Biography
In 1990, John Mackrill graduated with a 1st Class BSc (Biology) degree from Imperial College, London. Although the research components in this primary degree were centred on the area of molecular parasitology, John switched tack for his PhD, investigating the biochemistry of ryanodine receptor calcium release channels under the supervision of Prof. F. Anthony Lai, at the Medical Research Council’s National Institute for Medical Research, London. The field of calcium signalling struck a chord: in 1994, he was employed as a postdoctoral researcher, working on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor calcium channels at the Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Leicester, UK. In 1997, he arrived at the Department of Biochemistry, UCC as a European Union Training and Mobility Fellow in the area of skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling, prior to being awarded a Health Research Board Career Development Fellowship in 2001, on the roles of ryanodine receptors in smooth muscle. John was engaged as a fixed-term lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, before securing a College Lecturer position in the Department of Physiology in 2005. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2018.
Research in John’s laboratory centres on characterising calcium signalling pathways in eukaryotic cells and on the involvement of these systems in normal physiology and in disease. Key approaches are investigation of calcium signalling proteins using Western blotting, immunoprecipitation and indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, and examination of function of these in live cells using fluorescent videomicroscopy. This activity has generated over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and reviews to date. At present, six PhD, one MD and three MSc students have graduated following successful research projects in this laboratory. In terms of research ethos, John embraces teamwork as a way of making the whole more than the sum of its parts: he is actively involved in several local and international collaborations. John’s wider researcher contributions include refereeing for several peer reviewed journals, in particular the role of Editorial Advisor for the Biochemical Journal; and research grant application review for several national and international funding bodies, including the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK), the Medical Research Council (UK) and Muscular Dystrophy Ireland. John is a member of the European Network on Oxysterols Research and the European Calcium Society; and was the Departmental Representative for the Physiological Society of UK and Ireland from 2007 to 2016. There is considerable overlap between John’s teaching and research responsibilities; and he was Postgraduate Programme Co-ordinator and Chair of the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee for the Department of Physiology between 2007 and 2018.
Research Interests
Calcium ions are a second messenger that regulates almost every facet of the life of multicellular organisms, from fertilisation, to muscle contraction, to death. Understanding the mechanisms involved in altering levels of this second messenger and in the detection of these changes is crucial for comprehension of the roles of calcium signalling in health and disease. I have been researching in this area for over two decades. During my time at University College Cork, I have made several contributions to this field: 1) publication of a highly cited review article on modulation of calcium release channels by protein-protein interactions; 2) authorship on a major research publication delineating modulation of ryanodine receptor calcium channels by selenoprotein N; 3) investigation of alterations in calcium signalling caused by oxysterols, or cholesterol oxidation products- molecules found in the diet and generated in vivo, which may have adverse effects on health; 4) training of undergraduate and postgraduate students, and posydoctoral researchers, in advanced techniques for examining calcium channel proteins; 5) contributions to enhancement of quality of the research carried in this field, in the role of referee for manuscripts and for grant applications; and 6) collaborations with local and international research groups, that have been mutually beneficial for the generation of research outputs.
Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body | Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cork University Foundation - Molecular Characterisation of Oomycetes Calcium Channels. | Foundation Funded Research | 01-MAY-14 | 31-DEC-18 | €122,062.00 | |
| The type 3 ryanodine redceptor as a target for breast cancer chemotherapy. | Foreign Research Institute | 05-JUN-12 | 30-JUL-12 | €1,981.00 | |
| SFI-Regulation of Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Channels by Selenoprotien N | Science Foundation of Ireland | 01-AUG-07 | 31-JUL-11 | €179,482.00 | |
| SFI-Ryanodine Receptor Expression in Trophoblasts | Science Foundation of Ireland | 01-JUL-07 | 31-MAR-11 | €174,562.00 | |
| SFI Selenoprotein N-type 2 Ryanodine Receptor Interactions - Supplement Teacher Marie Delaney | Science Foundation of Ireland | 02-JUN-08 | 28-JUL-08 | €15,536.00 | |
| Dynamic imaging of intracellular oxygen in live cells and its application to diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia disease | Enterprise Ireland | 01-JUN-06 | 01-MAY-07 | €79,958.00 | |
| SFI OIP 2010 Technical Support | Science Foundation of Ireland | 01-JAN-10 | 31-DEC-11 | €1,212.00 | |
| Relationships between Hypoxia and Ca2+ Signalling in a Human Neuroblastoma Cell Line | Health Research Board | 01-OCT-02 | 30-SEP-05 | €105,500.00 | |
| Type 1 Ryanodine Receptor Expression in the Vascular System | Health Research Board | 01-OCT-01 | 30-SEP-04 | €125,000.00 |
Contract Researchers
| Researcher Name | Project | Role | Funding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Limian Zheng | Molecular Characterisation of Oomycete Calcium Channels | Postdoctoral Researcher | Other: Not Listed | |
| Dr. Amira Zarrouk | Oxysterols and neuronal cell-death | Postdoctoral Researcher | Other: Not Listed |
Publications
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2005) | 'Molecular and Clinical Genetics of RYR1 Disorders' McCarthy, TV; Heffron, JJA; Mackrill, J.; (2005) 'Molecular and Clinical Genetics of RYR1 Disorders' In: Ryanodine Receptors: Structure, function, and dysfunction in clinical disease. USA: Springer Science + Business Media. [Details] | |
| (2004) | 'Generation, use, and validation of receptor-selective antibodies. Methods Mol Biol. 2004;259:47-66. ' Mackrill J.J.; (2004) 'Generation, use, and validation of receptor-selective antibodies. Methods Mol Biol. 2004;259:47-66. ' In: Methods Mol Biol. 259 Receptor Signal Transduction Protocols (2nd Ed). [Details] | |
| (1997) | 'The generation of receptor-selective antibodies. ' Mackrill J.J.; (1997) 'The generation of receptor-selective antibodies. ' In: Methods Mol Biol., Receptor Signal Transduction Protocols (1st ed.). [Details] |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2016) | 'A Novel Selectable Islet 1 Positive Progenitor Cell Reprogrammed to Expandable and Functional Smooth Muscle Cells' Turner EC;Huang CL;Sawhney N;Govindarajan K;Clover AJ;Martin K;Browne TC;Whelan D;Kumar AH;Mackrill JJ;Wang S;Schmeckpeper J;Stocca A;Pierce WG;Leblond AL;Cai L;O'Sullivan DM;Buneker CK;Choi J;MacSharry J;Ikeda Y;Russell SJ;Caplice NM; (2016) 'A Novel Selectable Islet 1 Positive Progenitor Cell Reprogrammed to Expandable and Functional Smooth Muscle Cells'. Stem Cells (Dayton, Ohio), 34 (5) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Calcium Signaling in Oomycetes: An Evolutionary Perspective' Zheng, Limian; Mackrill,John J. (2016) 'Calcium Signaling in Oomycetes: An Evolutionary Perspective'. Frontiers in Physiology, 7 [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Effects of cholesterol oxides on cell death induction and calcium increase in human neuronal cells (SK-N-BE) and evaluation of the protective effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6 n-3)' Zarrouk A;Nury T;Samadi M;O'Callaghan Y;Hammami M;O'Brien NM;Lizard G;Mackrill JJ; (2015) 'Effects of cholesterol oxides on cell death induction and calcium increase in human neuronal cells (SK-N-BE) and evaluation of the protective effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6 n-3)'. Steroids, 99 (Pt B) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Induction of oxiapoptophagy on 158N murine oligodendrocytes treated by 7-ketocholesterol-, 7ß-hydroxycholesterol-, or 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol: Protective effects of a-tocopherol and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6 n-3)' Nury T;Zarrouk A;Mackrill JJ;Samadi M;Durand P;Riedinger JM;Doria M;Vejux A;Limagne E;Delmas D;Prost M;Moreau T;Hammami M;Delage-Mourroux R;O'Brien NM;Lizard G; (2015) 'Induction of oxiapoptophagy on 158N murine oligodendrocytes treated by 7-ketocholesterol-, 7ß-hydroxycholesterol-, or 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol: Protective effects of a-tocopherol and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6 n-3)'. Steroids, 99 (Pt B) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Closing a small gap in our understanding of excitation-contraction coupling: JSR90/JFP90 is Junctophilin 1' English, K; Sorrentino, V; Aiello, A; Kiely, M; Kiely, P; McDonagh, B; and Mackrill, J. (2014) 'Closing a small gap in our understanding of excitation-contraction coupling: JSR90/JFP90 is Junctophilin 1'. Calcium Signaling, 1 (1):1-6 [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Absence of correlation between oxysterol accumulation in lipid raft microdomains, calcium increase, and apoptosis induction on 158N murine oligodendrocytes' Ragot, K;Mackrill, JJ;Zarrouk, A;Nury, T;Aires, V;Jacquin, A;Athias, A;de Barros, JPP;Vejux, A;Riedinger, JM;Delmas, D;Lizard, G (2013) 'Absence of correlation between oxysterol accumulation in lipid raft microdomains, calcium increase, and apoptosis induction on 158N murine oligodendrocytes'. Biochemical Pharmacology, 86 :67-79 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'Ryanodine receptor calcium release channels: an evolutionary perspective' Mackrill JJ (2012) 'Ryanodine receptor calcium release channels: an evolutionary perspective'. Advances In Experimental Medicine and Biology, 740 :159-182 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'Calcium signalling in adult endothelial outgrowth cells' Pierce, WG;Zanette, C;Caplice, NM;Mackrill, JJ (2012) 'Calcium signalling in adult endothelial outgrowth cells'. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 417 :358-363 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2008) | 'Selenoprotein N is required for ryanodine receptor calcium release channel activity in human and zebrafish muscle' Jurynec, MJ;Xia, RH;Mackrill, JJ;Gunther, D;Crawford, T;Flanigan, KM;Abramson, JJ;Howard, MT;Grunwald, DJ (2008) 'Selenoprotein N is required for ryanodine receptor calcium release channel activity in human and zebrafish muscle'. Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America, 105 :12485-12490 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2007) | 'Sensing intracellular oxygen using near-infrared phosphorescent probes and live-cell fluorescence imaging' O'Riordan, TC;Fitzgerald, K;Ponomarev, GV;Mackrill, J;Hynes, J;Taylor, C;Papkovsky, DB (2007) 'Sensing intracellular oxygen using near-infrared phosphorescent probes and live-cell fluorescence imaging'. American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 292 :1613-1620 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2001) | 'Analysis of type 1 ryanodine receptor-12 kDa FK506-binding protein interaction' Mackrill, JJ;O'Driscoll, S;Lai, FA;McCarthy, TV (2001) 'Analysis of type 1 ryanodine receptor-12 kDa FK506-binding protein interaction'. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 285 :52-57 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2010) | 'Analysis of spatial distribution of marker expression in cells using boundary distance plots' Choudhury KR, Zheng L, Mackrill JJ (2010) 'Analysis of spatial distribution of marker expression in cells using boundary distance plots'. Annals of Applied Statistics, 4 (3):1365-1382 [Details] | |
| (2010) | 'Ryanodine receptor calcium channels and their partners as drug targets' Mackrill, JJ; (2010) 'Ryanodine receptor calcium channels and their partners as drug targets'. Biochemical Pharmacology, 79 (11):1535-1543 [Details] | |
| (2008) | 'Involvement of Fas signalling in 7beta-hydroxycholesterol-and cholesterol-5beta,6beta-epoxide-induced apoptosis' Lordan S, Mackrill JJ, O'Brien NM (2008) 'Involvement of Fas signalling in 7beta-hydroxycholesterol-and cholesterol-5beta,6beta-epoxide-induced apoptosis'. International Journal of Toxicology, 27 (3):279-285 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2006) | 'CD38 is associated with premenopausal and postmenopausal bone mineral density and postmenopausal bone loss' Drummond FJ, Mackrill JJ, O'Sullivan K, Daly M, Shanahan F, Molloy MG.; (2006) 'CD38 is associated with premenopausal and postmenopausal bone mineral density and postmenopausal bone loss'. Journal of Bone Min Metab, 24 (1):28-35 [Details] | |
