
Overview
Background
Dr. Nasrallah is a neuroscientist with a background in magnetic resonance and interdisciplinary brain research. She graduated with a PhD in neurochemistry and NMR from the Neuroscience Research Australia Institute (NeurRA) at the University of New South Wales in 2009. In April 2009, She spent 3 years at the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (A*STAR) where she pioneered the use of magnetic resonance imaging as a tool in cognitive brain research in the rodent. In 2013, she was appointed as senior research fellow at the Clinical Imaging Research Center where she delved into the clinical realms of human imaging. In late 2015, she returned to Australia as a Motor Accident and Injury Commission fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at the University of Queensland (UQ) where she independently heads her own group. Her research spans basic and clinical brain research with the the overall aim of understanding how the brain functions in health and injury, specifically, developing methods for early diagnosis of primary biomarkers following injury and translating these findings.
Availability
- Associate Professor Fatima Nasrallah is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of New South Wales
Research interests
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Traumatic Brain Injury
The development of translational imaging methods for the early diagnosis of brain function and prediction of patient outcome.
Research impacts
Through her work, she has established herself as one of the world experts in the area of functional brain imaging in rodent models. Her most significant contribution was made in 2014 when she demonstrated for the first time, imaging resting state functional connectivity in the mouse brain using MRI. This has made a major impact to the field especially the potential to translate such a technique in human to mouse models. This work was published in the prestigious Neuroimage journal. More impactful was the discovery that these resting state networks could detect cognition in the rat brain after a spatial learning memory task, which was also published in Neuroimage. A major contribution to the field is applying these MRI methods for clinical applications of injury and stroke. She is now leading a nationwide multicenter trial in patients with traumatic brain injury with the hope of using advanced neuroimaging methods to improve patient outcomes.
Works
Search Professor Fatima Nasrallah’s works on UQ eSpace
2014
Journal Article
Neural correlate of resting-state functional connectivity under α2 adrenergic receptor agonist, medetomidine
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Lew, Si Kang, Low, Amanda Si-Min and Chuang, Kai-Hsiang (2014). Neural correlate of resting-state functional connectivity under α2 adrenergic receptor agonist, medetomidine. NeuroImage, 84, 27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.08.004
2013
Journal Article
Imaging brain deoxyglucose uptake and metabolism by glucoCEST MRI
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Pages, Guilhem, Kuchel, Philip W., Golay, Xavier and Chuang, Kai-Hsiang (2013). Imaging brain deoxyglucose uptake and metabolism by glucoCEST MRI. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 33 (8), 1270-1278. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2013.79
2012
Journal Article
Optimization of flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) for perfusion functional MRI of rodent brain
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Lee, Eugene L. Q. and Chuang, Kai-Hsiang (2012). Optimization of flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) for perfusion functional MRI of rodent brain. NMR in Biomedicine, 25 (11), 1209-1216. doi: 10.1002/nbm.2790
2012
Journal Article
Metabolism, compartmentation, transport and production of acetate in the cortical brain tissue slice
Rae, Caroline, Fekete, Aurelie D., Kashem, Mohammed A., Nasrallah, Fatima A. and Broeer, Stefan (2012). Metabolism, compartmentation, transport and production of acetate in the cortical brain tissue slice. Neurochemical Research, 37 (11), 2541-2553. doi: 10.1007/s11064-012-0847-5
2012
Journal Article
Pharmacological modulation of functional connectivity: α2-adrenergic receptor agonist alters synchrony but not neural activation
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Tan, Jolena and Chuang, Kai-Hsiang (2012). Pharmacological modulation of functional connectivity: α2-adrenergic receptor agonist alters synchrony but not neural activation. NeuroImage, 60 (1), 436-446. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.12.026
2012
Book Chapter
Functional MRI of neural plasticity and drug effect in the brain
Chuang, Kai-Hsiang and Nasrallah, Fatima A. (2012). Functional MRI of neural plasticity and drug effect in the brain. Advances in bio-imaging: from physics to signal understanding issues. (pp. 17-25) edited by Nicolas Loménie, Daniel Racoceanu and Alexandre Gouaillard. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-25547-2_2
2011
Journal Article
Activity-dependent γ-aminobutyric acid release controls brain cortical tissue slice metabolism
Nasrallah, Fatima A. , Balcar, Vladimir J. and Rae, Caroline D. (2011). Activity-dependent γ-aminobutyric acid release controls brain cortical tissue slice metabolism. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 89 (12), 1935-1945. doi: 10.1002/jnr.22649
2010
Journal Article
A metabonomic study of inhibition of GABA uptake in the cerebral cortex
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Balcar, Vladimir J. and Rae, Caroline (2010). A metabonomic study of inhibition of GABA uptake in the cerebral cortex. Metabolomics, 6 (1), 67-77. doi: 10.1007/s11306-009-0176-0
