Biography

Dr. Irfan Aziz is an academician and a research scientist working on halophytes (salt-tolerant plants) and mangrove ecosystems. He earned his Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Karachi in 2001, with a dissertation focused on the Ecophysiology of the Indus Delta mangroves. Dr. Aziz has been involved in teaching, research supervision, and research dissemination. He is currently serving as a Director of the Muhammad Ajmal Khan Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization at the University of Karachi.

The research of Prof. Aziz is focused on the ecological and physiological study of plants in high-salinity environments, with strong emphasis on climate change impact, restoration ecology, and the sustainable use of halophytes. His expertise is on soil-plant water relationships, phytoremediation, physiology & biochemistry of salt-resistant plants.

His work is widely cited, with over 50 publications and significant citation metrice (h-index: 20; Research gate & Google Citations: over 2000). Dr. Aziz has twice served as a Guest Editor of Scientific Reports & Review Editor for several international journals.

Dr. Aziz has the honor of moderating a Virtual Seminar on Solutions to Combat Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in the Sahel (26 September 2022) at the Science Summit, 77th Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) besides serving as a key member of holding conferences & seminars at the University of Karachi. Dr. Aziz is a member of several prestigious international environmental organizations, including the IUCN – SSC Mangrove Specialists Group, ISME, the Global Mangrove Alliance and COMSTECH Forum for Environment and Ecosystem Restoration (CFEER).

• Khilji, S.A., Tariq, R., Aziz, I., Munir, N., Javed, A., Uppal, T., Abideen, Z., El-Sheikh, M.A., El-Keblawy, A.A. 2025. Phytoremediation potential and ecophysiological responses of Pistia stratiotes for removal of cadmium and lead from polluted water: A viable option for agricultural resilience. Environ. Sustainability. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s42398-025-00348-w

• Nisar, F., Hameed, A., Gul, B., Aziz, I., B. L. Nielsen. 2024. Insights into the Salinity Tolerance of the Succulent Halophyte Arthrocnemum macrostachyum: Comparative Ecophysiology of Plants from Heteromorphic Seeds. Front. Plant Sci. 15:1504540. https://doi.10.3389/fpls.2024.1504540

• Mujeeb, A., Abideen, Z., Aziz, I., Sharif, N., Hussain, M.I., Qureshi, A.S., and Yang, H.H. 2023. Phytoremediation of potentially toxic elements from contaminated saline soils using Salvadora persica L. Seasonal variation. Plants. 2023, 12(3), 598. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030598

• Aziz, I., A. Mujeeb. 2022. Halophytes for phytoremediation of hazardous metal(loid)s: A terse review on metal tolerance, bio-indication and hyperaccumulation. Journal of Hazardous Materials. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127309

• Jakhar, A.M., Aziz, I., Kaleri, A.R., Hasnain, M., Haider, G., Maa, J and Abideen, Z. U. 2022. Nano-fertilizers: a sustainable technology for improving crop nutrition and food security. NanoImpact 27 (2022) 100411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2022.100411

• Khilji, S.A., Munir, N., Aziz, I., Anwar, B., Hasnain, M., Jakhar, A.M., Sajid, Z.A., Abideen, Z., Hussain, M.I., El-Habeeb, A.A., Yang, H-H. 2022. Application of algal nanotechnology for leather wastewater treatment and heavy metal removal efficiency. Sustainability. 2022 14, 13940. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113940

• Hameed, A., Ahmed, M.Z., Hussain, T., Aziz, I., Ahmad, N., Gul, B and B.L. Nielsen. 2021. Effects of Salinity Stress on Chloroplast Structure and Function. Cells 2021, 10, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10082023

• Mujeeb, A., Aziz, I., Ahmed, M.Z., Shafiq, S., Fatima, S and S.K. Alvi. 2021. Spatial and seasonal metal variation, bioaccumulation and biomonitoring potential of halophytes from littoral zones of the Karachi Coast. Sci. Tot. Environ. 781 (2021) 146715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146715

• Mujeeb, A., Aziz, I., Ahmed, M.Z., Alvi, S.K & S. Shafiq. 2020. Comparative assessment of heavy metal accumulation and bio indication in coastal dune halophytes. Ecotoxicolgy and Environmental safety 195 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110486

• Dahdouh-Guebas, F., Ajonina, G.N., Amir, A.A., Andradi-Brown, D.A., Aziz, I., Balke, T., Barbier, E., Cannicci, S., Cragg, S.M., Cunha-Lignon, M. et al., 2020. Public perceptions of mangrove forests matter for their conservation. Front. Mar. Sci. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.603651

• Aziz, I. & M.A. Khan. 2001. Experimental assessment of salinity tolerance of Ceriops tagal seedlings and saplings from the Indus Delta, Pakistan. Aquat. Bot. 70 (3): 259-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3770(01)00160-7