Rate My Professor Neda Nasrollahi

Dr. Neda Nasrollahi serves as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of Otago. She completed her PhD in 2022 at the University of Otago with a thesis entitled 'Brain ageing, neuropsychological functioning and a potential intervention,' supervised by Associate Professor Liana Machado of the Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre. Holding an MA prior to her doctorate, Nasrollahi conducted her PhD research under a University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship, supplemented by Brain Research New Zealand funding for conferences. Her doctoral work examined brain ageing processes, emotional biases in information processing, physical interventions like stair-climbing for cognitive benefits in older adults, and the neuropsychological impacts of prolonged surgical face mask use during the COVID-19 era.

Nasrollahi's academic interests lie in cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology, emotion, and pharmacology. Notable publications include 'Effects of wearing a surgical face mask on cognitive functioning and mood states: a randomised controlled trial in young adults' (Cognitive Processing, 2025; co-authored with Tim Jowett and Liana Machado), which found adverse mood effects and minor attention impairments after extended mask wear; 'Emotional information processing in young and older adults: meta-analysis reveals faces elicit distinct biases' (European Journal of Ageing, 2022); and 'Effects of a Brief Stair-Climbing Intervention on Cognitive Functioning and Mood in Older Adults' (Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 2022), demonstrating cognitive enhancements despite increased fatigue. She earned the Otago Medical School Research Society PhD Student Award in 2021. Presently, as principal investigator, she leads a funded trial evaluating a novel dextromethorphan-bupropion combination for treatment-resistant depression, supported by a two-year New Zealand Lottery Grants Board fellowship and Whau Mental Health Research Foundation, targeting rapid mood improvements within one to two weeks to mitigate depression's societal impacts.