Rate My Professor Atnaf Abate

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.