Arjun Thanaraju

Arjun Thanaraju

  • Lecturer
  • School of Psychology
Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences
SDGs Focus

Biography

Arjun Thanaraju is an interdisciplinary scientist working at the intersection of health and the creative arts, employing performance and storytelling to address complex health-related issues. His PhD examined how socioeconomic status across the life span influences how the human brain ages, and the effects of this on later-life cognitive and mental health.

Arjun has collaborated with leading science-policy organisations including the Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy and the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA). He is also an award-winning film and theatre maker who advocates for minority rights and spotlights underrepresented stories from marginalised communities in Malaysia.
 

Academic & Professional Qualifications

  • PhD in Biology, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ University, Malaysia (Expected Completion: 2025)
  • Bachelor of Science (Honours) Biology with Psychology, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ University, Malaysia (2020)

Research Interests

  • Healthy Aging
  • Health and Social Equity
  • Creative Arts based Interventions

Teaching Areas

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Biological Psychology

Courses Taught

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Biological Psychology

Notable Publications

  1. Vafa, S., Thanaraju, A., Chan, J. K., Harris, H. A., Chan, X. W., Todi, K., Arokiaraj, A. S., Chia, Y. C., Jenkins, M., & Marzuki, A. A. (2025). The effectiveness of real-life cognitive and physical interventions on cognitive functioning in healthy older adults: A systematic review of the effects of education and training duration. Applied Psychology. Health and Well-being, 17(1), e12651.
  2. Chia, Y. C., Low, E. N. D., Teh, J. K. L., Chew, J., Thanaraju, A., Lim, W. G., Vafa, S., & Jenkins, M. J. (2025). Association between physical activity and cognitive function in a multi-ethnic Asian older adult population. Scientific reports, 15(1), 7249.
  3. Thanaraju, A., Marzuki, A. A., Chan, J. K., Wong, K. Y., Phon-Amnuaisuk, P., Vafa, S., Chew, J., Chia, Y. C., & Jenkins, M. (2024). Structural and functional brain correlates of socioeconomic status across the life span: A systematic review. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, 162, 105716.
  4. Chan, J. K., Marzuki, A. A., Vafa, S., Thanaraju, A., Yap, J., Chan, X. W., Harris, H. A., Todi, K., & Schaefer, A. (2024). A systematic review on the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and emotional disorder symptoms during Covid-19: unearthing the potential role of economic concerns and financial strain. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 237.

  5. Marzuki, A. A., Wong, K. Y., Chan, J. K., Na, S. Y., Thanaraju, A., Phon-Amnuaisuk, P., Vafa, S., Jenkins, M., Chia, Y. C., & Schaefer, A. (2024). Mapping computational cognitive profiles of aging to dissociable brain and sociodemographic factors. NPJ Aging and Mechanisms of Disease.


     

Professional Associations

  1. Cognitive Frailty Interdisciplinary Network (CFIN)
  2. South Asian Ageing Network (SAAgeNet)