Alina Arulsamy

Dr. Alina Arulsamy is a Senior Lecturer at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, where she serves as the head of the Neuropharmacology Research Laboratory (NPRL). She is an active researcher with expertise in traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases, and has made significant contributions to her field through numerous publications, grants, and academic service.

Dr. Arulsamy's research interests focus on:

• Traumatic Brain Injury and its long-term neurological consequences
• Epilepsy mechanisms and treatment approaches
• Neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
• Neuropsychiatric disorders and their relationship to neurological conditions
• Animal studies in drug discovery and validation
• Nanoformulations for targeted drug delivery
• Natural product extracts with therapeutic potential
• Gut microbiota analysis and its connection to neurological disorders

Her recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying neurological disorders, particularly examining HMGB1's role in neuroinflammation and cognitive decline, the gut-brain axis in epilepsy, and innovative therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative conditions. Her work spans both preclinical and clinical research, with increasing attention to translational applications.

Dr. Arulsamy has received several prestigious awards including:

• Best Poster Presentation (2022)
• Best Proposal Presentation (2022)
• IBRO World Congress Travel Grant award (2023)
• ILAE Neurobiology Commission Research Skills Bursary (2022)
• Malaysian Society of Neuroscience Education Grant (2022)

She has successfully secured multiple research grants as Principal Investigator, including several Seed Grants and an ECR Grant from the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, as well as serving as Co-Investigator on a MOHE FRGS government grant. Dr. Arulsamy actively supervises students and has mentored 16 Year 5 medical students in their Scholarly Intensive Placement projects.

Dr. Arulsamy leads the Neurology arm of the Neuroscience Research Strength in JCSMHS and serves in leadership roles including Secretary of Persatuan Epilepsi Malaysia and Executive Committee member of the Malaysian Epilepsy Council. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being.