Peter Nockemann is the Project Lead and Professor of Inorganic and Materials Chemistry at Queen’s University Belfast’s QUILL Research Centre. He specialises in ionic liquids, energy materials and sustainable metal extraction and separation. Prof Nockemann has successfully commercialised rare earth recycling technology through a spin-out company, which is now on track building Europe’s largest rare earth recycling facility. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, he leads WP2 and the development of circular hydrometallurgical metal recovery processes, bringing over 20 years of experience in sustainable inorganic materials chemistry.

Gosia Swadźba-Kwaśny is a Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Director of the QUILL Research Centre at QUB. Her group studies fundamental aspects of ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents and related materials: speciation of metals, quantification of acidity and the liquid structure. These insights are used in applications of functional fluids, such as extracting agents, catalysts, electrolytes and lubricant additives. She has extensive experience in industrial collaborations, including Petronas, Chevron and The Lycra Company. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, she leads WP1 (sustainable hydrometallurgical leaching of metals from e-waste).

Rory Doherty is a Reader in Environmental Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, specializing in sustainable land quality, waste valorisation , and circular economy solutions. His research develops innovative approaches for resource efficiency and net-zero construction. Rory has led major international projects, including the EU Horizon 2020 REMEDIATE network and industry collaborations on circular biochar and waste valorization. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management, he actively shapes policy and practice through advisory roles and public engagement.

Muggundha Raoov A/L Ramachandran is International Project Co-Lead and WP2 Co-Lead at Universiti Malaya. his specialises in ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DES) for extraction techniques, new material development, the adsorption toxic pollutants and separation sciences. His core research areas are Green Analytical Chemistry and innovation sustainability analytical methods. He plays a key role in WPs 1, 2, and 6, focusing on the extraction and refinement of plastics and contaminants (e.g., flame retardants, ABS, PC) from e-waste. His work in WP2 involves creating rudimentary mass balance and bill of materials for selected metal to support feedback loops with WP4.

Mark Palmer is Project Co-Lead and Professor of Markets and Strategic Management at Queen’s University Belfast. His research explores how markets, institutions and technologies shape global production networks – in the upstream, midstream and downstream. He focuses on how R&D projects and business models carry and advance net zero technologies, responsible green(er) and lean(er) resourcing considerations, and communities of institutional life in leading change. Theoretical building has been on creating new explanations of institutional behaviours based on the heuristics of an institutional stance. He is presently working on energy transition projects and has advised the UK government on energy transitions and critical minerals with a mission policy approach. Mark leads Work Package 5 of iRECYCLE-Malaysia, delivering stakeholder-driven policy recommendations for circular economy transitions in the e-waste sector.

Dr. Ho YC is a Co-Lead and Senior Lecturer at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia. Her research focuses on the water–food–energy nexus. She works on advanced materials that support the circular economy in the environmental field, specifically in water and wastewater treatment and renewable energy. Her work integrates life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) to evaluate sustainability and cost-effectiveness. In this project, she serves as Co-Lead for Work Package 4 (WP4), focusing on LCA and TEA.

Professor John Holbrey is a leading chemist at Queen’s University Belfast, specialising in green and sustainable chemistry. His research focuses on the design and application of ionic liquids for catalysis, separations, and energy processes, integrating advanced techniques such as neutron scattering to study disordered materials. Holbrey earned his PhD at Newcastle University and held research positions in Sheffield, Berlin, and Alabama as well as QUB. He has published over 170 papers with more than 28,000 citations (h-index ~70). His work has significantly advanced environmentally benign chemical technologies and industrial applications of ionic liquids.
Contributes to WP1/WP2 bringing experience in development of hydrophobic DES leachants, extraction and separations processes.

