Sub area of cancer - select from
Name
Contact details
Potential project details/area of research (no more than 50
words)
Medical Oncology
Prof. Laurence Egan
+35391495355
Laurence.egan@nuigalway.ie
Radiation Oncology
Prof. Frank Sullivan
Tel: +353-91-542579
Email: frank.sullivan@hse.ie
Tel: +353-91-494242
Email: sharon.glynn@nuigalway.ie
Cancer-immune interactions have profound effects on the
development and spread of tumours. Work we have conducted
in colon cancer patients and in model systems has shown that
specific cytokines of the immune system promote tumour
development and progression. We have also found that
tumours control the immune system in their microenvironment, which in turn regulates tumour growth. This
project will study the molecular factors involved in cancerimmune interactions by adopting a translational approach to
discover novel molecular mechanisms. The project will involve
molecular, epigenomic and bioinformatic techniques.
Prostate cancer brachytherapy is a dynamic therapy that
requires delivery of sufficient radiation to eliminate prostate
cancer cells, while avoiding toxicity to normal tissues. While the
majority of patients experience few and manageable side
effects, a small number can develop more severe adverse
reactions, accompanied by inflammation and long term tissue
damage. This project will focus on the biology of radiotoxicity
and the role of inherited genetics in risk of toxicity.





Surgical Oncology
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Psycho-Oncology
Haematological Oncology
Dr. Sharon Glynn
Surgical Oncology
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Haematological Oncology
Prof Lokesh Joshi
(supervisor)
Surgical Oncology
Prof Michael
Tel: 091 495768
Email: lokesh.joshi@nuigalway.ie
Interactions between multiple myeloma cells and their
microenvironment, mediated by adhesion molecules, such as
integrins and ligands play an important role in dissemination
and drug resistance. This project will look at the effect of
integrin and selectin inhibitors on cell trafficking and drug
resistance in multiple myeloma.
Dept of Haematology, UCHG
Activation of the IRE1/XBP1 pro-survival branch of the Unfolded
Prof Michael
O’Dwyer Cosupervisor)
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Haematological Oncology
O’Dwyer (supervisor)
Michael.Odwyer@hse.ie
Prof Afshin Samali
(co-supervisor)
Medical Oncology
Prof. Michael Kerin
Discipline of Surgery, Clinical
Sciences Institute
Tel: (091) 524390
Email: michael.kerin@nuigalway.ie
Medical Oncology
Prof. Terry Smith
(Supervisor)
School of Natural Sciences
Tel. 353 91 495488
Email: terry.smith@nuigalway.ie
Prof. Michael Kerin
(co-supervisors)
Psycho-oncology
Dr. AnnMarie
Groarke
Head, School of Psychology,
NUI, Galway.
Tel: 00353 91 493098
Email:
annmarie.groarke@nuigalway.ie
Psycho-oncology
Dr. Brian McGuire
Radiation/Medical Oncology
Prof. Frank Sullivan
Co-supervisor clinic
Director, Doctoral Programme in
Clinical Psychology,
Co-Director, Centre for Pain
Research, School of Psychology,
NUI Galway
00353 91) 493266
brian.mcguire@nuigalway.ie
Tel: +353-91-542579
Email: frank.sullivan@hse.ie
Tel: +353-91-494242
Protein Response promotes the survival of multiple myeloma
cells. Using an IRE1 ribonuclease inhibitor, MKC3946, we plan
to elucidate further the role of this pathway in multiple
myeloma and identify the best partner drugs to use in
combination with IRE1 inhibition.
MicroRNAs and Breast Cancer: MiRNAs are short RNA molecules
that regulate gene expression across a range of biological
processes. Recent studies from this laboratory have shown
significantly altered circulating miRNA levels in breast cancer
patients compared with healthy individuals. Cancer-specific
miRNAs in tumour tissue and the circulation will be
investigated.
Correlation of molecular subtypes of breast cancer with
circulating miRNAs suggests there may be specific circulating
miRNA signatures of breast cancer that can be used for early
diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Our goal is to develop
Point of Care molecular diagnostics assays for the detection of
miRNA signatures to diagnose, subtype and support treatment
of breast cancer and other types of cancer.
The role of illness beliefs and coping strategies on adjustment in
cancer. The efficacy of psychosocial interventions for women
with breast cancer. The influence of psychological predictors on
quality of life in men with prostate cancer. Other interests
include risk perceptions and attitudes to cancer, posttraumatic
growth and benefit finding in the cancer experience,
adjustment strategies in children of mothers with cancer.
Pain management and pain coping in cancer, psychological
impact of cancer, effectiveness of psychological treatments in
cancer, psychological factors affecting disease progression and
recovery, psychological factors affecting outcome of cancer
treatments.
This will be a multicentre programme, in which next generation
gene sequencing of prostate cancers (sequenomics) will be
pursued with BH, using prospectively gathered prostate tissues
Psycho-oncology
Dr. Bryan Hennessy
Co-supervisor lab
Email:
bryanhennessy74@gmail.com
Dr. David Finn
Co-Director, Centre for Pain
Research, Pharmacology and
Therapeutics, School of Medicine,
NUI Galway.
+353 (0)91 495280
David.finn@nuigalway.ie
Tel: +353 91893709
Email: emer.bourke@nuigalway.ie
Medical Oncology
Dr Emer Bourke
Medical Oncology
Dr Roisin Dwyer
Discipline of Surgery, Clinical
Sciences Institute
Tel: (091) 544637
Email: roisin.dwyer@nuigalway.ie
from patients undergoing prostate brachytherapy. We expect
approximately 200 cases per year making this a hugely valuable
predictive translational database with international significance.
Pharmacological investigation of the effects of
chemotherapeutic agents on pain, emotionality and
learning/memory. Emphasis on the neurochemical and
molecular mechanisms of action with a view to improving
treatment outcomes.
Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are notoriously difficult
to treat as they lack a receptor target and are managed with
conventional chemotherapy. The current project seeks to
investigate if the DNA damage response is qualitatively and
quantitatively altered in TNBC compared with luminal subtypes.
Genomic instability is a central event in tumourigenesis and the
discovery of differential levels of genomic instability in TNBCs
compared to other subtypes may uncover different underlying
pathogenic mechanisms active in the intrinsic molecular
subtypes of breast cancer.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are a subset of nonhaematopoietic multipotent cells found primarily within the
bone marrow stroma. The ability of MSCs to specifically home
to sites of breast tumours and their metastases, while escaping
host immune surveillance holds tremendous promise for
tumour targeted delivery of therapeutic agents. The proposed
study will harness MSCs for tumour-specific delivery of proteins
to support both imaging of MSC migration in vivo, and ablation
of breast cancer tissue following MSC engraftment.