagement Award
  • Highly Commended – Swinburne Vice-Chancellor’s 2020 Community Engagement Award

PhD/Master by Research Opportunities

Potential research higher degree candidates are welcome to enquire about postgraduate opportunities in the areas listed above. Please e-mail ihenry@swinburne.edu.my for more information.

Publications

  • Chang, MMF, Ginjom, IR, Ng, SM 2017, ‘Single-shot ‘turn-off’ optical probe for rapid detection of paraoxon-ethyl pesticide on vegetable utilising fluorescence carbon dots’, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, vol. 242, pp. 1050-1056.
  • Omoregie, AI, Senian, N, Li, PY, Ngu LH, Ong DEL, Ginjom, IR & Nissom, PM 2016, `Ureolytic bacteria isolated from Sarawak limestone caves show high urease enzyme activity comparable to that of Sporosarcina pasteurii (DSM 33)’, Malaysian Journal of Microbiology, vol. 12(6), pp. 463-470.
  • Kong, EL, Lee, BK, Michelle, Ginjom, IR & Nissom, PM 2015, `DNA damage inhibitory effect and phytochemicals or fermented red brown rice extract’, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease, vol. 5, no. 9, pp.732-736.
  • Ginjom, I, Caffin, NA, D’Arcy, BR, & Gidley, MJ 2011, `Phenolic compound profiles in selected Queensland red wines at different winemaking stages’, Food Chemistry, vol. 125, no. 3, pp.823-834.
  • Runnie, I, Salleh, MN, Mohamed, S, Head, RJ & Abeywardena, MY 2004, `Vasorelaxation induced by common edible tropical plant extracts in isolated rat aorta and mesenteric vascular bed. Journal of Ethnopharmacology’, vol. 92, pp.311-316.
  • Runnie, I, Noordin Mohamed Mustapha, Radzali Muse, Azizah Hamid, Hapizah Nawawi, Abeywardena, MY & Mohamed, S 2003, `Antioxidant and hypocholesterolemic effects of Elaeis guineensis frond extract on hypercholesterolemic rabbits’, Asean Food Journal, vol. 12, no. 3, pp.137-147.