Gerard O'Keeffe
Research Profile
Biography
Research Interests
BIOLOGICAL/TRANSLATIONAL
Dopamine is one of the major neurotransmitters found in the CNS. Three quarters of all dopaminergic neurons in the adult brain are located in the midbrain in three distinct groups termed A8, A9 and A10. These midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDA) have been intensively studied given their involvement in a range of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.
mDA neurons form two major projections known as the nigrostriatal pathway and the mesocorticolimbic pathway. The nigrostriatal pathway is crucial for motor control, and loss of mDA neurons that form this pathway is a pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and late cognitive impairment. In contrast, mesocorticolimbic mDA function is crucial for the regulation of emotion and reward, and alterations in this system have been implicated in schizophrenia, drug addiction, ADHD and depression. As part of our work we ask three main questions:
1. How do gene-environment interactions affect the dopaminergic system?
2. What molecular mechanisms are crucial to maintain these neurons throughout life?
3. How do we translate these findings into new therapies to protect dopamine neurons?
We have on-going projects in the following key areas of interest:
1. Developing AAV and small molecule neurotrophic factor therapy for Parkinson’s.
2. Targeting the epigenome as a therapeutic approach for Parkinson’s disease.
3. Molecular mechanisms regulating the axonal growth of dopaminergic neurons.
4. Integrated ‘omics profiling for biomarker development for Parkinson’s disease.
5. Effects of prenatal stress, hypoxic, inflammation and hypertension on ASD/ADHD.
Current Team Members:
Dr. Ruth Concannon: Postdoctoral researcher
Postdoctoral research: Developing AAV neurotrophic factor therapy for Parkinson’s.
Ms. Amnah Al Singh: PhD (Supervisor with Prof. Aideen. Sullivan & Dr. Shane Hegarty)
Thesis topic: Growing and re-growing dopaminergic nigrostriatal axons.
Mr. Jayantha Anantha: PhD (Supervisor with Prof. Aideen Sullivan)
Thesis topic: Molecular signalling cascades regulation dopaminergic axon growth.
Ms. Rebecca Anderson: PhD (co-supervisor with Prof. K. McDermott - UL)
Thesis topic: Multiple impacts of prenatal inflammation on CNS development.
Ms. Katie Togher: PhD (co-supervisor with Drs G. Clarke, A. Khashan & Prof. L. Kenny)
Thesis topic: Clinical and molecular signatures of prenatal stress in women and children.
Dr. Grace Crotty: MD (co-supervisor with Dr Sean O’Sullivan and Prof. Aideen Sullivan)
Thesis topic: Identifying clinical, CSF and blood based biomarkers for Parkinson’s.
Mr. Jason Radford: MSc
Thesis topic: Effect of HDAC inhibition on the developing dopaminergic system.
Dr. David O'Driscoll: MSc (co-supervisor with Profs L. Kenny & G. Boylan)
Thesis topic: Understanding the impact of mild HIE on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Ms. Sophie Casey MSc (co-supervisor with Dr Deirdre Murray and Prof. G. Boylan)
Thesis topic: To determine the downstream targets and effects of miRNA alterations in HIE.
Ms. Martina Mazzocchi: Erasmus scholar
Thesis topic: DNMT inhibitors as novel neuroprotectants for dopaminergic axons.
Research Grants
Project | Funding Body |
Start Date | End Date | Award | |
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Molecular Mechanisms regulatiing the Sip1-mediated regulation of neurite growth in the developing brain. | National University of Ireland (NUI) | 01-OCT-15 | 30-SEP-16 | €45,000.00 | |
Summer Scholarship | Health Research Board | 02-JUN-15 | 24-JUL-15 | €2,000.00 | |
NUI Fellowship in Sciences Shane Hegarty. | Irish Funded Research | 01-OCT-15 | 30-SEP-17 | €57,300.00 | |
Development of GDF5 neurotrophic factor therapy for Parkinson's Disease. | Science Foundation of Ireland | 01-DEC-16 | 30-NOV-20 | €639,453.00 | |
To determine the effects and mechanisms by which prenatal stress reduces placntal HSD1182 expression and to develop protective pharmacotherapy for the human placenta | UCC TRAP (Translational Research Access Programme) | 01-OCT-14 | 30-SEP-15 | €9,000.00 | |
Identification of Smad-Interacting protein 1 (Sip 1) as a novel regulator of ventral midbrain dopaminergic neuron development. | Irish Research Council | 01-OCT-14 | 30-SEP-15 | €45,828.00 | |
Investigator of the cellular and molecular consequences of maternal inflammation on the cytoarchitecture of the developing spinal cord. | Other: Not Listed | 01-OCT-14 | 30-SEP-17 | €77,830.00 | |
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: Validating the term and pretrem animal approach and its relationship to clinical diagnosis | Other: Not Listed | 01-OCT-14 | 30-SEP-15 | €22,035.00 | |
Defining the role of the HDAC5 in the regulation of the placental HSD11B2 glucocorticoid barrier in an in vitro model of the human placenta. | Other: Not Listed | 02-JUN-14 | 19-SEP-14 | €500.00 | |
