Dr. Malinee Neelamegam
Assistant Professor, Department of Population & Community Health
Education & Experience:
I received a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the National University
of Malaysia. At the University of South Florida, I completed the MPH degree in Epidemiology
and Global Health Practice and the PhD degree in Epidemiology. Prior to joining the
UNT Health faculty, I completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University/University
of Malaya focused on aging in people living with HIV. I have previously worked as
a Research Officer with the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Teaching Areas & Public Health Interests:
My teaching efforts over the years have focused on epidemiology, global health, and
health disparities. I have taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses.
In the College of Public Health, I teach Foundations of Public Health, Practical Applications
in Epidemiology, and Principles of Epidemiology. I have also had the opportunity to
conduct research methods seminars for residents and health care workers in the U.S.
and Malaysia. In addition, I have mentored graduate and undergraduate students.
Professional Activities & Awards:
I am an active member of the International AIDS Society, the Gerontological Society
of America, the Society for Epidemiologic Research and the American Public Health
Association (APHA). I received a Fulbright grant for my graduate studies. I received
the Endeavour Research Fellowship from the Australian government for my PhD research,
which also received the Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Award.
Scholarly Interests:
My research is focused on successful aging in vulnerable populations. Most of my research
explores cognitive aging. I have examined the effect of prescription medication use
and opioids on cognition, cancer beliefs and attitudes in older adults, and cognitive
decline in people living with HIV. My current areas of research include understanding
aging in people living with HIV, and the impact of social determinants of health and
adverse life experiences on successful aging. I am interested in working with underrepresented
populations both locally and globally and leveraging technology and implementation
science frameworks to improve models of care for older adults.