Biography

I earned my B.Sc. in Pharmacology from University College Dublin and a PhD in Physiology from Trinity College Dublin. During my doctoral studies, I developed a strong interest in the role of dysfunctional catabolism in neurodegenerative diseases. As a Wellcome Trust postdoctoral fellow, I trained with Dr. Ralph Nixon at the Nathan Kline Institute, New York University, where I identified hallmarks of impaired autophagic flux in neurons affected by Alzheimer's disease. Subsequently, I trained with Prof. Frances Platt at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, characterising temporal impairments in endocytic and autophagic flux in mouse models of lysosomal storage diseases.Returning to Ireland, I became a lecturer in Neuroscience at University College Dublin and worked with Prof. Dominic Walsh as a Health Research Board postdoctoral fellow, gaining expertise in the neuronal metabolism of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Later, I joined the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at University College Cork, where I currently lecture and lead a research team investigating the cellular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Research Interests

Inside all of our cells, waste products are packaged into acidic organelles known as lysosomes, which contain specialised enzymes that degrade cellular waste. Impaired processing (flux) of cellular waste through the endosomal-autophagic-lysosomal system of cells is a central feature of lysosomal storage diseases. Impaired  lysosomal flux is evident in many neurodegenerative diseases across the entire age spectrum; from childhood neurodegenerative conditions that occur in lysosomal storage diseases, to late-onset conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Our goal is to identify cellular biomarkers of impaired lysosomal flux and develop therapies that can restore their function, thus enabling early diagnosis and new treatments for these diseases.

Research Grants

  Project Funding
Body 		Start Date End Date Award
Therapeutic targeting of impaired lysosomal flux in Alzheimer’s disease Science Foundation Ireland 01-AUG-16 31-JUL-18 €201,112.00
Industry-Academic Contract Research Industry 01-AUG-15 31-AUG-17 €10,058.00
Biomarkers of Impaired Lysosomal Flux in Alzheimer's Disease. Foreign Research Institute 01-MAR-14 28-FEB-17 €87,000.00
Irish Network for Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases (IN-BIND) Irish Research Council 01-MAR-14 08-MAY-15 €6,000.00
Strategic Research Fund - Procurement of Electrophoresis Equipment Miscellaneous 01-SEP-13 30-SEP-14 €2,000.00

