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Investigators

Team Profiles

Afshin Samali

Afshin Samali

Investigator

Afshin Samali (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Biochemistry and is Director of the Apoptosis Research Centre. His main research objectives are to uncover the molecular signaling pathways activated during ER stress, particularly the unfolded protein response (UPR) and to apply this knowledge to human diseases. Afshin’s research has potential implications for developing improved treatments for a wide range of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration and inflammation, but his current focus is on applying his research to cancer.

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Aideen Ryan

Aideen Ryan

Investigator

Aideen Ryan (University of Galway) is a lecturer in the Discipline of Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Aideen’s research integrates knowledge of immunological characteristics of cells within the colorectal tumour microenvironment for the identification of novel immunotherapeutic targets for advanced cancer. Her research has specific relevance and potential implications for the treatment of a range of diseases including cancer, auto-immunity and transplantation.

Andreas Heise

Andreas Heise

Investigator

Andreas Heise (RCSI) is a lecturer heading the Polymer Chemistry and Biopolymer Labs. His research employs the concepts of macromolecular engineering to modulate polymer properties by controlled structural design and functionalisation for advanced applications, for example in biomaterial science. Andreas has developed a range synthetic polypetides such as new glycopolypeptides that can mimic biological glycoproteins.

Andrew Daly

Andrew Daly

Investigator

Andrew Daly (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on bioprinting tissue and organ models with advanced physiological structure and function. Andrew is currently supervisor for two PhD students at CÚRAM with the projects focused on bioprinting heart tissues and organoids with advanced maturation. He is also PI for an industry funded project on biomaterial characterisation.

Andrew Kellett

Andrew Kellett

Investigator

Andrew Kellett (DCU) is a lecturer of Inorganic and Medicinal Chemistry in the School of Chemical Sciences. His research intersects materials science and chemical biology, specifically Nucleic Acid Interactions and Click Chemistry, DNA Damage and Repair and Chemotherapeutic Drug Development.

Caroline McGregor

Caroline McGregor

Investigator

Caroline McGregor (University of Galway) is a lecturer at the School of Political Science and Sociology and Director of the Masters in Social Work Programme. Her current project work focuses on outcomes for young people leaving care, public awareness of child protection and welfare, family support services and policy and the interface between child protection and family support practices in child welfare. Other research interests include the history of social work and child protection in Ireland and Europe.

Catalina Vallejo Giraldo

Catalina Vallejo Giraldo

Investigator

Catalina Vallejo-Giraldo is an early career lecturer at the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, University of Galway. Her research interests are at the intersection of biomaterials, brain mechanobiology and medicine to I) Generate biomaterial disease platforms that raise novel questions; and II) Utilize the findings to apply informed enhancements to biomaterial design and functionalization, specifically in the context of developing and improving neuro-oncology therapies.

Christophe Silien

Christophe Silien

Investigator

Christophe Silien is a Lecturer in Nanoscience at the University of Limerick.

David Cheung

David Cheung

Investigator

David Cheung (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Biophysical Chemistry in the School of Chemistry.

Declan Devine

Declan Devine

Investigator

Declan Devine (TUS) is an academic director of the APT centre and is a funded investigator in the Science Foundation Ireland funded CONFIRM centre for smart manufacturing and CÚRAM centre for Smart Medical Devices and the Director of the Materials Research Institute. He has researched in the fields of controlled release, medical device coatings, additive manufacturing, tissue-engineered scaffolds, bone regeneration and robotics.

Derek O’Keeffe

Derek O’Keeffe

INVESTIGATOR

Derek O’Keeffe (University of Galway) is a lecturer of Medical Device Technology and a Consultant Physician (Endocrinologist) at University Hospital Galway (UHG). His research is in using digital health data to monitor patients remotely.