Oana Istrate is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. Her research specialises in materials engineering, polymer nanocomposites, plastic recycling, and advanced materials for energy storage applications. She has secured significant funding including an EPSRC New Investigator Award for developing 4D-printable polymer nanocomposites (EP/X026337/1). As Project Co-Lead (UK) on the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project, Dr Istrate applies her expertise in plastic recycling and materials engineering to develop innovative separation processes for separating mixed polymeric waste from e-waste. She contributes to WP1 and WP2.

David Rooney is the Dean of Internationalisation at Engineering and Physical Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast. He is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Queen’s and academic director of the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy. He has a significant background in international partnerships where he previously led the University’s Transnational Education programme as Vice-dean for the China Queen’s College in Shenyang, China. His research focuses on energy generation, materials and system integration with a particular focus on Zero Carbon technologies. He has a H-Index of 57, over 10,000 citations and a grant portfolio of over £10m. He works with a wide range of industries and government bodies to advance decarbonisation through specific projects as well as supporting collaboration and cooperation through industrial clusters. He is a consultant assessor for an international energy company and has been appointed as a critical friend to the NI Department for the Economy on the decarbonisation pillar of the economic mission. He has developed a range of educational courses in Hydrogen energy systems and Net Zero Engineering. Prof Rooney is the Co-Lead for WP3 and supports with WP2 and WP4.

M. Satish Kumar, with over 37 years of experience, is the Professor of Global Development and Social Transformation and Dean of Queen’s University Belfast-GIFT City Campus, Gujarat, India. As a leading international, multidisciplinary scholar with training in social science and humanities, he chaired the Kerala Urban Policy Commission, India (http://go.qub.ac.uk/WKjbc), preparing urban vision and policy for 40 million people for the next 30 years. He holds the Techno-India-Distinguished Honorary Chair of Global Sustainable Development Goals. His research focuses on regional and urban development with a focus on climate-resilient urban policy, circular economy, and sustainable and resilient infrastructure. He has also contributed to the translation of sustainability targets into the SMEs in NI. He is the Co-Lead for WP5 of iRECYCLE-Malaysia, focusing on both formal and informal stakeholder engagement in E-Waste recycling initiatives.

Rachael is a certified AGILE and PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioner & LEAN Six Sigma Green Belt. Rachael has successfully managed and delivered transformational strategies and projects across the Public, Private, and Third (Charitable) sectors, both locally and globally. Her experience spans a variety of sectors, including Environmental Sustainability, Digital Transformation, Consulting, and Higher Education.

Rachael holds a BSc (Hons) ‘Chemistry, with Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry’ from the University of Edinburgh and a MSc ‘Leadership for Sustainable Development’ from Queen’s University Belfast.

Rachael’s primary role is to oversee all aspects of the project, ensuring seamless integration of all six work packages and maintaining project timelines, as well as coordinating activities and providing project management support across all three institutions.

Peter Goodrich is a Research Associate in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from QUB and specialises in valorisation of waste materials including oil, glass and waste plastics. His research focuses on use of novel materials to remove impurities including metals from waste. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Peter is responsible for environmental and sustainable hydrometallurgical leaching of metals from WP1, and selective metal recovery WP2. He works closely with Malaysian partners to determine the best processing route for metal recovery and material recycle.

Dr Sanskrita Madhukailya is a Research Fellow in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from QUILL Research Centre, Queen’s University Belfast. Her expertise involves liquid-liquid interactions and separations, especially those that are thermally responsive, alongside competence in organic and inorganic syntheses. Beyond her doctoral research, she has previously worked on projects dealing with selective gas separations and capture using ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, and porous liquids. In the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project, Dr Madhukailya is responsible for WP2 and WP3, which involves developing and optimising techniques to separate and purify individual metal species and plastics from waste PCBs through the design of innovative and sustainable flowsheets. She works closely with both QUB and Malaysian partners across WP1, WP2, and WP3 to develop and analyse mass balances on critical metals, and to construct, commission, and operate pilot plants for efficient recovery and purification processes of metals.

