My Expertise
Parkinsons Disease
http://www.psy.unsw.edu.au/Non-Motor-Symptoms-of-Parkinson%27s-Disease-Dr-Asheeta-Prasad
Drug addiction
http://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/brain-mechanisms-drug-addiction-%E2%80%93-new-brain-pathways-revealed
Keywords
Fields of Research (FoR)
Neurosciences, Animal Cell and Molecular Biology, Animal Behaviour, Mental Health, Animal NeurobiologySEO tags
Biography
I am interested in the wiring of the brain, how neurons grow and form neural circuits and their functions. My research focuses on neural circuitry underlying complex behaviors such as learning, memory, reward related behavior and movement. Disturbances in the neural circuitry of these behaviours contribute to pathophysiology of several neurological disorders such as drug addiction, depression, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease...view more
I am interested in the wiring of the brain, how neurons grow and form neural circuits and their functions. My research focuses on neural circuitry underlying complex behaviors such as learning, memory, reward related behavior and movement. Disturbances in the neural circuitry of these behaviours contribute to pathophysiology of several neurological disorders such as drug addiction, depression, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Multiple sclerosis. I apply unique and interdisciplinary research tools of molecular biology, optogenetics, chemogenetics and behavioral neuroscience.
My Grants
Sole CI Grants
2019-2021 National Health and Medical Research Council $507,000
2018 Silver Star Award, UNSW $20,000
2017-2018 Parkinson’s NSW seed fund $44,000
2017-2020 Discovery Early Career Research Fellow $388,000
2018 Vice Chancellor’s Chidcare Fund $1600
2016-2017 Parkinson’s NSW seed fund $40,000
2015-2017 Career Advancement Funds, University of New South Wales $10,000
2011 Thesis provision funds, Rudolf Magnus Institute €1000
Collaborative grants
2019 The UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme with Claire Shepherd and team $108,000
2018 Brain Sciences and Translational Neuroscience Seed Funding scheme. Asheeta Prasad, Claire Shepherd, Adith Mohan and Perminder Sachdev $19,983
2017 Brain Sciences UNSW: Dr Asheeta Prasad, Professor Michael Farrell and Professor Gavan McNally $1565
2017 Brain Sciences UNSW: Dr Asheeta Prasad, Professor Rick Richardson and Professor Margaret Morris $1700
My Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy
University of Utrecht, the Netherlands
Masters of Molecular Biology
University of Queensland, Australia
Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science)
University of Western Sydney, Australia
My Awards
2017 Discovery Early Career Research Award
2017 Travel award from Asia-Pacific Alcohol Addiction Research Society
2016 Finalist Parkinson’s NSW Young Investigator
2016 FENS-SfN Summer School on Cellular Mechanisms and Networks in Addiction
2005 University of Queensland Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence in Masters of Molecular Biology
My Research Activities
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Gibson, G.D., Prasad, A.A., Jean-Richard-dit-Bressel, P., Yau, J.O., Millan, E.Z., Liu, S., Campbell, E.J., Marchant, N.J., Power, J.M., Lawrence, A.J., & McNally, G.P. Segregated accumbens shell output pathways promote versus prevent relapse to alcohol seeking, accepted, Neuron IF: 13.97
Significance: shows anatomical and functional segregation of AcbSh output pathways to ventral tegmental area pathway promotes relapse whereas whereas the lateral hypothalamus pathway prevents in relapse.
- Prasad, A.A., & McNally GP. Ventral pallidum output pathways in context-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2016 Nov 16;36(46):11716-11726. IF: 6.747
Significance: This paper showed that VP output pathways to the subthalamic nucleus and also to the ventral tegmental area are necessary for reinstatement of alcohol seeking.
- Khoo, S. Y., Gibson, G. D., Prasad, A. A., & McNally, G. P. (2016). How contexts promote and prevent relapse to drug seeking. Genes Brain Behavior doi:10.1111/gbb. 12328
Significance: Comprehensive review of the behavioural and brain mechanisms enabling contexts to promote and prevent relapse to drug seeking.
- Morello, F., Prasad, A.A., Vieira de Sa, R., Anton-Bolanus, N., Leyva-Diaz, E., Renberg, K., Adolfs, Y., Tissir, F., Lopez-Bendito, G., & Pasterkamp J (2015). Frizzled3 controls axonal polarity and intermediate target entry during striatal pathway development. The Journal of Neuroscience, 35, 14205-14219. IF: 6.747, Cover of The Journal of Neuroscience
Significance: Established the embryonic ontogeny of the two main striatal pathways and identified novel roles for the axon guidance receptor Frizzled3 in uncharacterized aspects of striatal pathway formation
- Khoo, A.T., Gibson, G.S., Prasad, A.A., & McNally, G.P. (2015). Role of the striatopallidal pathway in renewal and reacquisition of alcohol-seeking. Behavioral Neuroscience, 129, 2 - 7. IF: 2.728,
Significance: The first paper using optogenetics in freely moving animals published from Australia. It showed that the striatopallidal pathway, previously thought to be obligatory for all forms of relapse, does not mediate context-induced reinstatement. Instead, a different pallidal input must be important for this relapse.