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Dermot Brougham

Dermot Brougham

Investigator

Dermot Brougham (UCD) is a lecturer of Physical Chemistry. His research in magnetic nanomaterials for biomedicine and in particular for his contributions to nanoparticle contrast agents for MRI. He studies microscale dynamics in condensed matter using advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. In CÚRAM, Dermot’s group fabricates responsive 3D-printable magnetic-nanoparticle/peptide composite hydrogels as next-generation supports for tissue engineering.

Dimitrios Zeugolis

Dimitrios Zeugolis

Investigator

Dimitrios Zeugolis (University of Galway) is Director of the Regenerative, Modular and Developmental Engineering Laboratory (REMODEL), lecturer in Biomedical Engineering (Biomaterials). His research is in scaffold fabrication technologies for the development of implantable devices, medical device functionalisation, through incorporation of biophysical, biochemical and biological signals, to provide functional therapeutic interventions for the treatment of soft and hard tissue injuries and degenerative conditions, stem cell research and in-vitro pathophysiology modelling.

Eddie Myers

Eddie Myers

Investigator

Eddie Myers (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Organic Chemistry. His research interests include the development of new methods for forming carbon–nitrogen bonds and small-molecule chemical tools for addressing problems associated with the extracellular matrix. Current research areas include tissue engineering and synthetic organic chemistry.

Eimear Dolan

Eimear Dolan

Investigator

Eimear Dolan (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Biomedical Engineering and is a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Royal Society University Research Fellow. Her key research interest is in implantable medical devices, their effect on the host cells and coupling advanced therapies to minimally invasive delivery devices.

Elaine Harris

Elaine Harris

Investigator

Elaine Harris (TU Dublin) is a lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences in the School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her main research interests are the regulatory pathways for novel and innovative therapeutics and in particular, the facilitation of transfer of innovative therapeutics from the academic environment/start-up companies to full commercialisation.

Eoin O'Cearbhaill

Eoin O'Cearbhaill

Investigator

Eoin O’Cearbhaill (UCD) is a PI in the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Co-Director of Biomedical Engineering programmes in the School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, UCD Medical Device Design Group and is Director of the UCD Centre for Biomedical Engineering. His research is focused on developing novel medical devices and minimally invasive platforms for biosignal sensing and therapeutic delivery towards clinical translation.

Faisal Sharif

Faisal Sharif

Investigator

Faisal Sharif (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Regenerative Medicine and a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist for Galway University Hospital and Associate Director for Clinical Research Facility Galway for Cardiovascular Trials. His research focuses on medical devices for cardiovascular medicine and translational research on vascular biology and Myocardial regeneration.

Francis Finucane

Francis Finucane

Investigator

Francis Finucane (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Medicine and a Consultant Endocrinologist at Galway University Hospital. His research is on the mechanistic basis for type 2 diabetes in young people, lifestyle intervention to reduce metabolic risk in older people and clinical research focusing on the relationship between adiposity and insulin resistance.

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Garry Duffy

Garry Duffy

Investigator

Garry Duffy (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Anatomy & Regenerative Therapies, within the School of Medicine. He leads the Duffy Lab which is focused on developing advanced biomaterials and devices to facilitate targeted delivery and future clinical translation of cell and drug-based therapeutics to treat chronic diseases.

Georgina Gethin

Georgina Gethin

Investigator

Georgina Gethin (University of Galway) is Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery. She has a particular interest in palliative wound care and specifically in the development of devices and interventions to alleviate distressing symptoms like wound odour. Georgina’s research aims to improve clinical decision making and ultimately patient outcomes through identification of objective biomarkers of wound status and interventions to improve healing.

Gerard O'Connor

Gerard O'Connor

Investigator

Gerard O’Connor (University of Galway) is a lecturer and the Head of the School of Physics. His research is primarily focused on short pulse laser material interactions-centered on understanding laser electron lattice interactions for different materials and laser parameters, in the application of laser matter interactions for future laser enabled printed electronics and printed biomaterials.

Gerard Wall

Gerard Wall

Investigator

Gerard Wall (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Microbiology. His research expertise lies in using recombinant proteins in antibody engineering, biomaterials functionalisation and drug delivery.