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2023) 'Dementia research in Ireland: What should we prioritise?'
Rogan C;Rock B;Begley E;Boland B;Brazil K;Diaz-Orueta U;Donnelly S;Foley M;Foley T;Hannigan C;Hopper L;Keogh F;Lawlor B;Leroi I;O'Neill C;O'Philbin L;Pertl M;Trépel D;Kennelly S; (2023) 'Dementia research in Ireland: What should we prioritise?'. Hrb Open Research, 6 [DOI] [Details]
(2023) 'The synthetic TRPML1 agonist ML-SA1 rescues Alzheimer-related alterations of the endosomal-autophagic-lysosomal system'
Somogyi A;Kirkham ED;Lloyd-Evans E;Winston J;Allen ND;Mackrill JJ;Anderson KE;Hawkins PT;Gardiner SE;Waller-Evans H;Sims R;Boland B;O'Neill C; (2023) 'The synthetic TRPML1 agonist ML-SA1 rescues Alzheimer-related alterations of the endosomal-autophagic-lysosomal system'. Journal of Cell Science, 136 (6) [DOI] [Details]
(2021) 'Acetyl-leucine slows disease progression in lysosomal storage disorders'
Kaya, E;Smith, DA;Smith, C;Morris, L;Bremova-Ertl, T;Cortina-Borja, M;Fineran, P;Morten, KJ;Poulton, J;Boland, B;Spencer, J;Strupp, M;Platt, FM (2021) 'Acetyl-leucine slows disease progression in lysosomal storage disorders'. Brain Communications, 3 [DOI] [Details]
(2020) 'Beneficial Effects of Acetyl-DL-Leucine (ADLL) in a Mouse Model of Sandhoff Disease'
Kaya, E;Smith, DA;Smith, C;Boland, B;Strupp, M;Platt, FM (2020) 'Beneficial Effects of Acetyl-DL-Leucine (ADLL) in a Mouse Model of Sandhoff Disease'. Clinical Medicine, 9 [DOI] [Details]
(2019) 'Building a supportive framework for brain research in Ireland: inaugural position paper of the Irish Brain Council'
Rogers, Mags; Boland, Barry; Clarke, Sarah; Craven, Audrey; Fassbender, Catherine; Gill, Michael; Hardiman, Orla; Henshall, David C.; Lynch, Tim; Mitchell, Kevin; Pender, Niall; Rogan, Carol; Roche, Richard A. P. (2019) 'Building a supportive framework for brain research in Ireland: inaugural position paper of the Irish Brain Council'. European Journal of Neuroscience, :1-9 [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Full Text] [Details]
(2018) 'Neprilysin degrades murine Amyloid-beta (A beta) more efficiently than human A beta: Further implication for species-specific amyloid accumulation'
Becker, M;Moore, A;Naughton, M;Boland, B;Siems, WE;Walther, T (2018) 'Neprilysin degrades murine Amyloid-beta (A beta) more efficiently than human A beta: Further implication for species-specific amyloid accumulation'. Neuroscience Letters, 686 :74-79 [DOI] [Details]
(2018) 'Promoting the clearance of neurotoxic proteins in neurodegenerative disorders of ageing'
Boland B;Yu WH;Corti O;Mollereau B;Henriques A;Bezard E;Pastores GM;Rubinsztein DC;Nixon RA;Duchen MR;Mallucci GR;Kroemer G;Levine B;Eskelinen EL;Mochel F;Spedding M;Louis C;Martin OR;Millan MJ; (2018) 'Promoting the clearance of neurotoxic proteins in neurodegenerative disorders of ageing'. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 17 (9) [DOI] [Details]
(2019) 'No evidence in support of a prodromal respiratory control signature in the TgF344-AD rat model of Alzheimer's disease'
Lucking EF;Murphy KH;Burns DP;Jaisimha AV;Barry-Murphy KJ;Dhaliwal P;Boland B;Rae MG;O'Halloran KD; (2019) 'No evidence in support of a prodromal respiratory control signature in the TgF344-AD rat model of Alzheimer's disease'. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology, [DOI] [Details]
(2017) 'Tetraspanin 3: A central endocytic membrane component regulating the expression of ADAM10, presenilin and the amyloid precursor protein'
Seipold, L;Damme, M;Prox, J;Rabe, B;Kasparek, P;Sedlacek, R;Altmeppen, H;Willem, M;Boland, B;Glatzel, M;Saftig, P (2017) 'Tetraspanin 3: A central endocytic membrane component regulating the expression of ADAM10, presenilin and the amyloid precursor protein'. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Molecular Cell Research, 1864 :217-230 [DOI] [Details]
(2015) 'Bridging the age spectrum of neurodegenerative storage diseases'
Boland B., Platt F.M. (2015) 'Bridging the age spectrum of neurodegenerative storage diseases'. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 29 (2):127-143 [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Details]
(2015) 'The familial British dementia mutation promotes formation of neurotoxic cystine cross-linked amyloid Bri (ABri) oligomers'
Cantlon A, Sala Frigerio C, Freir DB, Boland B, Jin M, Walsh DM (2015) 'The familial British dementia mutation promotes formation of neurotoxic cystine cross-linked amyloid Bri (ABri) oligomers'. Journal of Biological Chemistry, [DOI] [Details]
(2012) 'Role of aromatic side chains in amyloid-β-protein aggregation'
Cukalevski R, Boland B, Frohm B, Thulin E, Walsh D, Linse S (2012) 'Role of aromatic side chains in amyloid-β-protein aggregation'. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 3 (12):1008-1016 [DOI] [Details]
