Rate My Professor Anastazja Gorecki

Her research interests focus on the gut-brain axis, particularly in the context of Parkinson’s disease and alpha-synuclein, as well as the effects of microplastics on the gut, nutrition, modifiable lifestyle factors affecting physical and mental health, and the intersection between human health and environmental sustainability. Gorecki has published several key papers, including first-author works: “TLR2 and TLR4 in Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis: the environment takes a toll on the gut” (Translational Neurodegeneration, 2021), “The gut-brain axis and gut inflammation in Parkinson’s disease: stopping neurodegeneration at the toll gate” (Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets, 2020), “Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with gut homeostasis influence risk and age-at-onset of Parkinson's disease” (Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2020), and “Altered gut microbiome in Parkinson’s disease and the influence of lipopolysaccharide in a human α-synuclein over-expressing mouse model” (Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2019). She received the University of Notre Dame Australia Early Career Researcher Award in 2023. In her teaching role, she covers Neuroscience, Neurological and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Gastroneuroenterology, and Academic Research and Writing. Her current projects involve collaborations with the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute on microplastics and gut-brain axis implications in neurodegeneration.