John Laffey

John Laffey

Investigator

John Laffey (University of Galway) is lecturer of Anaesthesia at the School of Medicine and a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at Galway University Hospital. His basic and translational research is focused on critical illnesses, particularly finding therapies for sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

John Newell

John Newell

Investigator

John Newell (University of Galway) is a lecturer of Biostatistics and Head of Statistics in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics. His primary areas of research in Biostatistics are in the theory and application of statistical methods in clinical trials of health service and population health interventions and in the development of novel analytic approaches in Sports and Exercise Science.

Karen Redmond

Karen Redmond

Investigator

Karen Redmond (Mater) is a lecturer and Consultant Thoracic & Lung Transplant Surgeon specialises in the surgical management of patients with lung cancer, end-stage lung disease (emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis) and a range of other prevalent conditions including complex airway and pectus conditions.

Laurence Egan

Laurence Egan

Investigator

Laurence Egan (University of Galway) is a lecturer who researches optimized therapy for complicated and refractory inflammatory bowel disease. His current research is developing novel strategies for the localised delivery of drugs to perianal fistulas that complicate Crohn’s disease. This work will develop a novel drug-eluting device to optimize this difficult-to-treat and common clinical problem.

Leo Quinlan

Leo Quinlan

Investigator

Leo Quinlan (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Human Physiology. His research involves integrating cellular signaling, electrophysiology and clinical models in designing medical devices for the treatment and monitoring of chronic disease.

Lokesh Joshi

Lokesh Joshi

INVESTIGATOR

Lokesh Joshi (University of Galway) is a lecturer and Director of the Glycoscience Research Group, Co-Director of CÚRAM and Vice-President for Research. His principal focus of research is understanding the roles of glycans and lectins in health and diseases and developing novel technologies for glycomics. Clinical targets of his research are: cancer, infectious diseases, gut-microbial interactions, respiratory diseases, immune-disorders.

Madeleine Lowery

Madeleine Lowery

Investigator

Madeleine Lowery (University College Dublin) she is a lecturer in the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and Head of Subject for Biomedical Engineering. Her research applies engineering principles, in particular mathematical modelling and advanced signal processing, to understand how the nervous system controls movement in health and disease. The overall aim of this research is to address fundamental questions in the control of human movement and to develop therapies and technologies to improve impaired motor function.

Manus Biggs

Manus Biggs

Investigator

Manus Biggs (University of Galway) is lecturer within the department of Biomedical Engineering. His research interests focus on nanofabrication of electrically active biomaterials, the brain-machine interface, bioelectronics and cellular electromechanics. His research integrates material science, electronic engineering, top-down nanofabrication techniques and biological functionalization strategies in developing next generation biomaterials platforms.

Martin Leahy

Martin Leahy

Investigator

Martin Leahy (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Applied Physics, is Chair of Applied Physics at and Professor and Scientific Director of the National Biophotonics and Imaging Platform Ireland. His main research interests are in tissue optics and in the advancement of existing technologies such as laser Doppler and laser speckle as well as the development of new modalities such as TiVi and cmOCT for 2D, 3D and 4D imaging of the microcirculation.

Mary Murphy

Mary Murphy

Investigator

Mary Murphy (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Regenerative Medicine and the Principal Investigator in Orthobiology at the Regenerative Medicine Institute. Her primary research interest and motivation is the development of innovative medicines to treat major diseases using adult stem cells.

Michael Conall Dennedy

Michael Conall Dennedy

Investigator

Conall Dennedy (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Therapeutics and a Consultant Endocrinologist with a subspecialty interest in functioning adrenocortical tumours. His research interests relate to (i) understanding the role of cholesterol in the survival and the function of adrenocortical cancer and (ii) developing novel therapeutics using thermal therapy (ablation and nanotechnology approaches) to precisely target functioning adrenocortical adenomas underlying primary aldosteronism.

