Microbiology

Contact Details

Address	Microbiology Department of Microbiology & School of Pharmacy University College Cork
Telephone:	+353 21 490 1363
Fax:	+353 21 490 3101
Email:	ei.ccu@nahaG.C
Title	Lecturer
Address	Microbiology University College Cork Cork Ireland
Telephone:	+353-21-490-3000
Fax:	+353 21 490 1363
Email:	ei.ccu@nahaG.C
Homepage:	Web Page

Biography:

Overview

Dr. Cormac Gahan graduated in 1996 with a PhD in Immunology and Microbiology from University College Cork. He has since published over 90 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in journals including PNAS, Molecular Microbiology, Infection and Immunity, Vaccine and Journal of Bacteriology. His current h-index is 34. Recent work has examined the use of live L. monocytogenes and L. lactis vectors as gene and protein delivery platforms for novel vaccination and therapeutic approaches. This work has been carried out in collaboration with Dr. Mark Tangney at the Cork Cancer Research Centre and Dr. Brendan Griffin in the School of Pharmacy, UCC. Dr. Gahan leads the Infectious Disease programme with Prof. Colin Hill within the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (http://apc.ucc.ie ) and is funded by further grants from Science Foundation Ireland and the Health Research Board.

Dr. Gahan is currently on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Pathogens and was on the editorial board of Journal of Applied Microbiology & Letters in Applied Microbiology from 2004-2010.  He has been commissioned to act as Editor-in-chief of the Encyclopaedia of Pharmaceutical Microbiology by Springer Publishing (due 2013). Dr. Gahan directed the SFI funded UREKA programme entitled Microbe-Host Interactions that provided laboratory training for undergraduate students (http://ureka.ucc.ie ) from 2006-2011.

 Academic Career

1986-1990: BSc

1990-1995: PhD Immunology & Microbiology

Additional Positions and Awards

1995-1998: Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Microbiology, UCC

1998-2001: Health Research Board Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UCC

2001-2003: Principal Investigator, Listeria pathogenesis, UCC

2002-2004: Temporary Lecturer, Department of Microbiology, UCC

2004-Present: Faculty Appointment, School of Pharmacy & Department of Microbiology, UCC

2006: Enterprise Ireland International Collaboration Award to visit collaborators (Dr. Jonathan Hardy and Prof. Chris Contag) at Stanford University Medical School

2006-Present: Director of UREKA undergraduate research programme (Microbe-Host Interactions, UCC) funded by SFI

2005-Present: Member of editorial board of Journal of Applied Microbiology and Letters in Applied Microbiology

2008-Present: Editor in Chief Encyclopaedia of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Springer, (Due 2011)

Teaching areas

• Microbiology – an Introduction for Pharmacy Students (MB2444)
• Clinical Microbiology for Pharmacy Students (PF3444)
• Advanced Medical Microbiology (MB4007)
• Advanced Immunology (MB4009)
• Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (PF4109 & PF6205)
• Pharmaceutical Microbiology & Sterile Manufacturing (PF6203)

Research interests and expertise

• Development of live bacterial vaccine and DNA delivery vectors
• Understanding microbial pathogenesis in gut pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes & Clostridium difficile)
• Culture-independent approaches to understanding the gut microbiota
• Microbe-host signaling and bile degradation in the human GI tract