Rate My Professor Hannah Palliser

Palliser's research investigates the roles of neurosteroids in fetal and neonatal brain protection, particularly in guinea pig models of preterm birth, prenatal stress, and intrauterine growth restriction. Her work explores how perinatal compromises disrupt neurodevelopment in the cerebellum, hippocampus, and frontal cortex, resulting in myelination deficits, altered GABAergic and glutamatergic signaling, and behavioral disorders including hyperactivity, anxiety, and ADHD-like symptoms. She examines neurosteroid replacement therapies using analogues such as ganaxolone, zuranolone, tiagabine, and emapunil to restore oligodendrocyte maturation, myelination processes, and behavioral outcomes. With 72 publications and 1,479 citations, key contributions include 'Neurosteroid replacement therapy using tiagabine and zuranolone restores cerebellar neurodevelopment and reduces hyperactive behaviour following preterm birth' (Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 2025), 'Neurosteroid replacement approaches for improving outcomes after compromised pregnancies and preterm birth' (Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 2025), 'Ganaxolone Therapy After Preterm Birth Restores Cerebellar Oligodendrocyte Maturation and Myelination in Guinea Pigs' (Developmental Psychobiology, 2024), 'Zuranolone therapy protects frontal cortex neurodevelopment and improves behavioral outcomes after preterm birth' (Brain and Behavior, 2024), and the chapter 'Neuropeptide Pathways Controlling the Timing of Birth' (2024). She has supervised PhD students and served as Chief Investigator on NHMRC grants.