Professor Olivia O'Leary is Director of the BSc Neuroscience Programme, and a Principal Investigator in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and the APC Microbiome Ireland Research Institute. Olivia graduated with a BSc in Biotechnology, NUI, Galway, followed by an MSc in Neuropharmacology at the same institution. She was a visiting scholar for over three years at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, where she conducted her PhD research in behavioural neuropharmacology. This was followed by postdoctoral research at the Neuroscience Centre at the University of Helsinki where her research was focused on the role of neuronal plasticity in pathophysiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Subsequently, Olivia was awarded a prestigious Career Development Award from the Health Research Board to conduct her research at the School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, where she was appointed as lecturer in 2011. Olivia then joined the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience as a lecturer in 2012. Olivia's main research interest is in the neurobiology and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders with a particular focus on depression. Her research has been published in high-impact journals including PNAS and Science. In addition, Olivia has been the recipient of several awards from international professional societies including the 2015 most outstanding Junior Faculty Award from the International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society (IBANGS), The Rafaelsen Young Investigator Award from the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2011) and the Fellowship Award from the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP; 2010), as well the career development award from the Health Research Board Ireland (2008-2011). Most recently, Olivia was honoured with the 2020 ECNP Citation Award. In addition to her teaching and research activities, Olivia is an expert r

I lead a research group focused on determining the effects and consequences of psychological stress on the brain and identifying the biological mechanisms and factors that determine vulnerability or resilience to stress-induced depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction. My research has increased understanding of how antidepressant drugs exert their therapeutic effects (e.g. Science PMID:18420937; PNAS PMID:15148402; Psychoneuroendocrinology PMID:18977602) and has identified novel biological mediators of stress resilience including FKBP51 (Mol Psych PMID: 36104438) and the GABAB1 receptor (PNAS PMID: 25288769). Much of my research focuses on the role of the hippocampus area of the brain and neurogenesis (the production of new neurons) as a cellular mediator of stress, anxiety, antidepressant action, and learning & memory. How the hippocampus has functions as diverse as memory and antidepressant action is not understood, but my research has shown that neurogenesis specifically in the ventral region but not the dorsal region of the hippocampus, plays a key role in responses to stress and antidepressants (e.g. Mol Psych PMID: 32709996). My research also discovered that the gut microbiome and neural signalling from the gut to the brain regulates hippocampal neurogenesis (Biol Psych PMID: 25700599; PMID: 29426666), findings that led to my 2020 Citation Award from the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. My current SFI-funded project is focused on determining the mechanisms underlying the microbiota -gut-neurogenesis axis and the implications that this has for cognitive function and stress-related psychiatric disorders. My current research programme also investigates interactions between stress, the gut microbiota and female brain health (cognition, anxiety, depression) during hormonal transition periods of life (puberty, post-partum, menopause, e.g. PMID: 36532376) which may

CURRENT POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS: Amiee Cronin (2023-2026, PhD student) Almas Khan (2022-2026, PhD student) Ketki Mulay (2022-2026, PhD student) Antonios Prosilis (2022-2026, PhD student) Maria Caruso (2021-2025, PhD Student) PROGRAMME DIRECTOR (2023-present): BSc Neuroscience Intercalated BSc (Hons) Degree (Anatomy or Neuroscience) UNDERGRADUATE: Module Coordinator & Lecturer: AN1063 Anatomy of Exercise (Academic Years 2012-2023) AN3004 Human regional neuroanatomy AN4012 Medical imaging and biomedical devices in the neurosciences AN4011 Research Project AN4015 Work Placement MD1205 Principles of Human Structure for Practitioner Paramedics MD1206 Topographical Anatomy for Practitioner ParamedicsMD3012 Principles of Human Structure for Practitioner Paramedics MD3015 Topographic Anatomy for Practitioner Paramedics MD2005 Principles of Human Structure for Practitioner Paramedics MD2006 Topographic Anatomy for Practitioner Paramedics Co-ordinator & Lecturer of Neuroanatomy component of: AN2006 Neuroanatomy and embryology for dental students AN2060 Developmental neuroanatomy for occupational therapy AN2061 Neuroanatomy and embryology for speech and language therapy Lecturer: AN4014 Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience AN4013 Advanced Topics in Neuroscience AN3011 Library Project (2023- ) AN3013 Neurobiololgy of Disease AN2020 Introduction to Neuroscience, the Brain and Behaviour Supervisor: AN3011 Library project (2012 - 2021) AN4011 Research Project (2012 - present) MX5091 Research Project and Elective Practice POSTGRADUATE: MSc thesis Supervisor: AN6010 Re