Malak Alshakhouri is a doctoral researcher and academic at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is primarily associated with the School of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.
Bachelor of Science (BSc): Completed in 2021 at the University of Auckland.
Bachelor of Science (Honours): Awarded in June 2021 from the University of Auckland. Her Honours research focused on Resting-State EEG over the menstrual cycle, specifically exploring whole-brain spectral and connectivity studies.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Pharmacy: Currently a Doctoral Candidate (2021–Present) within the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. Her PhD research specifically investigates the Neurosteroid Withdrawal Hypothesis in the context of Perimenstrual Catamenial Epilepsy.
Her biography is defined by a commitment to improving medical outcomes for women with neurological disorders:
Catamenial Epilepsy: She has authored significant reviews in the journal Epilepsia (2024), providing a "practical and human focus" on how sex steroids like progesterone and estrogen modulate seizure thresholds.
Brain Plasticity: Her work has challenged the idea that hormonal contraceptives completely "silence" the brain's natural rhythms, providing evidence of "preserved cyclicity" in brain excitability even during contraceptive use.
Experimental Therapeutics: Beyond epilepsy, she has contributed to high-profile clinical trials exploring the use of LSD microdosing as a potential treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (2026).
Malak Alshakhouri’s research is at the leading edge of neuropsychopharmacology, focusing on how hormonal shifts and pharmacological agents reshape brain dynamics.
1. Catamenial Epilepsy & Neurosteroid Withdrawal
2. Neural Plasticity & Visual LTP
3. Psychedelic Therapeutics (LSD Microdosing)
4. Reproductive Neuroendocrinology
Malak Alshakhouri’s scientific activities focus on the intersection of neuroscience, pharmacology, and women’s health
The publications of Malak Alshakhouri are concentrated in the fields of neuroendocrinology, clinical pharmacy, and psychopharmacology. Her work is particularly notable for bridging the gap between hormonal cycles and brain excitability
"LSD microdosing for major depressive disorder: Mood and pharmacokinetic outcomes"
"Females with epilepsy show abnormal changes to perimenstrual sensory induced LTP"
"Female sex steroids and epilepsy: Part 1 & 2"
"Changes in Visual LTP Show Preserved Cyclicity in Human Females Taking Oral Contraceptives"