Colin McNamara
Research Profile
Biography
Colin studied Computer Engineering (BEng Hons) at the
University of Limerick and after graduation, worked for four years as a
software and hardware development engineer for the integrated-circuit company
Analog Devices. He then gained an MSc in Neuroscience at the University of
Oxford, before commencing his doctoral studies in the MRC Anatomical
Neuropharmacology Unit at the University of Oxford. His doctoral research
showed how the brain's reward system can influence memory related to novel
experiences. He found that activating midbrain dopaminergic neurons enhanced
subsequent hippocampal reactivation and spatial memory persistence. Colin was
awarded a prestigious Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship by Wellcome in
2018. He completed the fellowship in the Brain Network Dynamics Unit at the
University of Oxford where he focused on investigating the role of rhythmic
activity in the brain and developing technology to interact with it. Using a
patented approach he developed, he was able to amplify or suppress ongoing
brain oscillations in real-time and he showed that the manipulation was
functionally relevant as it altered behaviour. Colin established his research group
in Cork in 2024 and was appointed as a lecturer in physiology. McNamara group
continue to engineer approaches to understand how brain activity supports
learning and memory to drive our actions. As part of APC Microbiome Ireland, they
are investigating mechanisms of vagus nerve mediated gut microbiota influence
on such brain activity.
Research Interests
Colins research interests are multidisciplinary spanning
Physiology, Neuroscience and Engineering. He focuses on understanding normal brain function
through analysis of brain activity coupled with behavioural quantification and he
develops closed-loop brain machine interfaces to interact with ongoing brain
activity in real-time. By exploiting the fundamental understanding gained using
these methods and electronic systems, he also seeks to develop treatment
approaches to correct pathophysiological activity associated with specific
brain disorders and psychiatric conditions.
Research Grants
Project | Funding Body |
Start Date | End Date | Award | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neuronal Activity Driving Parkinsons Disease - The Gut Connection | Other: Not Listed | 31-JAN-24 | 31-JAN-27 | 340,000.00 | |
EU H2020 MSCA CoFund 101034270 INSPIRE Lea Roussin | Horizon 2020 | 19-AUG-24 | 18-AUG-26 | 86,268.00 | |
Closing the loop on neuronal oscillations - Motor networks take centre stage | Wellcome Trust | 01-OCT-18 | 12-NOV-22 | 300,000.00 |
Peer Reviewed Journals
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
(2025) | 'Multi-level encoding of reward, effort, and choice across the frontal cortex and basal ganglia during cost-benefit decision-making'
Härmson O;Grennan I;Perry B;Toth R;McNamara CG;Denison T;Cagnan H;Manohar SG;Walton ME;Sharott A; (2025) 'Multi-level encoding of reward, effort, and choice across the frontal cortex and basal ganglia during cost-benefit decision-making'. Cell Reports, 44 (2) [DOI] [Details] |
|
(2024) | 'Coordinating brain-distributed network activities in memory resistant to extinction'
Clarke-Williams CJ;Lopes-Dos-Santos V;Lefèvre L;Brizee D;Causse AA;Rothaermel R;Hartwich K;Perestenko PV;Toth R;McNamara CG;Sharott A;Dupret D; (2024) 'Coordinating brain-distributed network activities in memory resistant to extinction'. Cell, 187 (2) [DOI] [Details] |
|
(2022) | 'Stable, interactive modulation of neuronal oscillations produced through brain-machine equilibrium'
McNamara CG;Rothwell M;Sharott A; (2022) 'Stable, interactive modulation of neuronal oscillations produced through brain-machine equilibrium'. Cell Reports, 41 (6) [DOI] [Details] |
|
(2020) | 'Parkinson's disease uncovers an underlying sensitivity of subthalamic nucleus neurons to beta-frequency cortical input in vivo'
Baaske MK;Kormann E;Holt AB;Gulberti A;McNamara CG;Pötter-Nerger M;Westphal M;Engel AK;Hamel W;Brown P;Moll CKE;Sharott A; (2020) 'Parkinson's disease uncovers an underlying sensitivity of subthalamic nucleus neurons to beta-frequency cortical input in vivo'. Neurobiology of Disease, 146 [DOI] [Details] |
|
(2019) | 'Phase-Dependent Suppression of Beta Oscillations in Parkinson's Disease Patients'
Holt AB;Kormann E;Gulberti A;Pötter-Nerger M;McNamara CG;Cagnan H;Baaske MK;Little S;Köppen JA;Buhmann C;Westphal M;Gerloff C;Engel AK;Brown P;Hamel W;Moll CKE;Sharott A; (2019) 'Phase-Dependent Suppression of Beta Oscillations in Parkinson's Disease Patients'. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 39 (6) [DOI] [Details] |
|
(2016) | 'Recoding a cocaine-place memory engram to a neutral engram in the hippocampus'
Trouche S;Perestenko PV;van de Ven GM;Bratley CT;McNamara CG;Campo-Urriza N;Black SL;Reijmers LG;Dupret D; (2016) 'Recoding a cocaine-place memory engram to a neutral engram in the hippocampus'. Nature Neuroscience, 19 (4) [DOI] [Details] |
|
(2016) | 'Hippocampal Offline Reactivation Consolidates Recently Formed Cell Assembly Patterns during Sharp Wave-Ripples'
van de Ven GM;Trouche S;McNamara CG;Allen K;Dupret D; (2016) 'Hippocampal Offline Reactivation Consolidates Recently Formed Cell Assembly Patterns during Sharp Wave-Ripples'. Neuron, 92 (5) [DOI] [Details] |
|
(2014) | 'Dopaminergic neurons promote hippocampal reactivation and spatial memory persistence'
McNamara CG;Tejero-Cantero Á;Trouche S;Campo-Urriza N;Dupret D; (2014) 'Dopaminergic neurons promote hippocampal reactivation and spatial memory persistence'. Nature Neuroscience, 17 (12) [DOI] [Details] |
Review Articles
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
(2019) | Novelty and Dopaminergic Modulation of Memory Persistence: A Tale of Two Systems.
Duszkiewicz AJ;McNamara CG;Takeuchi T;Genzel L; (2019) Novelty and Dopaminergic Modulation of Memory Persistence: A Tale of Two Systems. Review Articles [DOI] [Details] |
|
(2017) | Two sources of dopamine for the hippocampus.
McNamara CG;Dupret D; (2017) Two sources of dopamine for the hippocampus. Review Articles [DOI] [Details] |
Computer Program
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
(2022) | OscillTrack - Real-time oscillatory phase tracking for adaptive brain stimulation.
C.G. McNamara (2022) OscillTrack - Real-time oscillatory phase tracking for adaptive brain stimulation. Computer Program [ Publisher's Version] [Details] |
Data set
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
(2022) | Electrocorticogram with closed-loop stimulation of basal ganglia nuclei aligned to beta oscillation phase.
C.G. McNamara, M. Rothwell, A. Sharott (2022) Electrocorticogram with closed-loop stimulation of basal ganglia nuclei aligned to beta oscillation phase. Data set [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Details] |
Patents
Patent Number | Title | Granted | |
---|---|---|---|
WO/2020/183152 | Apparatus and method for phase tracking an oscillatory signal | 17-SEP-20 |