Dr Norhayati Ngah

My interest in life sciences was inspired by the well known naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, whose programmes I always watched while growing up in Malaysia, and coming from a rural area has made me passionate about the natural world. My desire to learn more about the interaction of plants and insects and the effect on the agriculture industry encouraged me to undertake a Bachelor Degree of Bioindustry (Pest Management) and Master of Science Entomology, from the Universiti Putra, Malaysia. Thereafter, I worked as a lecturer at the School of Plant Science, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Terengganu. I taught plant protection and trained as a young researcher in the Pest Management Research Group. After four years at UniSZA, I decided to accept the opportunity offered by my employer to undertake a Malaysian Government Scholarship for young researchers/lecturers to become a doctoral research at the University of Reading.

My main interests centre around pest management, which cover biological and chemical control. My research group was awarded a grant by the Terengganu Government to study the potential of Discorea hispida Dennst as a biopesticide to control insect pests. The purpose of this research is to help the local people at Terengganu to improve their family financial by planting and producing the tuber of discourse hispida for agro-chemical industry needs and for their own usage in agricultural activities. I have also been awarded a UniSZA grant to study the potential of the local Derris sp. in controlling the Plutella xylostella infestation on cruciferous plant.