GEMS 2027 Thematic Cluster: Next-Generation Therapeutic Foods for Global Nutrition Security
Malnutrition is a critical global public health crisis driven by chronic macro- and micronutrient deficiencies that severely compromises physical and mental well-being while directly escalating mortality rates. Often, therapeutic food is critical for managing malnutrition when standard diets fall short. However, therapeutic food (specifically formulated food to manage medical conditions/diseases) remains highly vulnerable to unpredictable cross-border supply chain disruption, escalating logistic costs that drastically drive up manufacturing cost, and restricted accessibility in vulnerable regions, compounded by threats posed by recent climate changes. It is therefore imperative to develop therapeutic foods from locally sourced ingredients with precise nutritional profiles tailored to individual needs that are highly efficacious, sensorially acceptable, and serve as viable alternatives to conventional therapeutic food matrices.
Building upon our patented innovation (UI2023001869) and several prestigious accolades received for an affordable, nutritious, and locally sourced palm kernel milk, this project aims to advance this technology by exploring its high-potential application in therapeutic food systems. Oil palm, which originated in Africa and is widely cultivated across Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, serves as a highly suitable vehicle to combat malnutrition. This intervention can be strategically deployed across the African continent and South Asia, where malnutrition remains rampant, as well as within domestic markets like Malaysia.
Impact: The project holistically integrates food science, technology, and nutrition to create locally sourced, value-added, equitable, and affordable locally-derived therapeutic foods resilient to supply chain disruptions, with the goal to manage community malnutrition across diverse demographics globally, ranging from children and elderly individuals to cancer patients. The study will investigate the development of therapeutic food, its efficacy in managing malnutrition, and the application of precision nutrition to optimise dietary targeting and strengthen food security.
Project 1 (School of Science)
Development of Palm-Kernel Milk as Therapeutic Foods: Macro-Micro Nutrient Interplay, Organoleptic Performance and Shelf Stability
Therapeutic food relies on a precise composition of macro- and micronutrients. The interplay between these components is critical to ensure efficient nutrient delivery, high palatability, and robust shelf stability that satisfies the precise clinical needs of malnourished individuals.
This research project addresses three primary objectives:
- Designing therapeutic food system (liquid and paste) tailored to precise caloric, macronutrient, and micronutrient requirements of malnourished individuals (Year 1)
- Investigating the in vitro bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and shelf-life stability of the developed formulations. (Year 2)
- Market feasibility and the strategic implementation of the therapeutic food (Year 3)
For enquiries, please contact Dr Lee Yee Ying
For more information about this project, please visit our GEMS website.
How to Apply
When you apply for admission into your preferred degree program you will be able to select your scholarship type. No separate application is required.
By clicking on a course, you will be directed to further information, including details on ‘How to Apply’.
However, before applying for a GEMS, it is recommended that you first contact the main supervisor for this GEMS research topic. Please provide details of your academic background and achievements to the supervisor so that they can assess your suitability for the GEMS research topic you are interested in.
Main Supervisor (Malaysia): Dr Lee Yee Ying
Associate Supervisor (Malaysia): Prof. Siow Lee Fong
Associate Supervisor (Australia): Assoc. Prof. Dominic Aygei
Project 2 (Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Effect of Palm Kernel Milk Supplementation on Nutritional Status among Malnourished Children
Childhood malnutrition is one of the major causes of impaired growth, morbidity and mortality. High-quality, low-cost meal supplementation would support the growth and recovery of the targeted population.
This research project addresses two primary objectives:
1. To conduct a market survey on the available therapeutic foods and oral nutrition supplements nationally and internationally (Year 1)
2. To determine the body composition and dietary intake among malnourished children at baseline, mid-point, and end-point of supplementation. (Year 2 & 3)
For enquiries, please contact Dr Tan Seok Shin
For more information about this project, please visit our GEMS website.
How to Apply
When you apply for admission into your preferred degree program you will be able to select your scholarship type. No separate application is required.
By clicking on a course, you will be directed to further information, including details on ‘How to Apply’.
However, before applying for a GEMS, it is recommended that you first contact the main supervisor for this GEMS research topic. Please provide details of your academic background and achievements to the supervisor so that they can assess your suitability for the GEMS research topic you are interested in.
Main Supervisor (Malaysia): Dr Tan Seok Shin
Associate Supervisor (Malaysia):Dr Tan Seok Tyug
Associate Supervisor (Australia): Dr Emma Foster
Project 3 (School of Science)
AI-Driven Recommendation System for Therapeutic Foods Based on Body Composition
This research project integrates Artificial Intelligence, mathematical modelling, and nutritional science to build a next-generation therapeutic food recommendation system. By leveraging secondary clinical data, the project aims to optimize dietary strategies targeting malnutrition.
The research addresses three primary objectives:
- To develop robust AI models that analyze individual body composition to accurately identify micro- and macronutrient deficiencies, predicting the precise therapeutic food requirements for clinical malnutrition management. (Year 1)
- To formulate advanced optimization algorithms that scale individualized nutrition recommendations to a community level, balancing personal metabolic needs with regional food availability and supply chain constraints to strengthen local food security. (Year 2)
- To design and rigorously test a scalable software recommendation system that translates nutritional data, electronic health records and clinical laboratory parameters into an accessible, highly personalized daily meal and therapeutic food prescription. (Year 3)
For enquiries, please contact Dr Yuen Kam Fung, Kevin
For more information about this project, please visit our GEMS website.
How to Apply
When you apply for admission into your preferred degree program you will be able to select your scholarship type. No separate application is required.
By clicking on a course, you will be directed to further information, including details on ‘How to Apply’.
However, before applying for a GEMS, it is recommended that you first contact the main supervisor for this GEMS research topic. Please provide details of your academic background and achievements to the supervisor so that they can assess your suitability for the GEMS research topic you are interested in.
Main Supervisor (Malaysia): Dr Yuen Kam Fung, Kevin
Associate Supervisor (Malaysia): Prof. Wong Kok Sheik
Associate Supervisor (Australia): Prof. Andreas Ernst