Zahra Isnaini Mohamed
Title of Thesis:‘ Investigating the effect of Phoenixin in Chronic Unpredictable Stress( CUS)-Induced Reproductive Dysfunction in Male Rats: Affecting Testes and Sperm Quality.’
Chronic stress can lead to physiological issues, including reproductive dysfunction. This study investigated the effects of chronic unpredictable stress( CUS) on reproductive neuropeptides, sperm quality, and testicular morphology in Sprague Dawley rats. Rats were divided into control and CUS-induced groups, undergoing stress for 28 days followed by behavioural assessments. Gene expression levels and hormone concentrations were measured, showing increased CRH and cortisol in CUS-induced rats, while GnRH increased but LH and testosterone decreased. Subsequent treatment with phoenixin( PNX) reduced stress markers and improved sperm quality and testis morphology, suggesting PNX’ s potential role in mitigating stress-induced reproductive damage
Supervisor: Dr Syafiq Asnawi Associate Supervisor: Professor Ammu Kutty Radhakrishnan Associate Supervisor: Dr Faizul Jaafar
Dexter Shee Zhen Rong( Award Conferred 22 January 2025)
Title of Thesis:‘ The Social Stratification of Aging and Mental Health: A Cumulative Advantage Perspective.’
To increase the understanding of the complex nature between aging and mental health, the present thesis describes a series of three studies conducted to investigate how socioeconomic status( SES) factors influences the divergence in cognitive functioning and emotional well-being throughout the lifespan, utilizing the cumulative advantage theoretical framework. Further, both tertiary education and subjective SES indicators were contrasted to investigate the underlying mechanism of the SES pathway in late adulthood, specifically through the lifetime accumulation of cognitive stimulation that is grounded in the cognitive reserve theoretical framework. The results showed that tertiary education via cognitive stimulation is a key protective factor in attenuating against age-related decline in mental health outcomes.
Supervisor: Professor Tin Tin Su External Supervisor: Dr Alexandre Schaefer Associate Supervisor: Associate Professor Cai Lian Tam Associate Supervisor: Associate Professor Motoki Watabe
Selene Si Ern Tan( Award Conferred 25 September 2024)
Title of Thesis:‘ Unveiling the Neuropathogenesis of Enterovirus D68 Molecular Pathways and Potential Therapeutics.’
RNA sequencing was performed to understand the neuropathogenesis of Enterovirus D68( EV-D68). Result shows upregulation of immune pathways in EV-D68 infected neuronal cells and found correlation with cytokine profiles in acute flaccid myelitis patients. Yeast two-hybrid analysis was performed to identify viral-host protein interaction. The results identified six potential host protein targets interacting with EV-D68 capsid proteins, and LGALS1 was selected. Dihydroartemisinin( DHA), targeting LGALS1, showed limited efficacy in reducing EV-D68 infection. These findings underscore the need for further research into viral-host protein interactions and the mechanisms of EV-D68-induced neurological diseases to develop more effective therapeutic agents.
Supervisor: Associate Professor Vinod Balasubramaniam Associate Supervisor: Dr Yuan Teng Hooi Associate Supervisor: Associate Professor Sharifah Syed Hassan Associate Supervisor: Dr Mageswary Sivalingam
Vithya Velaithan( Award Conferred 6 November 2024)
Title of Thesis:‘ Association between biopsychosocial factors and quality of life in Malaysian older adults.’
Population ageing has increased the research interest on well-being and quality of life of older adults. The main aim of this thesis was to evaluate quality of life( QoL) of rural older adults living in Segamat Johor.
Supervisor: Professor Tin Tin Su Associate Supervisor: Dr Andrian Liem
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