Rate My Professor Dharshini Ganeshan

Dr. Dharshini Ganeshan is an Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Physiology at the University of Otago, situated within the Division of Health Sciences. Her research involves collaborations across departments, including the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Professional Programmes. Ganeshan's scholarly output includes contributions to peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations focused on neuroendocrinology and receptor signaling mechanisms.

Key publications co-authored by Ganeshan include 'Development of a Cell Membrane Conformational Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Biosensor for the Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoids' (ACS Sensors, 2025), which developed a chemical structure-independent screening platform using a cell membrane conformational biosensor for novel synthetic cannabinoids. She also contributed to 'Ultradian rhythms of CRHPVN neuron activity, behavior, and stress hormone secretion' (PNAS, 2025), examining rhythms in CRH PVN neuron activity linked to behavior and hormone secretion. Another significant paper is 'Direct modulation of CRH nerve terminal function by noradrenaline and corticosterone' (Journal of Neuroscience, 2024), investigating direct modulation at CRH nerve terminals. In 2023, 'Estradiol regulates voltage-gated potassium currents in corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons' (Journal of Experimental Biology) explored estradiol's regulatory effects on potassium currents in CRH neurons. Ganeshan presented 'Direct modulation of CRH nerve terminal function by noradrenaline and corticosterone' at the 18th New Zealand Medical Sciences Congress (2024) and 'Controlling stress at the terminal' at the Queenstown Molecular Biology Hypothalamic Neuroscience & Neuroendocrinology Australasia Satellite (2023). Her work demonstrates involvement in advancing knowledge of neuronal function in stress and pharmacological responses at the University of Otago.