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Michael Monaghan

Michael Monaghan

Investigator

Michael Monaghan (Trinity College Dublin) is a lecturer in Biomedical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering and Trinity Centre for Bioengineering. Monaghan's research is focused on the reprogramming of stem cells towards cardiomyogenic lineages using modifiers of epigenetics and recapitulation of the cardiac environment in vitro using smart biomaterials, bioreactors and cardiomyogenenic extracellular matrices.

Mihai Lomora

Mihai Lomora

Investigator

Mihai Lomora (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Physical Chemistry, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences. His research interests are: (bio)materials, coccolithophores, drug delivery, (brain) organoids, and organ-on-chip devices. Lomora is the Programme Manager for the EPSRC-SFI Joint Centre for Doctoral Training in Engineered Tissues for Discovery, Industry, and Medicine (lifETIME CDT), at CÚRAM.

Nathan Quinlan

Nathan Quinlan

Investigator

Nathan Quinlan (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, and a member the Biomechanics Research Centre (BMEC). He specialises in the application of fluid dynamics in medical devices, medical device manufacturing and physiology, including the development of novel computational and experimental techniques.

Neil Rowan

Neil Rowan

Investigator

Neil Rowan (TUS) is Director of the Bioscience Research Institute in TUS where the emphasis has been placed on supporting RDI&E linked to education and training, which encompasses enabling SMEs and MNCs including doctoral provision in key disruptive projects. His core activities address a bottom-up approach to informing efficacy of sustaining and disruptive innovation in collaboration with key European partners that will shape overarching top-down government policies including interface with users.

Olivier P. Thomas

Olivier P. Thomas

Investigator

Olivier P. Thomas (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Marine Biodiscovery at the School of Chemistry, and coordinator of the National Marine Biodiscovery Laboratory with the Marine Institute, Oranmore. His research is focused on the search for new biomolecules from the marine environment with applications in different fields like food science, cosmetics, therapeutics and medical devices.

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Osama Soliman

Osama Soliman

Investigator

Osama Soliman (University of Galway) is a cardiologist and Professor of Cardiovascular Research at University of Galway. Soliman is the Medical Director of Ireland Research Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging and Core Laboratory. His research aims at resolving the issue of non-response to CRT, optimization of device therapy and to provide mechanistic assessments of many first-in-man device trials as well as early phase pharma trials.

Paddy Gillespie

Paddy Gillespie

Investigator

Paddy Gillespie (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Health Economics at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics and the Director of the Health Economics & Policy Analysis Centre (HEPAC). His research activity is focused on the application of the techniques of health economic evaluation and health econometrics to inform health policy and practice.

Pat Mc Garry

Pat Mc Garry

Investigator

Patrick McGarry (University of Galway) is a lecturer in the College of Engineering and Informatics. His research focuses primarily on computational and experimental mechanics, active mechanical behaviour of biological cells; mechanics of soft tissue; bone biomechanics; fracture mechanics; plasticity; composite materials; medical device design; tidal turbine design; and finite element methods.

Patrick Serruys

Patrick Serruys

INVESTIGATOR

Patrick Serruys (University of Galway) is an interventional cardiologist. His research has pioneered several interventional procedures and devices such as bare metal stents (BMS), drug-eluting stents (DES), bioresorbable stents (BRS), Transcathether aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as well as imaging techniques including quantitative coronary angiography, quantitative Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and combined near infrared spectroscopy-intravascular ultrasound (NIRS-IVUS).

Pau Farras

Pau Farras

Investigator

Pau Farràs (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry. His area of interest is focused on the use of carboranes and metallacarboranes as a new type of inorganic drugs in applications such as anticancer therapy and antimicrobial agents.

Paul Murphy

Paul Murphy

Investigator

Paul V. Murphy (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Chemistry and has research interests in Organic Synthesis and Medicinal Chemistry with a focus on Carbohydrates. His research is focused on: galectins, human macrophage galactose C-type lectin, fascin, CD1D, influenza hemagglutinin and glycoprocessing enzymes such as glycosidases. These various targets are relevant to infection, immunology, fibrosis & cancer and thus compounds developed could have potential for translation into the clinic in these areas.

