Abir El-Alfy is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt. She has a Master's Degree in Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Mississippi. Before joining USCSOMG, Dr. El-Alfy was an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy. Earlier in her career, Dr. El-Alfy was a Research Assistant Professor then an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, as well as the Director of the Behavioral Neuroscience Core-NPN at the School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi. Dr. El-Alfy’s teaching experiences include physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is a six-time recipient of teacher of the year award in the college of pharmacy. She also received the 2015 Chicago State University Faculty Excellence Teaching Award.Dr. El-Alfy has more than 120 publications and presentations. She is a co-inventor of 2 provisional patents and one full patent. She has received several grant awards including a small NIH grant to examine the neurotoxic effects of acrylamide as well as an NIH COBRE junior investigator grant to examine the mechanism of antidepressant action of cannabinoids and was recently the principal investigator of an NIH-funded grant to examine the modulation of the endocannabinoid system by nutmeg compounds.

Dr. El-Alfy's research interests fall in two categories: 1) establishing the molecular mechanisms underlying the neurotoxicity of acrylamide in both young and adult animal models and 2) understanding the role of the endocannabinoid system in neuropsychiatric disorders as depression, anxiety, and addiction. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop novel drugs that prevent/treat the acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity as well as develop new therapeutic targets for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.