Maternal Inflammation and Foetal Nigrostriatal Development. | Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering & Technology (IRCSET) | 01-SEP-12 | 31-AUG-15 | €72,000.00 | |
Defining the potential of the transmembrane GITR receptor as a novel therapeutic for PNS neuropathies. | Science Foundation of Ireland | 01-AUG-10 | 31-JUL-14 | €220,400.00 | |
The potential of the endocannabinoid system as a pharmacological target for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. | Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering & Technology (IRCSET) | 11-JUL-11 | 10-JUL-13 | €79,280.00 | |
The role of Smad transcription factors in embryonic neuronal survival | Irish Research Council | 01-OCT-10 | 30-SEP-13 | €72,000.00 | |
IRCSET EMBARK PG Aoife Nolan | Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering & Technology (IRCSET) | 01-OCT-09 | 30-SEP-13 | €72,009.00 | |
Defining the potential of GDF-5 as a novel therapeutic for Parkinson's desease. HRB HRA/2009/127 : Defining the potential of GDF-5 as a novel therapeutic for Parkinson's disease. | Health Research Board | 01-OCT-09 | 30-SEP-12 | €147,051.00 | |
Identifying the roles of GDF in neuronal survival and growth. | Leverhulme Trust | 01-OCT-08 | 30-SEP-09 | €55,000.00 | |
Wnts and TGF-betas interactions in midbrain dopaminergic neuron development. | Enterprise Ireland | 01-JUL-03 | 30-JUN-04 | €7,000.00 | |
Characterisation of the expression and function of GDF5 in the rat brain. | Irish Research Council | 01-OCT-00 | 30-SEP-04 | €51,000.00 | |
Supplement: Characterisation of the expression and function of GDF5 in the develop[ing rat brain. | Irish Research Council | 01-OCT-00 | 30-SEP-03 | €9,000.00 |
Contract Researchers
Researcher Name | Project | Role | Funding Body | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Shane Hegarty | 'Identification of Smad-interacting protein 1 as a novel regulator of ventral midbrain dopaminergic neuron development.’ | Postdoctoral Researcher | Irish Research Council |
Honours and Awards
Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
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2014 | Lab member (Shane Hegarty) awardedAwarded Neuroscience Ireland Travel Bursary. | Neuroscience Ireland. | |
2014 | Lab member (Megan Straley) awarded Doctoral Student Travel Bursary. | UCC | |
2013 | Lab member (Shane Hegarty) wins best poster prize at Neuroscience Ireland Conference | Neuroscience Ireland. | |
2013 | Lab member (Shane Hegarty) awarded Doctoral Student Travel Bursary. | UCC | |
2012 | Lab member (Sean CRampton) awarded Doctoral Student Travel Bursary. | UCC | |
2011 | Lab member (Aoife Nolan) awarded BSI postgraduate reearcher of the year | UCC | |
2008 | Awarded a leverhulme Trust Fellowship | Leverhulme Trust | |
2004 | Awarded a place on FENS “Stem cells and the nervous system” workshop. | Federation of European Neuroscientists | |
2002 | Awarded best presentation at the UCC medical research day. | UCC | |
2002 | Awarded place on FENS “Stem cells for Parkinson’s disease”. | Federation of European Neuroscientists | |
2002 | Awarded place on a Welcome Trust molecular biology workshop | Wellcome Trust | |
2001 | Awarded prize for the best presentation at the ASGBI annual meeting | Anatomical Society | |
2000 | Awarded place on an EMBO bioinformatics course | EMBO | |
2000 | Awarded the academic distinction of "College Scholar" | UCC | |
1999 | Awarded the academic distinction of "College Scholar" | UCC |
Professional Associations
Association | Function | From / To | |
---|---|---|---|
Neuroscience Ireland | Member | / | |
Anatomical Society | Member | / |
Committees
Committee | Function | From / To | |
---|---|---|---|
Departmental Research Quality Review submission | Chair | 2014 / 2015 | |
UCC-Gothenburg Med Research Committee | Committee Member | 2015 / | |
NECTAR 2014 - Organising committee | Committee Member | 2013 / 2014 | |
Israeli Science Foundation | Grant Reviewer | 2013 / | |
European Society of Anaesthesiology | Grant Reviewer | 2013 / | |
8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013 - Organising Committee. | Committee Member | 2013 / 2013 | |
Senior Medical Demonstrator Interviewer Committee. | Committee member | 2011 / 2014 | |
Graduate Entry to Medicine Oversight Committee | Semester2 coordinator | 2010 / | |
Graduate Entry to Medicine Working Group | Departmental Representative | 2008 / | |
Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience Graduate Studies Committee | Committee Member | 2009 / | |
B.Sc. Neuroscience Curriculum Committee | Committee Member | 2009 / |
Employment
Employer | Position | From / To | |
---|---|---|---|
Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC | Senior Lecturer in Anatomy and Neuroscience | 01-FEB-16 / | |
Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre - UCC | Faculty | 01-JUN-13 / | |
University College Cork | Lecturer and Principal investigator | 01-OCT-08 / | |