Dr Sadish Oumabady is a Research Fellow in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. He holds a PhD in Environmental Science and specialises in circular economy specifically on the environmental applications of valorised waste materials using advanced instrumentation and characterisation techniques. His research focuses on end-of-waste criteria for ewaste and policy recommendations. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Sadish is responsible for WP3, WP4 and WP5, including modelling and scale up, Life Cycle Assessments, Techno-Economic analysis, and Sustainable business model development. He is a Chartered member and an Early Career Ambassador for the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) in the UK.

Sharleen is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre of Research in Ionic Liquids (CORIL), Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP). She holds a PhD in Microbiology from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and specialises in antimicrobial resistance, molecular biology and next-generation sequencing approaches including whole genome sequencing, transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis to elucidate bacterial molecular mechanisms. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Sharleen is responsible for the development of bioleaching processes using acidophilic microorganisms and deep eutectic solvents (DES) to support the sustainable extraction and recovery of metals from printed circuit boards (PCBs) under WP3.

Dr. Wan Nur Aisyah binti Wan Osman is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Malaysia, under the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project. She contributes to Work Package 3 (WP3), focusing on sustainable metal recovery from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) through microbial-based bioleaching approaches. Her research involves bioleaching process development using acidophilic microorganisms, experimental investigation, and Aspen Plus-based process simulation to support sustainable electronic waste recycling technologies. She obtained her PhD in Chemical Engineering from UTP in 2025, with research expertise in solvent-aided crystallization for biodiesel purification. She has published more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, receiving over 460 citations with an H-index of 9 (Google Scholar). She has presented her research at various international conferences and received recognition including the Publication Achievement Recognition Award and Graduate on Time Award from UTP.

Ibrahim Muntaqa Tijjani Usman is a Research Associate at the Technology Research Excellence Centre, University of Technology PETRONAS (UTP). He specializes in environmental sustainability, with expertise in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) of sustainable processes. At iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Dr. Tijjani Usman is mainly involved in the LCA and TEA efforts for scaled-up processes, providing energy audits, process optimization recommendations, and economic evaluations.

Wong Xin Ai is a Research Associate in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya (UM). She holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from UM and specialises in development of novel materials for adsorption, extraction, and separation science. Her research focuses on the development and validation of novel analytical methodologies for studying various analytes and pollutants. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Xin Ai is responsible for handling the experimental work and analysis in WP1,2 and 6, including extraction and refinement of plastics and contaminants (e.g., flame retardants, ABS, PC) from e-waste in WP1 and creating rudimentary mass balance and bill of materials for selected metal in WP2.

Dr. Mohammed Abobakr Al-Maari is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Chemical Engineering Department at Universiti Malaya. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Universiti Malaya, with research expertise in the design and optimization of separation and extraction processes as well as molecular modelling. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Dr. Al-Maari is involved in the engineering design of integrated recycling processes and pilot plant planning under Work Packages 3 and 4, providing energy audits, techno-economic assessments, and process optimization recommendations.

Dr. Zafira Madzin is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Universiti Malaya specialising in environmental pollution, resource management, and sustainability. Her research expertise spans water treatment technologies, emerging contaminants, environmental risk assessment, and circular economy approaches. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, she is responsible for WP5 activities on policy and stakeholder engagement, focusing on analysing Malaysia’s e-waste value chains, evaluating policy and governance frameworks, and developing evidence-based recommendations to support the country’s transition towards sustainable e-waste management and critical material recovery.

Aisyah Ilyani is a Research Fellow at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya. She holds a PhD in Sustainability Science and Technology from Sunway University, Malaysia. Her research centers on carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), with a particular focus on integrated capture-conversion pathways and solvent system optimization. Within the iRECYCLE-Malaysia initiative, she is involved in the design of integrated recycling processes under Work Package 3 (WP3), contributing to the development of scalable, circular solutions for sustainable waste management.

