Rate My Professor Atnaf Abate

Dr. Atnaf Abate earned his Doctor of Philosophy from the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences at Macquarie University. Currently affiliated with Macquarie Medical School, his research specializes in the functional activity of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their endocannabinoid-related metabolites at human transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels, including TRPV1 and TRPA1, expressed in HEK-293 cells.

In 2025, Abate published his seminal work as corresponding author in PeerJ titled "Polyunsaturated fatty acids and their endocannabinoid-related metabolites activity at human TRPV1 and TRPA1 ion channels expressed in HEK-293 cells." Co-authored with Marina Santiago, Alfonso Garcia-Bennett, and Mark Connor, the study measured intracellular calcium changes using a fluorescent dye. It found that TRPV1 was directly stimulated by capsaicin and PUFA derivatives like docosahexaenoyl ethanolamide (DHEA), γ-linolenoyl ethanolamide (γ-LEA), and anandamide (AEA). A 9:3:1 mixture of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and γ-linolenic acid (γ-LA) activated TRPV1 only after phorbol ester treatment. TRPA1 activity was triggered by cinnamaldehyde and various PUFA metabolites including eicosapentaenoyl ethanolamide (EPEA), DHEA, γ-LEA, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), 2-arachidonoylglycerol ether, and AEA; higher concentrations of EPA, DHA, γ-LA, and their mixture also proved effective. These findings open avenues for exploring PUFAs' neurological benefits through TRP channel modulation.

Prior to completing his PhD, Abate was a candidate in the ARC Training Centre in Future Food Systems (FAAB) at Macquarie University, where he identified targets among G protein-coupled receptors through experiments involving long-chain fatty acids. Holding an MSc, he has actively presented his research at scientific conferences such as ASCEPT in 2023 and others. His scholarly impact is reflected in an h-index of 1.