Cardiff University | Postdoctoral Researcher | 01-OCT-04 / 30-SEP-08 | |
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden | Visiting Researcher | 01-APR-04 / 30-SEP-04 |
Education
Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | UCC | Postgraduate Diploma Teaching & Learning in Higher Education | Teaching and Learning | |
2011 | UCC | Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Ed. | Teaching and Learning | |
2004 | University College Cork | PHD | Neuroscience | |
2000 | University College Cork | BSC | Neuroscience |
Outreach Activities
Description | |
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STEM outreach: Part of the SFI Discover Programme, which seeks to promote the awareness and engagement of the Irish public with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). This involves visiting secondary schools to highlight the impact and opportunities that exists in Irish Science. |
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INFANT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Outreach: INFANT centre representative (with Dr. Anthony Morrissey) at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2015, Dublin, Ireland to explaining brain development and brain injury to the public and school children. |
Journal Activities
Journal | Role | To / From | |
---|---|---|---|
Journal Of Neuroscience | Referee | - | |
Journal Of Perinatology : Official Journal Of The California Perinatal Association | Referee | - | |
Bmc Genetics | Referee | - | |
Brain And Development | Referee | - | |
Neural Regeneration Research | Member of Editorial Board | - | |
Neuropharmacology | Referee | - | |
Journal Of Neuroscience Methods | Referee | - | |
World Journal Of Gastroenterology | Referee | - | |
Molecular Neurobiology | Referee | - | |
Bmc Biochemistry | Referee | - | |
International Journal Of Neuroscience | Referee | - | |
Neural Regeneration Research | Referee | - | |
Journal Of Neuroscience Research | Referee | - | |
Journal Of Neuroscience | Referee | - | |
Plos One | Referee | - | |
Stem Cells And Development | Referee | - | |
Neurochemistry International | Referee | - | |
Proceedings Royal Society London B | Referee | - | |
Stem Cells | Referee | - | |
Neuroscience Letters | Referee | - | |
Placenta | Referee | - |
Other Activities
Description | |
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Invited Internal Examiner (2014): PhD Thesis - Elaine O'Loughlin. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC, 2014. |
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Invited External Examiner (2013): PhD Thesis - Konstantin Grygoryev. Tyndall Institute, 2013. |
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Invited Internal Examiner (2012): MSc Thesis - Ian O'Brien. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC, 2012. |
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Invited Internal Examiner (2010): MSc Thesis - Lorna Farelly. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC, 2010. |
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Invited External Examiner (2012): PhD Thesis - Jennifer Day. Department of Physiology, Trinity College Dublin, 2012. |
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Invited External Examiner (2012): PhD Thesis - Stephaine Denieffe. Department of Physiology, Trinity College Dublin, 2012. |
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Invited Internal Examiner (2012): MSc Thesis - Martin Kelly. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC, 2012. |
Teaching Interests
- Signature pedagogies are the precise forms of teaching and learning that define the fundamental educational framework that prepares students for a particular profession. They are the units of educational inheritance of the professions. But if they are to be a true unit of educational inheritance, they should continue to evolve and change to allow the professions to adapt to an ever changing world in which they are based. However this is not always the case.
- Using a SoTL based approached my research interests are in mapping the existing signature pedagogies for the life sciences in medical education onto the teaching for understanding (TfU) framework. This approach allows the design of new signature pedagogies that map fully onto the TfU framework and are subject to a process of "educational natural selection". The impact of these changes in the context of fitness to practice is being assessed as students move through their medical education.
Current Research Projects:
- "The role of Anatomy in preparing students for Surgery: New approaches to integrate basic surgical skills into the early years of a medical program."
- "Design and development of signature pedagogies that are subject to "educational natural selection" within the Teaching for Understanding Framework.
- ""Anatomy Education for the YouTube Generation"- the impact of social media in blended learning."