| (2005) | 'Atypical L-type channels are down-regulated in hypoxia' Callinan, L.,McCarthy, T. V.,Maulet, Y.,Mackrill, J. J.; (2005) 'Atypical L-type channels are down-regulated in hypoxia'. Biochemical Society Transactions, 33 :1137-1139 [Details] | |
| (2004) | 'Unravelling calcium-release channel gating: clues from a 'hot' disease' McCarthy, T. V.,Mackrill, J. J.; (2004) 'Unravelling calcium-release channel gating: clues from a 'hot' disease'. Biochem J, 380 (Pt 2):e1-3 [Details] | |
| (2003) | 'Activation of ryanodine receptor/Ca2+ release channels downregulates CD38 in the Namalwa B lymphoma' McCarthy TV, Datar S, Mackrill JJ; (2003) 'Activation of ryanodine receptor/Ca2+ release channels downregulates CD38 in the Namalwa B lymphoma'. FEBS letters, 554 (1-2):133-137 [Details] | |
| (2003) | 'Dysregulated ryanodine receptors mediate cellular toxicity: restoration of normal phenotype by FKBP12.6. ' George CH, Higgs GV, Mackrill JJ, Lai FA.; (2003) 'Dysregulated ryanodine receptors mediate cellular toxicity: restoration of normal phenotype by FKBP12.6. '. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278 (31):28856-28864 [Details] | |
| (2001) | 'FKBP12 associates tightly with the skeletal muscle type 1 ryanodine receptor, but not with other intracellular calcium release channels' Carmody M, Mackrill JJ, Sorrentino V, O'Neill C; (2001) 'FKBP12 associates tightly with the skeletal muscle type 1 ryanodine receptor, but not with other intracellular calcium release channels'. Febs Letters, 505 (1):97-102 [Details] | |
| (1999) | 'Lysophosphatidic acid-mediated Ca2+ mobilization in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells is independent of phosphoinositide signalling, but dependent on sphingosine kinase activation. ' Young KW, Challiss RA, Nahorski SR, MacKrill JJ.; (1999) 'Lysophosphatidic acid-mediated Ca2+ mobilization in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells is independent of phosphoinositide signalling, but dependent on sphingosine kinase activation. '. Biochemical Journal, 343 (1):45-52 [Details] | |
| (1999) | 'Autoimmune antigen megalin displays similarities with skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor/Ca2+ release channel' Mackrill JJ, Sesay AK, Lai FA; (1999) 'Autoimmune antigen megalin displays similarities with skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor/Ca2+ release channel'. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 3 (6):625-632 [Details] | |
| (1999) | 'Protein-protein interactions in intracellular Ca2+-release channel function' Mackrill, JJ (1999) 'Protein-protein interactions in intracellular Ca2+-release channel function'. The Biochemical Journal, 337 (3):345-361 [Details] | |
| (1998) | 'Possible regulation of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor by a polyubiquitin binding subunit of the 26S proteasome' Mackrill JJ; (1998) 'Possible regulation of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor by a polyubiquitin binding subunit of the 26S proteasome'. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 245 (2):428-429 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (1997) | 'Differential expression and regulation of ryanodine receptor and myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor Ca2+ release channels in mammalian tissues and cell lines' Mackrill JJ, Challiss RA, O'connell DA, Lai FA, Nahorski SR.; (1997) 'Differential expression and regulation of ryanodine receptor and myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor Ca2+ release channels in mammalian tissues and cell lines'. Biochemical Journal, 327 (1):251-258 [Details] | |
| (1996) | 'Stable overexpression of the type-1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor in L fibroblasts: subcellular distribution and functional consequences. ' Mackrill JJ, Wilcox RA, Miyawaki A, Mikoshiba K, Nahorski SR, Challiss RA.; (1996) 'Stable overexpression of the type-1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor in L fibroblasts: subcellular distribution and functional consequences. '. Biochemical Journal, 318 (3):871-878 [Details] | |
