Associate Professor Kirstan Vessey
Associate Professor - School of Science and Technology
Biography
I joined the School of Science and Technology at UNE in 2024 and am currently an Associate Professor in the Neuroscience Discipline. I completed my undergraduate degree in Science with Honours in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Melbourne. I then went on to complete a Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of Melbourne in 2003 and a Specialist certificate in Biomedical Research Management in 2009. After completing my PhD, I continued to work as a research fellow in the neuronal degeneration field with positions in Canada, the United States and Australia. I am a part of the Brian-Behaviour Research Group at UNE. My passion is to understand diseases that cause neuronal dysfunction and degeneration and find treatments to slow disease progression.
I have a strong interest in Clinical Neuroscience, Visual Neuroscience and Neurodegenerative disease. My research experience and interests are broad and encompass a range of skills in electrophysiology, histological analysis and molecular biology. I apply these techniques to understanding the mechanisms that drive neuronal dysfunction and degeneration, while finding treatments to slow disease progression. I have led as principal CIA, a NHMRC Ideas grants, philanthropic and internal University grants; and co-led as a CI,3 additional NHMRC grants and philanthropic grants (eg. Macular Disease Foundation Australia). I have published peer reviewed research articles, in top tier journals, including PNAS, Neuron, Current Biology and The Journal of Neuroscience. I also have many years of experience in completion of industry projects, commercial collaboration and have had a provisional patent application. I have experience supervising research personnel in a laboratory setting and in management of multiple research projects and enjoy mentoring the next generation of scientists in pursuing their passion.