Dr Mohamad Fairus Rabuni (Fairus) is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Universiti Malaya. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London and specialises in ceramic/polymer membrane fabrication and applications. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Fairus is responsible for the evaluation of technical feasibility and integration of process units within the recycling system, ensuring operational compatibility and scalability of the proposed design.

M. Devendran is a lecturer at the Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. His research focuses on carbon capture and utilization, with specialization in process optimization and modelling of sustainable waste-to-energy systems and rare earth element recovery. In 2023, he received the Research Project Award and was nominated for the Young Researcher Award at the IChemE Global Awards organized by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK). In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Dr. Devendran serves as a counterpart from UTP for WP3, working on ASPEN Plus model development for leaching and separation processes.

Dr. Faidzul Hakim Adnan (Faidzul) is a senior lecturer at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Malaya. He holds a PhD in Process, Environmental, and Electrochemical Engineering from Université de Lorraine (Laboratoire de Réaction et Génie des Procédés (LRGP)), Nancy, France. His research focuses on water and waste treatment, management, and recovery. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Faidzul is assisting the WP3 lead to develop the engineering design of the integrated recycling process while engaging the industrial partner to make the process industrially relevant.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ninie Suhana Abdul Manan is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Universiti Malaya, and currently serves as Deputy Dean (Academic & Student Affairs) at the Institute for Advanced Studies. She is a core member of the Centre of Excellence for Rare Earth Elements (REE) and the University of Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids, as well as a committee member of the Malaysia Research Ionic Liquid Society. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, she applies her expertise in the synthesis and electrochemical characterisation of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents to optimise green solvents for efficient metal recovery in the integrated recycling process.

Dr Chai Yee Ho is currently a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia. His research interests caters to biomass valorization into value-added products and life cycle assessment modelling. He is the Deputy Head II (HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research). He is also affiliated to IChemE UK as Chartered Engineer. He has multiple industrial consultancy experiences related to life cycle assessment (LCA) including LCA model development and interpretation. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Dr Chai is responsible for overseeing process modelling & simulation in WP3 and life cycle analysis modelling in WP4. He works closely with Malaysian partners to translate experimental data into simulation models.

Dr Noraini Abd Ghani is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. She obtained her PhD in Catalysis from Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2013. Her research area is development of ionic liquids and advanced material for biodiesel production, air pollutants and CO2 removal since 2015. She is a member of Centre of Research in Ionic Liquids (CORIL) and committee of Malaysia Ionic Liquids Research Society (MILRS). In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Dr Noraini will assist in WP1 in leaching and extraction of critical metals from E-waste.

Dr Amirah Shazana Binti Magli is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya. Her research centres on financial well-being, digital inclusion and sustainable development policy, with particular interest in behavioural economics and socio-economic resilience among vulnerable communities. She leads and contributes to several national research projects involving green transitions, digital capability building and inclusive sustainability. In the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project, Amirah contributes to Work Package 5, supporting stakeholder engagement, socio-economic insights and policy recommendations that enable a just and sustainable circular economy for e-waste management.

VGR Chandran is Professor of Industrial Development at the Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya. He previously served as Principal Analyst at the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) under the Prime Minister’s Department. He has advised international organisations including UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNEP, ERIA and the OECD, as well as various Malaysian ministries and agencies, contributing to significant policy reforms. He contributes to WP5 of iRECYCLE-Malaysia, focusing on stakeholder engagement, policy development and global value chain analysis to support actionable e-waste policy recommendations.

Executive Director, Academic Strategic Planning Department, UM. Senior Academic Staff in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UM. Expertise in atomic spectroscopic, chromatographic techniques, specializing in sample preparation and trace analysis of complex samples. Key expertise areas include Green Analytical Chemistry, White Analytical Chemistry, separation science, and the design of materials for both analytical and environmental applications. Published over 160 peer-reviewed publications and 2 book chapters. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, provides critical academic support for WP 1 and 2, including the extraction of plastic and related contaminants from e-waste and developing rudimentary mass balances and bills of materials for selected metals.