(2012) 'The cell biology of disease: lysosomal storage disorders: the cellular impact of lysosomal dysfunction'
Platt FM, Boland B, van der Spoel AC (2012) 'The cell biology of disease: lysosomal storage disorders: the cellular impact of lysosomal dysfunction'. The Journal of Cell Biology, 199 (5):723-734 [DOI] [Details]
(2010) 'Amyloid β-protein aggregation produces highly reproducible kinetic data and occurs by a two-phase process'
Hellstrand E, Boland B, Walsh DM, Linse S (2010) 'Amyloid β-protein aggregation produces highly reproducible kinetic data and occurs by a two-phase process'. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 1 (1):13-18 [DOI] [Details]
(2010) 'Macroautophagy is not directly involved in the metabolism of amyloid precursor protein'
Boland B, Smith DA, Mooney D, Jung SS, Walsh DM, Platt FM (2010) 'Macroautophagy is not directly involved in the metabolism of amyloid precursor protein'. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 285 (48):37415-37426 [DOI] [Details]
(2009) 'gamma-secretase processing of APLP1 leads to the production of a p3-like peptide that does not aggregate and is not toxic to neurons'
Minogue AM, Stubbs AK, Frigerio CS, Boland B, Fadeeva JV, Tang J, Selkoe DJ, Walsh DM (2009) 'gamma-secretase processing of APLP1 leads to the production of a p3-like peptide that does not aggregate and is not toxic to neurons'. Brain, 1262 :89-99 [DOI] [Details]
(2008) 'Neurofilament tail phosphorylation: identity of the RT-97 phosphoepitope and regulation in neurons by cross-talk among proline-directed kinases'
Veeranna, Lee JH, Pareek TK, Jaffee H, Boland B, Vinod KY, Amin N, Kulkarni AB, Pant HC, Nixon RA (2008) 'Neurofilament tail phosphorylation: identity of the RT-97 phosphoepitope and regulation in neurons by cross-talk among proline-directed kinases'. Journal of Neurochemistry, 107 (1):35-49 [DOI] [Details]
(2008) 'Autophagy induction and autophagosome clearance in neurons: relationship to autophagic pathology in Alzheimer's disease'
Boland B, Kumar A, Lee S, Platt FM, Wegiel J, Yu WH, Nixon RA (2008) 'Autophagy induction and autophagosome clearance in neurons: relationship to autophagic pathology in Alzheimer's disease'. The Journal of Neuroscience, 28 (27):6926-6937 [DOI] [Details]
(2006) 'Neuronal macroautophagy: from development to degeneration'
Boland B, Nixon RA (2006) 'Neuronal macroautophagy: from development to degeneration'. Molecular aspects of medicine, 27 (5-6):503-519 [DOI] [Details]
(2004) 'Aβ-mediated activation of the apoptotic cascade in cultured cortical neurones: a role for cathepsin-L'
Boland B, Campbell V (2004) 'Aβ-mediated activation of the apoptotic cascade in cultured cortical neurones: a role for cathepsin-L'. Neurobiology of Aging, 25 (1):83-91 [DOI] [Details]
(2004) 'Calpain mediates calcium-induced activation of the ERK1,2 MAPK pathway and cytoskeletal phosphorylation in neurons: relevance to Alzheimer's disease'
Veeranna, Kaji T, Boland B, Odrljin T, Mohan P, Basavarajappa BS, Peterhoff C, Cataldo A, Rudnicki A, Amin N, Li BS, Pant HC, Hungund BL, Arancio O, Nixon RA (2004) 'Calpain mediates calcium-induced activation of the ERK1,2 MAPK pathway and cytoskeletal phosphorylation in neurons: relevance to Alzheimer's disease'. American Journal of Pathology, 165 (3):795-805 [DOI] [Details]
(2003) 'β-Amyloid (1-40)-induced apoptosis of cultured cortical neurones involves calpain-mediated cleavage of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase'
Boland B, Campbell V (2003) 'β-Amyloid (1-40)-induced apoptosis of cultured cortical neurones involves calpain-mediated cleavage of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase'. Neurobiology of Aging, 24 (1):179-186 [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Details]
(2002) 'Apoptotic changes in the aged brain are triggered by interleukin-1β-induced activation of p38 and reversed by treatment with eicosapentaenoic acid'
Martin DS, Lonergan PE, Boland B, Fogarty MP, Brady M, Horrobin DF, Campbell VA, Lynch MA (2002) 'Apoptotic changes in the aged brain are triggered by interleukin-1β-induced activation of p38 and reversed by treatment with eicosapentaenoic acid'. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277 (37):34239-34246 [DOI] [Details]
(2001) 'Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol induces the apoptotic pathway in cultured cortical neurones via activation of the CB1 receptor'
Downer, E., Boland, B., Fogarty, M. and Campbell, V. (2001) 'Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol induces the apoptotic pathway in cultured cortical neurones via activation of the CB1 receptor'. Neuroreport, 12 (18):3973-8-3978 [DOI] [Details]

