Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr Alina Arulsamy is a lecturer and the current head of the Neuropharmacology Research Laboratory (NPRL) at JCSMHS. She was a former postdoctoral research fellow at Monash. Her research journey began in 2013, where she joined the Brain Research Institute of Monash Sunway (BRIMS) to undertake an honours research project. After graduating with first class honours, Dr Alina was offered a six-month contract as a research assistant at Monash University Malaysia.
She was then awarded a full PhD scholarship (Beacon of Enlightenment scholarship) at the University of Adelaide, Australia. During her PhD program under the Cognitive Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab (CANDL), she developed her passion and expertise in traumatic brain injury. She completed her PhD in due time, with at least ten conference/seminar/workshop presentations, seven publications (three as first author), one shortlisted candidacy for a CMAX (research-business translation) award, and a dean commendation on her thesis for research excellence.
After her PhD, she was offered a postdoctoral research position at Monash University Malaysia to work under the guidance of her former supervisor, Dr Mohmad Farooq Shaikh, in March 2020. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, she managed to obtain a large number of high quality publications and supervised 16 Year 5 medical students in their Scholarly Intensive Placement (SIP) projects. Besides that, she also was awarded three internal grants for various projects as the PI; she also helped in securing another internal grant worth RM100,000 as a co-investigator.
In 2021, she was appointed as a secretariat for the First Malaysian Epilepsy Congress 2021 and 34th MSPP Scientific Meeting 2021. In 2022, she was nominated to be an Executive Committee (Ex-Co) member of the Persatuan Epilepsi Malaysia as well as for the Epilepsy Council Malaysia. She currently is a core member of the Neuroscience Research Strength (NRS) in JCSMHS, leading the Neurology arm.
Dr Alina’s main expertise lies in traumatic brain injury, epilepsy and animal behaviour studies. She has also ventured into other research areas such as neurodegenerative disease, neuropsychiatry disorders, and more recently, gut microbiota analysis and nanoformulations of drug delivery.
Research interests
Research Expertise:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Epilepsy
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Neuropsychiatric disorders
- Animal studies in drug discovery
- Nanoformulations
- Natural Product Extracts
Internal Grants
1) Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science (JCSMHS) Seed Grant, 2020, RM10, 000 (as Principal Investigator).
2) Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science (JCSMHS) Strategic Grant, 2021, RM 100, 000 (as Co-Investigator)
3) Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science (JCSMHS) ECR Grant, 2021, RM20, 000 (as Principal Investigator).
4) Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science (JCSMHS) Seed Grant, 2022, RM10, 000 (as Principal Investigator).
5) Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science (JCSMHS) Seed Grant, 2023, RM21, 400 (as Principal Investigator).
6) Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science (JCSMHS) Strategic Grant, 2023, RM 100, 000 (as Co-Investigator)
7) Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science (JCSMHS) Seed Grant, 2024, RM 29, 160 (Principal Investigator)
External Grants
1) MOHE FRGS grant (government) 2020-2024, RM132,000 (as Co-Investigator)
Monash teaching commitment
NUT1022-Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences
MED1100/1200: Problem-based Learning (PBL)
MED 1100/1200 and MED 2100/2200 : Neuroscience-related Anatomy and Physiology
MED 2100/2200: Student project cases (SPC)
MED5101 - Scholarly Intensive Placement (SIP)
MDP Program -Animal Models in Drug Development and Toxicological Screening
Community service
- Secretary of Persatuan Epilepsy Malaysia (2023-present)
- Ex-Co member of Malaysian Epilepsy Council (2023-present)
- Community Pillar member of Women's Empowerment Network Monash University Malaysia
- GCP certified
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Anatomy and Pathology, Doctor of Philosophy, From Trauma to Neurodegeneration: A One-Year Time Progression of Functional Impairments and its Associated Neuropathological Link Following Varied Severity of Experimental Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury, University of Adelaide
Aug 2015 → Jun 2019
Award Date: 31 Jul 2019
Medical Bioscience, Bachelor of Science (Honours), The Pharmacological Evaluation of Leucaena Leucocephala in Anxiety and Depression, MONASH UNIVERSITY
Jul 2010 → Jul 2014
Award Date: 24 Oct 2014
Research area keywords
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Epilepsy
- Neurodegenerative Diseases/Disorders
- Systematic Reviews
- Neurotrauma
- Traumatic brain injury - Rehabilitation
- Neuropsychiatry
- Animal Disease Models
- Neuroinflammation
- Nanoformulations
- Natural Product Extracts
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 1 Active
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EO-GM: Unravelling the Gut Microbiome's Role in Epilepsy with Obesity and its Influence on Antiseizure Medication Response using a Rodent Model
Arulsamy, A., Balasubramaniam, V., Subramaniyan, V., Ramadas, A., Shaikh, F. & Lim, K.
