Dr. Nirakar Pradhan is an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Hong Kong Baptist University. Dr. Pradhan received his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (India), his master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and Management from the Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), and his doctoral degree in Environmental Technology from the University Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée (France). He was awarded the Erasmus Mundus Fellowship and the Asian Development Bank-Japanese Scholarship Program for his higher studies and was recognized for the best academic performance during his master’s studies. He later gained postdoctoral experience at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). His current research interests include microbial fermentation and anaerobic digestion, microbial community analysis, the synthesis of biodegradable polymers from organic waste streams, mathematical modeling, and biological nutrient removal.

• Microbiological resource management for fermentation and anaerobic digestion to optimize waste-to-resource regeneration.
• Eco-friendly biodegradable polymers through the innovative bioprocessing of organic waste materials.
• Advanced mathematical models to dissect complex biological processes for improved understanding and optimization.