Conference Publications

  Year Publication
(2004) Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 2004, 690.14
Downer, E.J., Fogarty, M.P., Boland, B. and Campbell, V.A. (2004) - Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 2004, 690.14 [Details]

Abstract

  Year Publication
(2022) Unravelling the role of acidic organelles in Goat Atrial Fibrillation.
Ayagama, T;Capel, RA;Charles, P;Priestman, DA;Aston, D;Bose, SJ;Berridge, G;Galione, A;Fischer, R;Cribbs, A;Heather, L;Boland, B;Kramer, H;Platt, FM;Schotten, U;Verheule, S;Burton, RA (2022) Unravelling the role of acidic organelles in Goat Atrial Fibrillation. HOBOKEN: Abstract [Details]
(2017) In vitro model for studying the non-autonomous degeneration of neurons containing hyperphosphorylated tau: relevance to Alzheimer's disease.
Jaisimha, AV;McCarthy, CJ;Phelan, K;Boland, B (2017) In vitro model for studying the non-autonomous degeneration of neurons containing hyperphosphorylated tau: relevance to Alzheimer's disease. HOBOKEN: Abstract [Details]
(2014) Amyloid beta-Protein: The Influence of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors on Fibril Formation.
Cukalevski, R;Yang, XT;Cohen, S;Boland, B;Frohm, B;Thulin, E;Walsh, D;Knowles, T;Linse, S (2014) Amyloid beta-Protein: The Influence of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors on Fibril Formation. CAMBRIDGE: Abstract [Details]

Editorship

  Year Publication
(2019) Building a supportive framework for brain research in Ireland: Inaugural position paper of the Irish Brain Council.
Rogers M.;Boland B.;Clarke S.;Craven A.;Fassbender C.;Gill M.;Hardiman O.;Henshall D.;Lynch T.;Mitchell K.;Pender N.;Rogan C.;Roche R. (2019) Building a supportive framework for brain research in Ireland: Inaugural position paper of the Irish Brain Council. Editorship [DOI] [Details]

Reviews

  Year Publication
(2018) Promoting the clearance of neurotoxic proteins in neurodegenerative disorders of ageing.
Boland, B;Yu, WH;Corti, O;Mollereau, B;Henriques, A;Bezard, E;Pastores, GM;Rubinsztein, DC;Nixon, RA;Duchen, MR;Mallucci, GR;Kroemer-, G;Levine, B;Eskelinen, EL;Mochel, F;Spedding, M;Louis, C;Martin, OR;Millan, MJ (2018) Promoting the clearance of neurotoxic proteins in neurodegenerative disorders of ageing. LONDON: Reviews [DOI] [Details]
(2015) Bridging the age spectrum of neurodegenerative storage diseases.
Boland B.;Platt F. (2015) Bridging the age spectrum of neurodegenerative storage diseases. Reviews [DOI] [Details]

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2009 Peter Carlton Jones Memorial Award Niemann Pick Disease Group UK

Professional Associations

  Association Function From / To
Dementia and Neurodegeneration Network Ireland (DNNI) Support translational biomaker research for neurodegenerative diseases in Ireland and abroad 01-AUG-12 /

Committees

  Committee Function From / To
Brain Tumour Ireland Scientific Advisor 2017 /

Outreach Activities

  Description

2016: Organised a 1-day event in UCC for Brain Awareness Week

Teaching Interests

Lecturer on the following modules:

Semester One:

1. GM1001: Fundamentals of Medicine I
2. GM2001: Fundamentals of Medicine IV
3. PT2448: Cellular and Molecular Basis of Drug Action and Toxicity
4. PT3001: Introduction to Pharmacology
5. PT3020: Pharmacology of Disease
6. PT3201: Dental Pharmacology
7. PT4005: Neuropharmacology (Module Co-Ordinator)
8. PT4021: Immunopharmacology & Chemotherapy 
9. PL4011: Learning and Memory
8. ML6004: Cell and Molecular Biology

Semester Two:

1. GM1002: Fundamentals of Medicine II
2. PT1445: Foundation Pharmacology
3. FM2003: Foundations of Medicine: Medical Pharmacology (Module Co-Ordinator)
4. PT2201: Principals of Dental Pharmacology
5. GM2001: Fundamentals of Medicine iV
6. AN3013: Neurobiology of Disease
7. PF4014: Central Nervous System
8. PT4024: Current Topics in Pharmacology

Internal Collaborators

  Name Institute Country
Dr. Cora O'Neill Dept. of Biochemistry, University College Cork IRELAND
Prof. William Molloy St. Finbarr's Hospital Cork and The Centre for Gerontology and Rehabilitation (UCC) IRELAND

External Collaborators

  Name Organisation / Institute Country
Prof. Frances Platt University of Oxford UNITED KINGDOM
Prof. Dominic Walsh Harvard University U.S.A.