- Prasad, A.A., & McNally GP. Effects of vivo morpholino knockdown of lateral hypothalamus orexin/hypocretin on renewal of alcohol seeking. PLoS One. 2014 9, e110385 IF: 3.534
Significance: Shows relevance of proteins other than orexin within the lateral hypothalamus that may contribute to drug seeking behaviour.
- Blakely BD, Bye CR, Fernando CV, Prasad, A.A., Pasterkamp RJ, Macheda ML, Stacker SA, Parish CL. (2013). Ryk, a receptor regulating Wnt5a-mediated neurogenesis and axon morphogenesis of ventral midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Stem Cells Development, 22, 2132-2144. IF: 3.727
Significance: Shows multiple role of Wnt5a on the development of dopaminergic neurons.
- Prasad, A.A., Fenstermaker A, Bechara A, Adolfs Y, Tissir F, Goffinet A, Zou Y, & Pasterkamp RJ. (2010). Wnt-Planar Cell Polarity signaling controls the anterior-posterior organization of monoaminergic axons in the brainstem. The Journal of Neuroscience, 30, 16053-16064. First-co-authorship. Featured article and Cover. IF: 6.747, feature and cover of The Journal of Neuroscience.
Significance: The first paper to demonstrate the molecular mechanism regulating the orientation of dopaminergic neurons.
- Prasad A.A., Pasterkamp RJ. (2009). Axon guidance in the dopamine system. Advanced Experimental Medical Biology. 651, 91-100.
Significance: Comprehensive description of ontogeny of dopaminergic axons.
- Kolk SM, Gunput RA, Tran TS, van den Heuvel DM, Prasad, A.A., Hellemons AJ, Adolfs Y, Ginty DD, Kolodkin AL, Burbach JP, Smidt MP, Pasterkamp RJ. (2009). Semaphorin 3F is a bifunctional guidance cue for dopaminergic axons and controls their fasciculation, channeling, rostral growth, and intracortical targeting. The Journal of Neuroscience. 29, 12542-57. IF: 6.747
Significance: Describes the crucial role for Semaphorin 3F in development of dopaminergic circuitry.
- Pietersen AM, Evers B, Prasad, A.A., Tanger E, Cornelissen-Steijger P,Jonkers J, van Lohuizen M. (2008). Bmi1 regulates stem cells and proliferation and differentiation of committed cells in mammary epithelium. Current Biology, 18, 1094-1099. IF: 9.571
Significance: A detailed study of Bmi1 knockout and overexpression in mammary stem cells.
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
Areas of supervision
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder. Approximately 32 Australians are being diagnosed daily. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a current treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). Yet little is known about the non-motor effects of DBS on behaviours, such as motivation, learning and memory. This project applies optogenetic technology in the rodent PD model to better understand the motor and non-motor symptoms of PD. Optogenetics technology allows neural manipulation with millisecond control in freely moving animals. Overall this project studies brain and behaviour with cutting edge technologies develop in strategies to alleviate disabling motor and non-motor symptoms of PD.
Students will be trained to use Optogenetics, chemogenetics, animal behaviour, human tissue analysis and imaging techniques.
Please contact Dr Asheeta Prasad for more information
http://www.psy.unsw.edu.au/contacts-people/research-staff/dr-asheeta-prasad
Currently supervising
Caroline Xie
Srestha Mazumder
My Engagement
Brain awaress week 2015,2016, 2017
Pint of Science, Beautiful Mind 2017: https://pintofscience.com.au/about/
Where Science Meets Art - Dr Asheeta Prasad Collaborates With Two Sydney Artists For Exhibition
Brain Mechanisms In Drug Addiction - New Pathways Revealed
Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease - Dr Asheeta Prasad
Parkinsons Scientific Exhibition : https://www.scienceweek.net.au/parkinsons-scientific-art/
Blitz Radio, Science Fair with Jo 13/10/2016
In Conversation’: Artists & Scientists, Manly Art Gallery & Museum 19/02/17
Panelist for UNSW STEMM Symposium 17/08/2016 Part of Bluestockings/Women in Higher Education Week, providing perspective and inspiration to current students
AAS EMCR Forum - Science Pathways 2016: Future Leaders 26-27th September, 2016 Sponsored by School of Psychology, UNSW
ORCID as entered in ROS
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9752-8175
Research Activities
Injecting drug use is a behaviour strongly associated with other highly marginalised characteristics such as imprisonment, blood borne virus infections, homelessness and mental illness. This Centre for Research Excellence is focussed on injecting drug use and draws together a number of innovative studies about injecting drug use, plus provides seed funds for new projects. The Centre provides a mechanism for research translation to key stakeholders including consumers, policy makers and practitioners.