Coordinator of Makerspace@UM. Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya. Expertise in analytical environmental chemistry. Key research areas include environmental chemistry, trace chemical analysis, water and wastewater treatment technology, and analytical chemistry. Published over 65 peer-reviewed publications. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, provides critical academic support for WP 1 and 2, including the extraction of plastic and related contaminants from e-waste and developing rudimentary mass balances and bills of materials for selected metals.

Programme coordinator: Master of Science in Instrumental Analytical Chemistry. Senior Academic Staff in the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, UM. Expertise in analytical chemistry. Key expertise areas include chemical analytical spectrometry and trace chemical analysis. Published over 23 peer-reviewed publications with sum of citation of 212. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, provides critical academic support for WP 1 and 2, including the extraction of plastic and related contaminants from e-waste and developing rudimentary mass balances and bills of materials for selected metals.

Registered Chemist with Chemical Institute of Malaysia. Professional Technologist on Chemical Technology with Malaysian Board of Technologists. Research Niche: Analytical Chemistry, Ionic Liquids Synthesis & Analysis, Biopolymer, Mixed Matrix Membrane, Microextraction, Sustainable Chemistry. Science Communicator. Ideation & Entrepreneurship Trainer. In iRECYCLE-Malaysia, provides critical academic support for WP 1 and 2, including the extraction of plastic and related contaminants from e-waste and developing rudimentary mass balances and bills of materials for selected metals.

Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya. He is also a Senior Research Associate at the SARChI Chair in Innovation Studies, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa. He holds a PhD in Science and Technology Policy Studies from the University of Sussex, UK. He served as a Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University Business School, London, from 1999 to 2014. His research interests include the economics of innovation, national innovation systems, innovation and entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and environmental management, with a strong focus on multidisciplinary themes related to emerging and developing economies. He has led research projects on sustainability practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), as well as initiatives supported by the United Nations Global Compact (Malaysia and Brunei). He has also contributed to research projects for UNESCO, the OECD, the European Commission, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). He currently serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development (AJSTID). Within the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project, he leads the Universiti Malaya team responsible for Work Package 5 (WP5): Global Value Chain, Policy Development, and Stakeholder Engagement.

Sonia Kumari Selvarajan is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics at Universiti Malaya. Her previous work experience encompasses roles such as Associate Economist at the Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM), Visiting Research Fellow at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. Holding a PhD in Economics with a specialization in financial development, Dr. Sonia’s research expertise spans various critical areas, including financial development, financial integration, financial inclusion, sustainable finance, climate finance, and financial management of small businesses. Dr. Sonia as contributed her expertise as a consultant for the UN Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei (UNGCMYB) and Institute for Capital Market Research Malaysia (ICMR). She has undertaken various research national and international projects – European Union Horizon 2020 (H2020-MSCA) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), among others.

Mehedi Masud is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Finance, Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA), Brunei. His research interests span sustainable development, development economics, environmental impact assessment, ecotourism development, climate change adaptation and mitigation, community development, livelihood strategies, poverty, and social mobility. He has led several major research projects, including the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), the Long-Term Research Grant Scheme (LRGS), and multiple faculty-based projects at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. Dr. Mehedi will serve as a co-researcher for WP5 of the iRECYCLE-Malaysia project, where he will contribute to stakeholder engagement, policy development, and global value chain analysis. His involvement will help ensure the project delivers actionable and impactful policy recommendations for strengthening Malaysia’s e-waste management sector.

Dr. Yoan Delavoux is a Research technician and the technical lab manager at the QUILL Research centre in the school of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast. He hold a PhD in Chemistry from Queen’s. In the iRECYCLE-Malaysia, Yoan will be supporting PDRAs providing training on equipment and supporting them on their day to day in the lab.