| (1995) | 'A ryanodine receptor-like molecule expressed in the osteoclast plasma membranefunctions in extracellular Ca2+ sensing' Zaidi M, Shankar VS, Tunwell R, Adebanjo OA, Mackrill J, Pazianas M, O'Connell D, Simon BJ, Rifkin BR, Venkitaraman AR, et al. ; (1995) 'A ryanodine receptor-like molecule expressed in the osteoclast plasma membranefunctions in extracellular Ca2+ sensing'. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 96 (3):1582-1590 [Details] | |
| (1994) | 'Phosphoinositide-derived second messengers and the regulation of Ca2+ in vascular smooth muscle' Nahorski SR, Wilcox RA, Mackrill JJ, Challiss RA; (1994) 'Phosphoinositide-derived second messengers and the regulation of Ca2+ in vascular smooth muscle'. Journal of Hypertension, 12 (10):133-143 [Details] |
Conference Publications
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland Sectíon of Biomedical Sciences Annual Meeting Carey R., Lai F.A., Lucking E.F., O'Halloran K.D., Mackrill J.J. (2015) Investigation of alterations in cardiac muscle excitation-contraction coupling proteins in a rodent model of chronic intermittent hypoxia Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland Sectíon of Biomedical Sciences Annual Meeting [Details] | |
| (2010) | 11th Meeting of the European Calcium Society / Acta Biochimica Polonica Pierce, WG; Howard, MT; Mackrill, JJ; (2010) Investigation of Selenoprotein N1 interacting proteins 11th Meeting of the European Calcium Society / Acta Biochimica Polonica [Details] | |
| (2010) | 11th Meeting of the European Calcium Society / Acta Biochimica Polonica McCarthy, TV; Corr, A; Zheng, L; Grunstrom, T; Lovett, DH; Mackrill, JJ; (2010) Ca2+-dependent repression of the matrix metalloprotease-2 gene 11th Meeting of the European Calcium Society / Acta Biochimica Polonica [Details] | |
| (2010) | 11th Meeting of the European Calcium Society / Acta Biochimica Polonica Zheng, L; Mackrill, JJ; (2010) Ryanodine receptor expression in human trophoblasts 11th Meeting of the European Calcium Society / Acta Biochimica Polonica [Details] | |
| (2007) | Life Sciences 2007 Pierce W, Murphy SC, Metharom P, Sheehan D, Caplice NM, Mackrill JJ.; (2007) Calcium signalling in vascular stem cells Life Sciences 2007 Glasgow, [Details] | |
| (2007) | Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Section of Biomedical Sciences, Summer Meeting Pierce W, Caplice NM, Metharom P, Mackrill JJ. ; (2007) Atypical Ca2+ responses to fibrinogen in endothelial progenitor cells Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Section of Biomedical Sciences, Summer Meeting Ireland, [Details] | |
| (2007) | Life Sciences 2007 Pierce WG, Murphy SC, Sheehan D, Caplice NM, Mackrill JJ.; (2007) Atypical calcium responses evoked by fibrinogen in vascular stem cells Life Sciences 2007 Glasgow, [Details] | |
| (1994) | Biophysical Society Meeting Mackrill JJ, Lai FA. ; (1994) Solubilization of the type 3 ryanodine receptor from rabbit brain Biophysical Society Meeting USA, [Details] | |
| (1994) | Society for Neuroscience Meeting Lai FA, Mackrill J, Mill M, et al. ; (1994) Biochemical and immunocytochemical characterization of the brain type 3 ryanodine receptor Society for Neuroscience Meeting USA, [Details] | |
| (1993) | Biophysical Society Meeting Mackrill JJ, Sesay AK, Lai FA. ; (1993) Autoimmune antigen GP330 is immunologically related to skeletal muscle ryanodine receptors Biophysical Society Meeting New Orleans, USA, [Details] | |
| (2008) | Nutrition Society Meeting Lordan S, Mackrill JJ, O'Brien NM (2008) Influence of intracellular calcium on apoptosis in differentiated U937 cells following long-term exposure to oxysterols Nutrition Society Meeting [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2007) | 37th Annual Research Conference Food, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences Lordan S, Mackrill JJ, O’Brien NM (2007) Involvement of calcium signalling in oxysterol-induced apoptosis in differentiated U937 cells 37th Annual Research Conference Food, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences [Details] |
Professional Activities
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Health Research Board Career Development Fellowship | Health Research Board of Ireland | |
