Graduate Research Excellence Scholarship (GRES)

This PhD project at Monash University Malaysia investigates the complex interplay between environmental contaminants and human health, focusing on the exposome—the totality of environmental exposures across a lifetime. The research aims to integrate dual-omics profiling (proteomics and metabolomics) with ensemble machine learning and biosensing technologies to map how human cells remodel their molecular states in response to biotic and abiotic contaminants, specifically biotoxins and nanoplastics (NPs). These emerging contaminants are of growing concern, especially as climate change accelerates the production and redistribution of biotoxins and increases the fragmentation of plastics into NPs.

Nanoplastics are known to create a 'Trojan Horse' effect, infiltrating food chains and potentially acting as vectors for biotoxins, which may result in synergistic exposure risks to humans. The project will use well-formulated human cell models to delineate canonical cellular states and dynamics, studying the molecular mechanisms underlying NP-biotoxin interactions. Dual-omic datasets will be analyzed using ensemble machine learning to develop predictive toxicology models of exposure phenotypes. Existing biosensing protocols from the lab will be employed to quantify NP-biotoxin exposures, and these data will be combined with cell state profiles to construct dose-response models.

The anticipated outcome is the first systematic mapping of contaminant exposure thresholds against defined cellular state transitions, contributing to human exposome models that inform toxicological outcomes, regulatory decisions, and science-to-policy translation. The project is supervised by Dr. Michelle Yap Khai Khun, with associate supervisors Dr. Ong Huey Fang, Dr. Krystle Angelique Santiago, and Dr. Faddrine Jang. The research is based in the Department of Science at Monash University Malaysia.

Funding is available through the Graduate Research Excellence Scholarship (GRES), which provides a full tuition fee waiver and a monthly stipend for up to 3 years 6 months. Applicants must have a First Class Honours (H1) or equivalent qualification recognized by Monash University Malaysia and meet English language requirements. The application deadline is July 31, 2026. Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact the main supervisor with their academic background and achievements to determine suitability for the project before submitting an application. For more information and to apply, visit the project webpage.