Asheeta Prasad

Dr. Asheeta Prasad is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Medicine and Health, where she conducts interdisciplinary neuroscience research as a member of both the Brain and Mind Centre and Charles Perkins Centre. Her work bridges molecular mechanisms with behavioral outcomes, focusing on neural circuitry underlying learning, memory, reward processing, and movement disorders.

Her primary research investigates how disruptions in neural wiring contribute to neurological and psychiatric conditions including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, and substance use disorders. She employs cutting-edge methodologies such as optogenetics, chemogenetics, molecular biology, and behavioral neuroscience to map neural circuits involved in addiction relapse and motor dysfunction. Current projects include examining novel dopamine pathways in reward processing, astrocyte roles in Parkinson's disease, endocannabinoid system changes in Parkinson's, and subthalamic nucleus pathology.

Analysis of Dr. Prasad's 15 most recent publications (2016-2024) reveals two dominant research trajectories: Parkinson's disease mechanisms (subthalamic nucleus architecture, deep brain stimulation effects, PINK1/PRKN pathways, and gut-brain axis interactions) and addiction neuroscience (ventral pallidum circuitry in alcohol/drug relapse, sex differences in substance use, and context-induced reinstatement). Her work consistently integrates molecular, cellular, and behavioral approaches to identify therapeutic targets.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Discover Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) 2017-2020 ($388K)
• Parkinson NSW grants (2016, 2017; $40K each)
• Career Advancement Award, UNSW (2015; $10K)
• Silver Star Award, UNSW (2018; $20,000)
• Young Researcher of the Year finalist, Parkinson's NSW (2016)

Dr. Prasad currently supervises three research students: Laura Ancellotti (developing cell therapy for Parkinson's disease), Alex Johnson (creating stem cell models of dementia and tau pathologies), and Cormac Peat (investigating astrocyte dysfunction in Parkinson's models). Her active grant portfolio includes ARC Discovery Projects on dopamine pathways, Michael J Fox Foundation funding for PINK1/PRKN research, NHMRC Project Grants for Parkinson's mechanisms, and the Moyira Elizabeth Vine Endowment for schizophrenia research.

Her laboratory operates within the Brain and Mind Centre's collaborative ecosystem, utilizing advanced facilities for optogenetics, rodent behavioral testing, and neuropathology. Current initiatives include multidisciplinary approaches to schizophrenia and elucidating alpha-synuclein pathology responses in Parkinson's disease models.