1/08/24 → 31/07/27
Project: Research
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An Expanded Narrative Review of Neurotransmitters on Alzheimer’s Disease: The Role of Therapeutic Interventions on Neurotransmission
Akyuz, E., Arulsamy, A., Aslan, F. S., Sarisözen, B., Guney, B., Hekimoglu, A., Yilmaz, B. N., Retinasamy, T. & Shaikh, M. F., Feb 2025, In: Molecular Neurobiology. 62, p. 1631–1674 44 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Beyond drug discovery: Exploring the physiological and methodological dimensions of zebrafish in diabetes research
Roohi, T. F., Faizan, S., Shaikh, M. F., Krishna, K. L., Mehdi, S., Kinattingal, N. & Arulsamy, A., 1 Jun 2024, In: Experimental Physiology. 109, 6, p. 847-872 26 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus) -
Consensus guidelines on the management of Epilepsy 2024
Arulsamy, A. (ed.), 2024, 4th ed. Malaysia: Epilepsy Council, Malaysian Society of Neurosciences. 130 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned Report › Other
File -
Epilepsy and ASM Formulations
Ahmad, N., Arulsamy, A. & Shaikh, M. F., 2024, Handbook of Neurodegenerative Disorders. Essa, M. M. (ed.). 1st ed. Singapore: Springer, p. 733-751 19 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Other › peer-review
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Epilepsy and gut microbiota
Arulsamy, A. & Shaikh, M. F., 2024, Handbook of Neurodegenerative Disorders. Essa, M. M. (ed.). 1st ed. Singapore: Springer, p. 593-604 12 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Other › peer-review
Prizes
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Best Poster Presentation
Arulsamy, Alina (Recipient), 2 Oct 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
File -
Best Proposal Presentation
Arulsamy, Alina (Recipient), 28 Sept 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
File -
IBRO Brain Awareness Week Grant (application ONLY)
Arulsamy, Alina (Recipient), 2024
Prize: Other distinction
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IBRO World Congress Travel Grant award
Arulsamy, Alina (Recipient), 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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ILAE Neurobiology Commission Research Skills Bursary
Arulsamy, Alina (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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PBL
Alina Arulsamy (Facilitator)
Jul 2024 → Oct 2024Activity: Other Teaching Engagements and non-HDR Supervisions › Other
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Translation Epilepsy Summer School 2024
Alina Arulsamy (Organiser)
21 Oct 2024 → 25 Oct 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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IPE Facilitator
Alina Arulsamy (Facilitator)
10 Sept 2024Activity: Other Teaching Engagements and non-HDR Supervisions › Non-HDR Supervisions
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Secretary of Persatuan Epilepsi Malaysia
Alina Arulsamy (Contributor)
2024 → 2026Activity: External Academic Engagement › Committees and working groups
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Patient Forums
Alina Arulsamy (Contributor)
2024Activity: External Academic Engagement › Professional association or peak discipline body
Press/Media
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Ever injured your head? Don’t ignore it, says expert
13/09/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Ever injured your head? Don’t ignore it, says expert (Video)
13/09/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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