| 1990 | June Mahon Prize for Molecular Parasitology | Imperial College |
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Network on Oxysterols Research | Member; Scientific Committee 2011 | 01-NOV-09 / | |
| European Calcium Society | Ordinary Member | 01-JAN-08 / | |
| Biochemical Society | Ordinary Member | 01-MAR-03 / 01-NOV-16 | |
| Physiological Society | Ordinary Member/Departmental Representative | 01-DEC-05 / 31-DEC-18 |
Conference Contributions
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2006) | Gordon Research Conference on Skeletal Muscle Excitation-Contraction Coupling 2006, McCarthy TV, Corr A, Grundström T, Lovett DH, Sorrentino V, Mackrill JJ.; (2006) `Ryanodine Receptor Regulation of Smooth Muscle Matrix Metalloprotease-2. [Poster Presentation], Gordon Research Conference on Skeletal Muscle Excitation-Contraction Coupling 2006, '' , 04-JUN-06 - 09-JUN-06. [Details] | |
| (2005) | BioScience 2005, Callina L, McCarthy TV, Maulet Y, Mackrill JJ. ; (2005) Oral presentation by Ms. Callinan on 'Atypical L-type channels are down-regulated in hypoxia. [Oral Presentation], BioScience 2005, Glasgow , 01-JAN-05 - 01-JAN-05. [Details] | |
| (2005) | BioScience 2005, Corr A, Mc Carthy TV, Sorrentino V, Mackrill, JJ. ; (2005) Ryanodine Receptor Regulation of Smooth Muscle Matrix Metalloprotease-2. [Poster Presentation], BioScience 2005, Glasgow , 01-JAN-05 - 01-JAN-05. [Details] |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Network on Oxysterols Research | Member of Scientific Committee | 2011 / | |
| Department of Physiology Departmental Graduate Studies Committee (DGSC) | Chair | 2009 / 2018 | |
| Undergraduate Awards (Life Sciences Panel) | Acted as a judge for the Undergraduate Awards (Life Sciences). | 2013 / 2014 |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physiology, UCC | College Lecturer | 01-SEP-05 / 05-FEB-32 | |
| Department of Biochemistry, University College Cork | Full-time, fixed-term Lecturer | 01-OCT-04 / 01-AUG-05 | |
| Department of Biochemistry, University College Cork | HRB Career Development Fellow | 01-OCT-02 / 01-SEP-04 | |
| Department of Biochemistry, University College Cork | EU-TMR Fellow | 01-MAR-97 / 01-SEP-02 |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Imperial College, | BSC | Biology | |
| 1994 | MRC National Institute for Medical Research, UK. | PHD | '' |
Outreach Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Presentation of some basic Physiology to 1st Class pupils at the Cork Educate Together National School, May 2011. | |
Contributions to outreach in the form of a successful SFI Secondary Teacher Assistant Researcher (STAR) grant application | |
Contributed to an article in the Irish Times (January 2014) | |
Contributed scientific artwork to the ‘It’s a Beautiful World’ Exhibition’, Jennings Galley UCC, Feb-March 2014 | |
Gave a 15 minute interview on 'Rare Diseases' at a local radio station (93.1 Life FM, March 2014) |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biochimie | Referee | 10-OCT-12 - | |
| Advances In Medicine | Referee | 22-MAR-11 - | |
| Clinical Genetics | Referee | 11-OCT-09 - | |
| Febs Letters | Referee | 08-JUN-05 - | |
| Analytical Biochemistry | Referee | 14-JUL-11 - | |
| Bmc Evolutionary Biology | Referee | 19-NOV-13 - | |
| Journal Of Cell Science | Referee | 13-MAR-13 - | |
| Advances In Pharmacology | Referee | 02-FEB-10 - | |
| Molecular Nutrition & Food Research | Referee | 01-NOV-09 - | |
| Biochemical Pharmacology | Referee | 07-SEP-09 - | |
| Journal Of Applied Physiology | Referee | 05-OCT-11 - | |
| Cell Calcium | Referee | 15-AUG-05 - | |
| Biochemical Journal | Member of Advisory Board | 01-OCT-03 - | |
| Journal Of Pharmacological And Toxicological Methods. | Referee | 01-MAY-07 - | |
| Calcium Signaling | Member of Editorial Board | 17-DEC-13 - |
Other Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Refereeing for Funding Bodies 2005: Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council, UK. Number of applications: 1. 2005: Number of applications. Number of applications: 2. 2008: Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council, UK. Number of applications: 1. 2008: Innovation and Technology Support Program, Hong Kong. Number of applications: 1. 2010: Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council, UK. | |