Current Team Members:
- Dr. Ahmad Hassan Sheikh MBBS: MD (2013 to present)
- Orla Duggan BSc Physio MCSP: MSc (2015 to present)
TEACHING CONTRIBUTIONS
Undergraduate teaching:
I deliver Neuroscience lectures across the BSc Neuroscience program in UCC. This include lectures of 3rd and 4th years in this program on various modules with titles:
AN3001 - Research Methodology in Neuroscience and Biomedical Science
AN3003 - Neurobiology of Regulatory Systems
AN3011 - Library Project in Neuroscience
AN3012 - Human Nervous System
AN3013 - Neurobiology of Disease
AN4008 - Developmental Neurobiology
AN4010 - Research Project in Neuroscience
AN4013 - Advanced Topics in Neuroscience
AN4014 - Cellular and Molecular Neuroscienc
Graduate Teaching:
I deliver an array of Anatomy and Neuroscience lectures and cadaveric based practical sessions across years 1 and 2 of the graduate entry to medicine in UCC.
GM1001 – Fundamentals of Medicine I – includes regional and topographical as well as PNS structure and development and diagnostic uses in clinical medicine.
GM1003 Fundamentals of Medicine III – includes lectures on the neuroendocrine regulation and its relationship to clinical presentation and diagnosis.
GM2001 Fundamentals of Medicine IV – neuroanatomical and neurophysiological correlates of brain disorders in clinical medicine.
Post-Graduate Teaching:
I deliver lectures on “Advanced Topics in Neuroscience” to the following taught MSc programs in UCC including the MSc in Applied Science Biotechnology (Course Code: CKR01) and the MSc in Molecular Cell Biology with BioInnovation (Course Code: CKR44).
Problem-Based Learning:
Have acted as a facilitator for 6 years for weekly, case-based small group sessions as part of the GEM program in UCC. This has involved designing and using clinical cases to frame a “problem” in clinical medicine and neurology.
Research Project supervision:
I supervise the final year laboratory research projects each year for 2-3students in the BSc Neuroscience (AN4010), and occasionally for intercalated BSc in Anatomy or Neuroscience (AN4011). I also supervise Masters-level laboratory research projects for the MSc Molecular Cell Biology with Innovation (ML6001) and MSc in Biotechnology (BT6002) as well as teaching on these courses.
Module Coordination:
I am module coordinator for “GM1002-Fundamentals of Medicine II” which is essentially the largest component of the Year 1 graduate entry to medicine (GEM) program, from January to April. This involves ensuring the horizontal integration of teaching from five contributing departments: Anatomy/Neuroscience, Pathology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Physiology and well as coordinating the weekly Problem-Based Learning activities of the GEM student during this time.
Recent Postgraduates
Graduation Year | Student Name | Institution | Degree Type | Thesis Title | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Shane Hegarty | University College Cork | PHD | ||
2014 | Rebecca Sheenan | NUI (UCC) | MSc Biomedical Science | ||
2014 | GiorgiaDal Bo | NUI (UCC) | MSc Biomedical Science | ||
2013 | Aisling Gavin | NUI (UCC) | PhD | ||
2013 | Aoife Nolan | NUI (UCC) | PhD | ||
2013 | Laura McKelvey | NUI (UCC) | PhD | ||
2013 | Emer O'Shea | NUI (UCC) | MSc Health Sciences | ||
2013 | David O'Driscoll | NUI (UCC) | Intercalated BSc | ||
2012 | Sarah Louise Long | NUI (UCC) | MSc Health Sciences | ||
2011 | Eimear Treacy | NUI (UCC) | MSc Health Sciences | ||
2010 | Sean Crampton | NUI (UCC) | MSc |
Internal Collaborators
Name | Institute | Country | |
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Dr. Aideen Sullivan | UCC | IRELAND | |
Prof. John Cryan | UCC | IRELAND | |
Dr. Humberto Gutierrez | University of Linclon | UNITED KINGDOM | |
Prof. Louise Kenny | INFANT | IRELAND | |
Prof. Geraldine Boylan | INFANT | IRELAND | |
Dr. Deirdre Murray | INFANT | IRELAND | |
Dr. John MacSharry | APC - UCC | IRELAND | |
Dr. Yvonne Nolan | UCC | IRELAND | |
Dr. Siobhain O'Mahony | UCC | IRELAND |
External Collaborators
Name | Organisation / Institute | Country | |
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Prof. Susan Vannucci | Cornell University | U.S.A. | |
Prof. Carmen Marsit | Darmouth, USA | U.S.A. | |
Dr. Alexander Galkin | Queens University Belfast | NORTHERN IRELAND | |
Prof ALun Davies | Cardiff University | UNITED KINGDOM | |
Prof. Carlo Riccardi | University of Perugia | ITALY | |
Dr. Sean Wyatt | Cardiff University | UNITED KINGDOM | |
Dr. Michele Morari | University of Ferrara | ITALY |