Pádraig Cantillon-Murphy

Pádraig Cantillon-Murphy

Investigator

Pádraig Cantillon-Murphy (University College Cork) is a lecturer in electrical engineering, principal investigator at the BioDesign Laboratory and holds a visiting faculty appointment at the Institute for Image Guided Surgery, Strasbourg. His research interests include medical device design and electromagnetic devices for minimally invasive and image-guided interventions.

Roisin Dwyer

Roisin Dwyer

Investigator

Róisín Dwyer (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Translational Science and a PI in the Discipline of Surgery. Her research focuses on cell communication in the breast tumour microenvironment, with a view to harnessing this knowledge for development of novel gene therapy approaches for advanced breast cancer.

Sharon Glynn

Sharon Glynn

Investigator

Sharon Glynn (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Pathology. Her research involves investigating the impact of inflammation on the tumour microenvironment and its role in driving tumour progression, using a combination of in vitro 2D and 3D models, coupled with molecular epidemiological patient studies.

Siobhan Mc Mahon

Siobhan Mc Mahon

Investigator

Siobhan McMahon (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Anatomy. Her research involves studying spinal cord injury, and investigating the use of stem cells, gene therapy and biomaterials to repair the spinal cord following traumatic injury.

Susan Kelleher

Susan Kelleher

Investigator

Susan Kelleher (University College Dublin) is a lecturer in Soft Materials based in the School of Chemistry. Her research is focused on the engineering of nanostructured surfaces, the chemistry of polymeric biomaterials, and the interaction of materials at the biointerface.

Ted Vaughan

Ted Vaughan

Investigator

Ted Vaughan (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Biomedical Engineering. His research involves the development of novel computational modelling techniques that seek to provide a better understanding of orthopaedic, cardiovascular and ocular tissue biomechanics.

Tewfik Soulimane

Tewfik Soulimane

Investigator

Tewfik Soulimane (University of Limerick) is a lecturer in Molecular Structural Biology in the Department of Chemical Sciences. Soulimane's research activities have focused upon understanding the structure/function relationship of selected eukaryotic and prokaryotic membrane proteins making major contributions to the field of Bioenergetics. The unravelling of the crystal structures of the thermophilic cytochrome c oxidases ba3 and caa3 are recognised as monumental findings in Science.

Thomas Ritter

Thomas Ritter

Investigator

Thomas Ritter (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine. His primary research focus of is on the application of mesenchymal stem cell-based therapeutics in corneal transplantation and on its understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind it.

Tofail Syed

Tofail Syed

Investigator

Tofail Syed (University of Limerick) is ac lecturer in the Department of Physics, and a member of the Bernal Institute. He has established in Ireland unique expertise in metallic and ceramic biomaterials, surface and interface analysis, nanomedicine and advanced manufacturing. His clinical interests are in bridging nanotechnology and medicine to understand and treat diseases.

Una FitzGerald

Una FitzGerald

Investigator

Una FitzGerald (University of Galway) is a lecturer in neuroscience in the School of Natural Sciences. Her research is focused on multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and neurodegenerative disorders. She led the CÚRAM labs to be the first in Europe to gain Green Lab Certification from ‘My Green Lab’ (see https://vimeo.com/375847945).

William Wijns

William Wijns

Investigator

William Wijns (University of Galway) is a lecturer in Interventional Cardiology. Wijns research efforts are targeting the development and validation of innovative techniques in interventional medicine including invasive and non-invasive physiological measurements and imaging, drug-eluting stents and applications of multi-detector coronary CT angiography.

Yury Rochev

Yury Rochev

Investigator

Yury Rochev (University of Galway) is a lecturer in biomaterials in the School of Physics and visiting fellow of Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia. Rochev's current research interests include (1) design and development of smart stimulus-responsive biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery;(2) characterization of biomaterials and medical devices at the nano and micro-scale level; (3) cell-biomaterial interactions, fundamental aspects of biocompatibility.