Dr Jason Potas

Dr Potas is a senior lecturer in the Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, at The University of New South Wales, where he teaches neuroanatomy and leads a research team focusing on the somatosensory system with a focus on potential neuroprosthetic applications.

Dr Potas commenced his scientific career at The University of Sydney, examining how different sensory (somatic and visceral) information affects blood pressure, by studying the spinal and brainstem functional and anatomical connections to autonomic control centres, and how the functional output pathways of these control centres affect blood pressure. During his first post-doc (Charité, Berlin), Dr Potas studied the cellular responses to cerebral ischemia. In his second post-doc (UNSW, Sydney), he investigated the cellular responses and the role of the immune system in reducing dysfunctional outcomes after spinal cord injury. In his third post-doc (UFRJ, Brazil) Dr Potas examined the electrophysiological properties of regenerating nervous tissues following peripheral nerve and spinal cord injury, and devised new injury models and evaluation techniques that allow the assessment of nervous functional integrity. Whilst in Brazil, he also devised a computational technique that allowed him to automatically evaluate peripheral nerve function, as well as techniques for differentiating nervous fibre types based on their electro-morphological characteristics. After a three year career break working as an applications scientist in industry, Dr Potas joined the Australian National University Medical School in 2010 at the John Curtin School of Medical research where he contributed to teaching physiology and neuroscience and leads a research team studying sensory processing and pain. In 2016, Dr Potas moved to The University of New South Wales.