2010
Journal Article
γ-Hydroxybutyrate and the GABAergic footprint: A metabolomic approach to unpicking the actions of GHB
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Maher, Anthony D., Hanrahan, Jane R., Balcar, Vladimir J. and Rae, Caroline D. (2010). γ-Hydroxybutyrate and the GABAergic footprint: A metabolomic approach to unpicking the actions of GHB. Journal of Neurochemistry, 115 (1), 58-67. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06901.x
2009
Journal Article
Metabolic effects of blocking lactate transport in brain cortical tissue slices using an inhibitor specific to MCT1 and MCT2
Rae, Caroline, Nasrallah, Fatima A. and Bröer, Stefan (2009). Metabolic effects of blocking lactate transport in brain cortical tissue slices using an inhibitor specific to MCT1 and MCT2. Neurochemical Research, 34 (10), 1783-1791. doi: 10.1007/s11064-009-9973-0
2009
Conference Publication
Now i know my ABC. A systems neurochemistry and functional metabolomic approach to understanding the GABAergic system
Rae, Caroline, Nasrallah, Fatima A., Griffin, Julian L. and Balcar, Vladimir J. (2009). Now i know my ABC. A systems neurochemistry and functional metabolomic approach to understanding the GABAergic system. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.05803.x
2009
Journal Article
Understanding your inhibitions: Effects of GABA and GABAA receptor modulation on brain cortical metabolism
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Griffin, Julian L., Balcar, Vladimir J. and Rae, Caroline (2009). Understanding your inhibitions: Effects of GABA and GABAA receptor modulation on brain cortical metabolism. Journal of Neurochemistry, 108 (1), 57-71. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05742.x
2008
Journal Article
Modulation of brain metabolism by very low concentrations of the commonly used drug delivery vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Garner, Brett, Ball, Graham E. and Rae, Caroline (2008). Modulation of brain metabolism by very low concentrations of the commonly used drug delivery vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Journal of Neuroscience Research, 86 (1), 208-214. doi: 10.1002/jnr.21477
2007
Journal Article
Understanding your inhibitions: Modulation of brain cortical metabolism by GABAB receptors
Nasrallah, Fatima A., Griffin, Julian L., Balcar, Vladimir J. and Rae, Caroline (2007). Understanding your inhibitions: Modulation of brain cortical metabolism by GABAB receptors. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 27 (8), 1510-1520. doi: 10.1038/sj.jcbfm.9600453
2007
Journal Article
ALANINE METABOLISM, TRANSPORT AND CYCLING IN THE BRAIN
Bröer, Stefan, Bröer, Angelika, Hansen, Jonas T., Bubb, William A., Balcar, Vladimir J., Nasrallah, Fatima A., Garner, Brett and Rae, Caroline (2007). ALANINE METABOLISM, TRANSPORT AND CYCLING IN THE BRAIN. Journal of Neurochemistry, 102 (6), 1758-1770. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2007.004654.x
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Fatima Nasrallah is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Investigation of Brain Changes Following Exercise: An Artificial Intelligence Approach
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Structural and Functional changes in aged hippocampus following exercise as detected by MRI
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating therapeutic interventions following concussion
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Karen Barlow
-
Doctor Philosophy
Navigating the patterns of traumatic brain injuryrecovery
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Advanced Deep Learning Approaches for Improving Diagnosis and Prognosis in Brain Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Shakes Chandra
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development of a model for prognostication of patient outcome following traumatic brain injury
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Shakes Chandra
-
Doctor Philosophy
Advanced Deep Learning Approaches for Improving Diagnosis and Prognosis in Brain Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Shakes Chandra
-
Doctor Philosophy
The development of precision medical care for the use of ketamine as a treatment for Australian Veterans with TRD and PTSD
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Susannah Tye
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Doctor Philosophy
Development of precision medicine biomarkers for ketamine as a treatment for TRD and PTSD
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Susannah Tye
Completed supervision
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Advanced Deep Learning Approaches for Improving Diagnosis and Prognosis in Brain Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Shakes Chandra
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Neuroimaging of Traumatic Brain Injury and Dementia: Bridging the link
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Nestor
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Application of Magnetic Resonance methods for the in vivo imaging of a mouse model of concussion
Principal Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Magnetic Resonance Imaging reveals underlying pathology associated with traumatic brain injury in a tau transgenic mouse model
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Karin Borges
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2018
Master Philosophy
Defining key structural and functional changes in the adult brain in a mouse model of depression
Associate Advisor
Media
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