Muhamad Noor Alfarizal Kamarudin is a lecturer at Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia. His research particular interest is to identify and develop a diagnostic and therapeutic approach to human gliomas.

He completed his Bachelor's Degree (Biochemistry, Hons) from the University of Malaya (UM). He pursued his Master's studies, which he successfully converted into a doctorate program (UM, 2012). Upon completing his Ph.D. (2016), he obtained a postdoctoral researcher position under a three-way collaboration between UM, Taibah University of Medina, and Lincoln College University on Glioblastoma before joining BRIMS, JCSMHS in October 2017.

He specializes in cancer biology, molecular biology, neuroimmunology, neuroprotection, and natural products. His Ph.D. thesis focuses on modulating molecular signaling in neuroinflammation with particular attention to cytokines and chemokines. He identified a potentially novel role of CCL21/exodus in neuronal differentiation key regulator of microglia activation. Through this, he developed an immense interest and in-depth knowledge of the modulation of neuroinflammation, particularly innate immunity in neurons and glia in neuroprotection, neuritogenesis, and anti-inflammatory.

Dr. Alfa is also the Guest Associate Editor for Frontiers in Pharmacology (Section - Ethnopharmacology) and Topic Editor for 'Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration'.

Awards:

He also has won several awards during his such as the Best Thesis Award University Malaya & Amersham Biosciences Prize by the Malaysia Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (MSBMB), 1st Prize Oral Presenter at InPRAS Conference UM 2014, 1st Prize Poster Presenter at World Congress on Healthy Ageing, Best Poster Presentation, 39th Annual Malaysian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Conference, and Silver Medal Winner for Poster Presentation (Biochemistry & Physiology), at Biological Sciences Graduate Congress, the National University of Singapore, 2014 (International).

Professional Membership

1. Malaysia Society of Neuroscience
2. Malaysian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (MSBMB)
3. Malaysian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MSMBB)
   
4. European Association for Cancer Research

Dr. Alfa primary research aspiration is to develop novel therapeutic targets in human gliomas management that will tackle tumor cell motility, chemoresistant, and tumor recurrence, ultimately improving the prognosis among patients with different tumor status backgrounds. His cardinal focus is on targeting multimodal mechanistic pathways using molecules such as natural products, neuropeptides, noncoding RNAs. Additionally, his research team focuses on the alternative neuroendocrine system since gender disparity is seen in human gliomas. He envisions human gliomas management's bright future through neo-adjuvants' potentiality in improving current established therapy that enhances patients' prognoses while being cost-effective with marginal side effects would lead to more affordable treatment gliomas.

He has been involved in obtaining various research grants such as FRGS grant 2019, BRIMS-JCSMHS collaboration grants (2020), High Impact Research (HIR) UM, Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (MoHE – Best FRGS Project Award 2014),  and University Malaya Research Grant (UMRG). He is also an active reviewer for several journals such as the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, Scientific Reports, Scientific Reports, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Frontiers in Pharmacology, Oncotarget and Therapy, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Cancer Management and Research and Journal of Functional Food.

Areas of Interests:

• Neuro-oncology & Cancer biology
• Molecular Biology & Diseases Mechanism
• Nutraceuticals
• Molecular signal transduction – Protein Signaling
• Neuroimmunology

Current research projects:

• Kisspeptin/GPR54 as an adjuvant therapeutic target in human glioblastoma.
• Role of estrogen in regulating GPCRs (GPR54 and Galanin) in human GBM cell motility.
• Lentinan as chemosensitizer agent of temozolomide in human glioblastoma.
• Chrysin chemosensitizes temozolomide in human glioblastoma.
• Lentinan and chrysin combination as apoptosis and ferroptosis inducer in human glioblastoma.
• Bidirectional of Human GBM and cholinergic neurons communication - identification of secreted factors as diagnostic and therapeutic approach in human gliomas.
• Long noncoding RNAs in human glioblastoma migration, invasion and Temozolomide resistance.
• Developing a 3D spheroid-based preclinical model of human glioblastoma to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of Temozolomide.  
• Chemosensitisation effects and mechanisms of action of curcumin against temozolomide in High Grade Gliomas.
• Discovery of biomarkers of following supplementation of Tocotrienols in two human glioblastoma cells using quantitative proteomics profiling strategies.

Internal Research Grant

• JCSMHS Early Career Researcher (ECR) Grants 2022 - Investigation of proteomic changes as a strategy to characterize kisspeptin-mediated glioblastoma cell motility mechanisms /RM10, 0000 (Principal Investigator). Status: Ongoing
• JCSMHS Strategic Grant 2022 - Synergism and Anticancer Mechanism of Diarylpentanoid MS17 and Chrysin Combination in Human Chemoresistant Glioblastoma Cells./RM54, 000 (Co-investigator). Status: Ongoing
• JCSMHS Seed Grants 2021 - Investigation of chrysin and lentinan as a potential nutraceutical-based regulator of ferroptosis in correlation with their proteomic changes in p53 wildtype and mutant glioblastoma/RM20, 0000 (Co-investigator). Status: Ongoing
• JCSMHS Strategic Grant 2021 - Modulation of host immune system by supplementation of palm vitamin E and carotenoids:  elucidating the mechanisms of action using a mouse model of COVID-19 vaccination/RM60, 000 (Co-investigator). Status: Ongoing
• JCSMHS Strategic Grant 2021 - Development of a whole genome yeast two hybrid screening based drug discovery platform for potential novel host protein based therapeutics as an antiviral strategy using Enterovirus D68 as a model/RM100, 000 (Co-investigator). Status: Ongoing
• BRIMS/JCSMHS Collaboration Grant (2021) – Developing a 3D spheroid-based preclinical model of human glioblastoma to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of Temozolomide/RM20, 000 (Co-investigator).
• BRIMS/JCSMHS Collaboration Grant (2020) – Chemosensitisation effects and mechanisms of action of curcumin against temozolomide in High Grade Gliomas/RM20, 000 (Co-investigator).
• BRIMS/JCSMHS Collaboration Grant (2020) – Discovery of biomarkers of following supplementation of Tocotrienols in two human glioblastoma cells using quantitative proteomics profiling strategies /RM20, 000 (Co-investigator).

External Seed Grant

Yayasan Penyelidikan Otak, Minda dan Neurosains Malaysia (YPOMN) 2021 - Identification of spexin receptors & their functionality in human glioblastoma with different Temozolomide sensitivity/RM5, 0000 (Co-Investigator). Status: Ongoing

MED 1100/1200 - PBL Year 1 

MED 1100/1200 - Health, Knowledge & Society

MED 1100/1200 - Biochemistry

MED 1100/1200 - Physiology

MED 2100 & MED 2200 - Student project cases 

MED5101 - Applied Studies in Medical Research and Professional Practice/Scholarly Intensive Placement (SIP)

NUT1023 - Nutritional Biochemistry & Nutrigenomics 

My supervision interests in the field of:

• Neuro-oncology (Gliomas, Glioblastoma)
• Cancer biology (Gliomas, CRC, Breast Cancer)
• Molecular Biology & Diseases Mechanism
• Nutraceuticals (Natural Products)
• Molecular signal transduction – Protein Signaling
• Neuroimmunology, Neuroprotection, Neuroinflammation

For more information and application, please visit:

1) long noncoding RNA regulation of temozolomide resistance p53-mutant glioblastoma

2) ms17 and chrysin combination in human chemoresistant Glioblastoma

3) synergistic proteogenomic anticancer mechanisms of lentinan towards Temozolomide