asifshzd8@gmail.com
Dr. Asif Shahzad is a Research Fellow at the Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia. His research expertise spans advanced material development, nanotechnology, and environmental remediation, particularly focusing on emerging contaminants such as heavy metals, PFAS, and nanoplastics removal and resource recovery.
He completed his PhD in Environmental Engineering at Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea, where he pioneered work on MXene-based materials for heavy metal removal. Following his PhD, he served as an Assistant Professor at Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea, where he focused on synthesizing advanced MXene materials and the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals and PFAS contaminants.
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About me
Dr. Asif Shahzad is a Research Fellow at the Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia. His research expertise spans advanced material development, nanotechnology, and environmental remediation, particularly focusing on emerging contaminants such as heavy metals, PFAS, and nanoplastics removal and resource recovery.
He completed his PhD in Environmental Engineering at Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea, where he pioneered work on MXene-based materials for heavy metal removal. Following his PhD, he served as an Assistant Professor at Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea, where he focused on synthesizing advanced MXene materials and the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals and PFAS contaminants.
Dr. Shahzad further expanded his research experience as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Uppsala University, Sweden, where he designed perovskite oxides and spinel ferrite nanomaterials with optimized magnetic properties for environmental applications.
Before joining UniSA, he also worked at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia, contributing to ARC Linkage Projects related to subnano materials for energy storage devices and PFAS quantification in battery systems.
Currently, Dr. Shahzad's research at UniSA focuses on the development of highly ordered graphite (HOG) and MXene composites through novel techniques for scalable in-situ remediation of acid mine drainage (AMD), metal recovery, and emerging pollutants like PFAS and nanoplastics. His work contributes significantly to advancing sustainable technologies and the circular economy.
About me
Research Fellow (BRF)
Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia ( May 2025 – Present)
Dr. Asif Shahzad is currently working as a Research Fellow at UniSA's Future Industries Institute. His research focuses on developing sustainable remediation technologies for acid mine drainage (AMD) and emerging pollutants such as PFAS and microplastics. He specializes in synthesizing Highly Ordered Graphite (HOG) and MXene composites using Flash Joule Heating (FJH) for scalable environmental and energy applications.
Research Associate
University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia (2022 – 2025)
At UTS, Dr. Shahzad contributed to ARC Linkage Projects related to the development of subnano materials for energy storage devices. He also led work on the extraction and quantification of PFAS compounds from battery systems. His role involved frequent collaboration with industry partners, focusing on material characterization, energy storage applications, and environmental sustainability.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Ångström Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Uppsala University, Sweden (Jun 2022 – March 2023)
During his time at Uppsala University, Dr. Shahzad designed and synthesized perovskite oxides and spinel ferrite nanomaterials optimized for environmental applications, particularly for the magnetic removal of heavy metals from contaminated water. His research integrated magnetic material design with adsorption studies, contributing to the development of new remediation technologies.
Assistant Professor
Department of Energy and Material Engineering, Dongguk University, South Korea (January 2021 – May 2022)
At Dongguk University, Dr. Shahzad advanced the synthesis of double-transition metal MXenes (M'M''Xenes) via HF wet-chemical etching methods. He also developed photocatalytic degradation systems for PFAS pollutants and established high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-RI) methods for PFAS detection. His research at Dongguk strengthened his expertise in material innovation for environmental cleanup.
PhD Researcher
Kyungpook National University, South Korea (2017 – 2020)
During his PhD at KNU, Dr. Shahzad investigated the synthesis, surface modification, and environmental applications of MXene-based nanomaterials. His work led to several high-impact publications and laid the foundation for future advancements in water treatment technologies using 2D materials.
At the Future Industries Institute (FII), UniSA, Dr. Asif's research focuses on developing advanced functional materials for environmental remediation and sustainable resource recovery, targeting critical global challenges such as acid mine drainage (AMD), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and nano/microplastic pollution in water and soil systems.Dr. Asif’s current work explores the design of nanostructured materials particularly biomass-derived highly-ordered graphite and MXene-based composites; developed through novel material transformation techniques. These materials are being applied in cutting-edge technologies such as capacitive deionization (CDI) and solar-driven evaporative remediation (SDER) to deliver... Read more
Research
At the Future Industries Institute (FII), UniSA, Dr. Asif's research focuses on developing advanced functional materials for environmental remediation and sustainable resource recovery, targeting critical global challenges such as acid mine drainage (AMD), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and nano/microplastic pollution in water and soil systems.Dr. Asif’s current work explores the design of nanostructured materials particularly biomass-derived highly-ordered graphite and MXene-based composites; developed through novel material transformation techniques. These materials are being applied in cutting-edge technologies such as capacitive deionization (CDI) and solar-driven evaporative remediation (SDER) to deliver energy-efficient, scalable solutions for in-situ water treatment.His research strongly aligns with circular economy principles, repurposing waste biomass and industrial residues into high-value carbon materials, with the aim of reducing environmental impact and improving water security. He is also advancing pilot-scale validation of these technologies in collaboration with industry partners.Before joining UniSA, Dr. Asif contributed to an ARC Linkage Project at the University of Technology Sydney, where he worked on subnano silicon-based materials for lithium-ion batteries and developed PFAS extraction methods from battery systems. He also held postdoctoral research positions in Sweden and South Korea, leading studies on MXene, spinel ferrites, and perovskite oxide adsorbents for environmental applications.Dr. Shahzad has published widely in high-impact journals and is engaged in multidisciplinary collaborations across academia and industry. His work contributes to the advancement of sustainable materials and clean water technologies.