'FROM DISCOVERY TO RECOVERY'
My research covers a broad range of interests from understanding basic mechanisms of inflammation regulation to evaluating indices of inflammation in in vivo biological samples. The setting of this research is the chronic infected lung particularly Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) although my recent work has brought me into the area of Acute Lung Injury as well. I am interested in how the innate immune response is involved in regulating inflammation with particular emphasis on how antimicrobial proteins/peptides and proteases contribute to inflammatory responses in the lung. From the disease point of view, I am intrigued by how these inflammatory responses become dysregulated in the diseases outlined above. My research has been published in high-ranking journals including the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Journal of Immunology, Blood, Journal of Biological Chemistry and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. My research in the Respiratory/Pulmonary area has recently been recognized by the European Respiratory Society with the award of the Romain Pauwels Research award for outstanding contribution to respiratory medicine in 2008.
Appointed to Scientific Committee of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society 2010-2013
Panel Member of the Long Term Planning Committee of the Cell and Molecular Biology Assembly of the European Respiratory Society 2011-2014
Secretary of the Airway Biology Group of the European Respiratory Society 2011-2014
Editorial Board, Open Infectious Diseases Journal, Open Respiratory Medicine Journal, Scientific World Journal, World Journal of Biological Chemistry
Ad Hoc Reviewer for Journal of Immunology, European Respiratory Journal and Thorax
Grant Reviews - MRC (2), British Cystic Fibrosis Trust, HRB, University of Birmingham, British Lung Foundation
Conference Organisation:
Symposium Organiser, European Respiratory Society, Amsterdam, September 2011 'Epigenetics in Lung Disease'
Biochemical Society WFDC Meeting, Cambridge April 2011 - Co-organiser European Cystic Fibrosis Society Meeting Hamburg June 2011 - Chaired 1 Symposium
European Cystic Fibrosis Society Meeting Valencia June 2010 - Chaired 2 Symposia
DEL Cross Border Symposium, June 2010 - organiser
Joint Ulster Immunology Group/Irish Society for Immunology Meeting, Belfast Sept 2010 - organising committee
Biomedical Society Focussed Meeting, London Dec. 2010 - organiser, speaker and attendance
Symposium Organiser, European Respiratory Society, Vienna September 2009 'miRNA and Lung inflammation'Symposium Organiser, Ulster Immunology Group June 2009 'Inflammation - from Cell to Clinic'Symposium Organiser, European Respiratory Society, Berlin, September 2008 'Epigenetics and Lung Disease'
Keynote Speaker:
European Cystic Fibrosis Society Meeting, Hamburg 2011
Biochemical Society Meeting, Cambridge, 2011
Japanese Respiratory Society, Tokyo, June 2009European Respiratory Society Meeting, Berlin 20087th World Congress on Trauma, Shock, Inflammation and Sepsis, Munich, March 2007
Conference Speaker:
Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Symposia, Miami October 2010
British Society for Oral and Maxilliofacial Pathology, Belfast, May 2008Ulster Immunology Group, Belfast, April 2007Biochemical Society Focussed Meeting, London, October 2006 European Respiratory Society Meeting, Munich, Germany, September 2006British Association for Lung Research Meeting, Sheffield, July 2006Irish Thoracic Society Meeting, Galway, Nov 2005British Society For Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Loughborough, July 2005Dublin Molecular Medicine Centre Symposium on Inflammation, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, April 2004HEA (Higher Education Authority) Symposium, Trinity College Dublin, May 2002HEA (Higher Education Authority) Symposium, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Feb 2001American Thoracic Society, Toronto, Canada, May 2000Irish Thoracic Meeting, Belfast, November 1999North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference, Montreal, Canada, October 1998American Thoracic Society, San Francisco, CA, USA, May 1997
Grant Refereeing:
Irish Health Research Board Panel Member, 2004-2008Refereeing for Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, EU FP7, Action Medical Research, British Lung Foundation, British Cystic Fibrosis Trust, French National Research Agency (ANR)
European Respiratory Society Romain Pauwels Award 2008 for Outstanding Contribution to Respiratory Medicine
Grant Panel Member, Health Research Board Infection and Immunity Committee, 2004-2008
Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Journal of Medical Science Junior Doctor Award for Best Paper published in Respiratory Medicine, 2006
Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Journal of Medical Science Junior Doctor Award for Best Paper published in Respiratory Medicine, 2000
