Dr. Muhammad Ajmal Khan Institute of Sustainable Halophyte UtilizationUniversity of Karachi
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Dr. Irfan Aziz

Professor and Director, halophytes and mangrove ecosystems

Member: ISME (International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems).
Commission member: IUCN-SSC Mangrove Specialists Group.

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Biography

  • 50+publications
  • 20h-index
  • 2,000+citations (ResearchGate and Google Scholar)

Dr. Irfan Aziz is an academician and 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 Director of the Muhammad Ajmal Khan Institute of Sustainable Halophyte Utilization at the University of Karachi.

The research of Prof. Aziz focuses 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 in soil-plant water relationships, phytoremediation, and the physiology and biochemistry of salt-resistant plants. His work is widely cited, with over 50 publications and significant citation metrics.

Dr. Aziz has twice served as a Guest Editor of Scientific Reports and as Review Editor for several international journals. He had 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 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and is a key member of the teams holding conferences and 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 the COMSTECH Forum for Environment and Ecosystem Restoration (CFEER).

Selected publications

  • 2025Khilji SA, Tariq R, Aziz I, Munir N, Javed A, Uppal T, Abideen Z, El-Sheikh MA, El-Keblawy AA. 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. DOI
  • 2024Nisar F, Hameed A, Gul B, Aziz I, Nielsen BL. Insights into the salinity tolerance of the succulent halophyte Arthrocnemum macrostachyum: comparative ecophysiology of plants from heteromorphic seeds. Front. Plant Sci. 15: 1504540. DOI
  • 2023Mujeeb A, Abideen Z, Aziz I, Sharif N, Hussain MI, Qureshi AS, Yang HH. Phytoremediation of potentially toxic elements from contaminated saline soils using Salvadora persica L.: seasonal variation. Plants 12(3): 598. DOI
  • 2022Aziz I, Mujeeb A. Halophytes for phytoremediation of hazardous metal(loid)s: a terse review on metal tolerance, bio-indication and hyperaccumulation. Journal of Hazardous Materials. DOI
  • 2022Jakhar AM, Aziz I, Kaleri AR, Hasnain M, Haider G, Maa J, Abideen ZU. Nano-fertilizers: a sustainable technology for improving crop nutrition and food security. NanoImpact 27: 100411. DOI
  • 2022Khilji SA, Munir N, Aziz I, Anwar B, Hasnain M, Jakhar AM, Sajid ZA, Abideen Z, Hussain MI, El-Habeeb AA, Yang H-H. Application of algal nanotechnology for leather wastewater treatment and heavy metal removal efficiency. Sustainability 14: 13940. DOI
  • 2021Hameed A, Ahmed MZ, Hussain T, Aziz I, Ahmad N, Gul B, Nielsen BL. Effects of salinity stress on chloroplast structure and function. Cells 10: 2023. DOI
  • 2021Mujeeb A, Aziz I, Ahmed MZ, Shafiq S, Fatima S, Alvi SK. Spatial and seasonal metal variation, bioaccumulation and biomonitoring potential of halophytes from littoral zones of the Karachi Coast. Sci. Total Environ. 781: 146715. DOI
  • 2020Mujeeb A, Aziz I, Ahmed MZ, Alvi SK, Shafiq S. Comparative assessment of heavy metal accumulation and bio indication in coastal dune halophytes. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 195. DOI
  • 2020Dahdouh-Guebas F, Ajonina GN, Amir AA, Andradi-Brown DA, Aziz I, Balke T, Barbier E, Cannicci S, Cragg SM, Cunha-Lignon M, et al.. Public perceptions of mangrove forests matter for their conservation. Front. Mar. Sci.. DOI
  • 2001Aziz I, Khan MA. Experimental assessment of salinity tolerance of Ceriops tagal seedlings and saplings from the Indus Delta, Pakistan. Aquat. Bot. 70(3): 259–268. DOI