Postgraduate Examinations. Internal Examiner for 10 PhD, 1 MD and 4 MSc examinations. | |
2014: External Examiner for PhD examination of Chloe Maxwell, Institute of Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Cardiff University. Lead supervisor: Prof. Alan J. Williams. | |
2014: External Examiner for PhD examination of Akande Adebola, Dundalk Institute of Technology. Lead supervisor: Dr. Mark Hollywood. | |
2013: External Examiner for PhD examination of Peter Wilson, Wales Heart Research Institute, Cardiff University. Lead supervisor: Prof. F. Anthony Lai. | |
2012: External Examiner for MSc examination of Victoria Cagney, Dundalk Institute of Technology. Lead supervisor: Dr. Keith Thornbury. | |
2010: External Examiner for PhD examination of Mishan Britto, Dublin City University. Lead supervisor: Dr. Ronan Murphy. | |
2010: Member of an interview panel for the appointment of a Lecturer at the School of Biology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
I endeavour to employ ‘learner-centred’ teaching approaches whenever possible. I interact with a broad range of students, from first year medical undergraduates to PhD students. I am the module co-ordinator of 'PL3009: Bioenergetics and Endocrinology', 'PL4005: Molecular Physiology of Channels', 'PL4012: Physiology of Calcium Signalling', 'FM2102: Bone Metabolism, Renal Mechanisms of Homeostasis and Associated Anatomy’, and of 'PL6003: Peer Review and Scientific Communication’. I also contribute to modules 'FM1040 ‘Foundations of Medicine - Gastrointestinal, Nutritional and Metabolic Biology’,'PL3006: Library Project’ and 'PL4020: Research Project’. I have a strong interest in integrating teaching and research, particularly at the postgraduate level. For example, I am the Erasmus Programme Co-ordinator for Life Sciences for exchanges between UCC and the University of Burgundy, a role which resulted from a research collaboration with Prof. Lizard, from this French institution. I taught on an MSc Programme at the University of Burgundy in April 2014. I routinely employ detailed information from scientific papers within my teaching materials. I am currently exploring novel media to communicate processes in biology that display complex spatiotemporal behaviours, particularly by the use of animation. Between 2007 and 2018, I was also Departmental Postgraduate Programme Co-ordinator and Chair of the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee for Physiology. These roles included development and rolling out of discipline-specific postgraduate modules, and co-ordination of assessment of the progress of postgraduate students within our Department. Recent Postgraduates
| Graduation Year | Student Name | Institution | Degree Type | Thesis Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Kathleen Kelly English | University College Cork | PHD | Type 1 Ryanodine Receptor Interactions | |
| 2013 | Limian Zheng | University College Cork | PhD | Ryanodine Receptor Expression in Trophoblasts | |
| 2013 | Yzzam Hammoud | University College Cork | Doctor of Medicine | Oxysterols and Calcium Channel Proteins in Smooth Muscle Cells | |
| 2012 | William Gerard Pierce | University College Cork | PhD | Investigation of Selenoprotein N Expression, Function and Regulation | |
| 2008 | Sinead Lordan | University College Cork | PhD | Cell Signalling in Oxysterol-Induced Apoptosis | |
| 2008 | Ian O'Neill | MSc | Dynamic imaging of intracellular oxygen in live cells and its application to the diagnosis of Malignant Hyperthermia |
Research Information
Internal Collaborators
| Name | Institute | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof. Ken O'Halloran | University College Cork | IRELAND | |
| Prof. John Atkins | University College Cork | IRELAND | |
| Prof. Nora O'Brien | University College Cork | IRELAND | |
| Prof. Noel Caplice | University College Cork | IRELAND | |
| Dr. Barbara Doyle-Prestwich | University College Cork | IRELAND | |
| Dr. Florence McCarthy | University College Cork | IRELAND |
External Collaborators
| Name | Organisation / Institute | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof. Mike Howard | University of Utah | U.S.A. | |
| Dr. Holly Shiels | University of Manchester | UNITED KINGDOM | |
| Prof. Gerard Lizard | University of Burgundy | FRANCE |