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CLASS- Dr John J. O’Connor, UCD
Date: 04 December 2012
Venue: UCD Conway Lecture Theatre
Time: 12 noon
Speaker: Dr John J. O’Connor, UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science & UCD Conway Institute
Title: 'Targeting TNF-a in hypoxia and synaptic signalling'
Keywords: Tumor necrosis factor alpha, hypoxia inducible factor, hippocampus, synaptic plasticity, calcium, prolyl hydroxylase
Research interests
Dr O’Connor’s research laboratory is interested in neuron-to-neuron signaling in the brain and how the immune system interacts with this. He is particularly interested in how pro-inflammatory molecules such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, modulates synaptic plasticity (a model for memory formation) before and during hypoxic insults to neurons. To this end he is currently investigating how neurons adapt to acute hypoxic exposure. Current investigations are using genetically modified mice which have a specific protein switched off (PHD-2, a key regulator of neuronal responses to hypoxia). Dr. O’Connor’s other laboratory in NUIM, currently investigates the real time monitoring of neuro-transmitter release (dopamine, noradrenaline and 5-HT) in the brain using the technique of fast cyclic voltammetry. The CLASS Lecture 2012 will comprise work from the past 15 years investigating the effect that these pro-inflammatory agents have on synaptic signaling and in the presence of hypoxia.
Biography
Dr O’Connor obtained his primary degree in TCD in Physiology in the mid 80s coming first in the class. This was followed by a PhD in Neuropharmacology with Professor Mike Rowan in TCD (Prof. Rowan’s first PhD student!). He followed this with a 3 year post doctoral fellowship with Glaxo Wellcome (as it was known then) and the London Hospital which transferred to Queen Mary and Westfield College where he published a number of important papers in the field of voltammetry and 5-HT. He followed this with a return to Ireland with a 3 year HRB post doctoral fellowship again in Pharmcology TCD. This again resulted in some important findings ending with a Nature paper on the role of NMDA in synaptic plasticity. In the mid nineties he was offered a lectureship in University College Dublin in Earlsfort Terrace part of the Medical School with a Senior Lectureship in the late nineties. He moved to the Conway Institute in Belfield in 2003 where he is currently a Conway Fellow. Dr O’Connor was co-ordinator of the PRTLI Neuroscience program (NNN) in UCD from 2000 to 2006. From 2004 to 2011 Dr. O’Connor was elected as General Secretary of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland and senior Editor to the Irish journal of Medical Science. He was Head of Neuroscience in UCD from 2007 to 2012. In 2009 he was awarded an adjunct Senior Lectureship in the Chemistry Department at NUI Maynooth. He has published over 60 papers on the topic to be presented tonight and also a number of highly cited reviews in the field. He has over 1,700 citations with an H factor of 22.
Chronological Biography
2010 - Conway Fellow UCD
2008-2012: Head of Neuroscience
2009-2012: Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Neurochemistry Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, NUIM, Maynooth
2004 to 2011: Chief Executive Officer (General Secretary), Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.
2003-2004: President, Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Biomedical Sciences Section.
2000 to 2006: Co-ordinator of Conway PRTLI Neuroscience in the Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research.
1998: Senior Lecturer in Physiology, Department of Human Anatomy & Physiology, University College Dublin.
1994 to 1998 College Lecturer, Department of Human Anatomy & Physiology, University College Dublin.
1991 to 1993: HRB Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, TCD, Dublin 2.
1989 to 1991: Glaxo funded Post Doctoral Fellowship, The London Hospital and Queen Mary & Westfield College, London.
1986 to 1989: PhD in Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Trinity College Dublin.
1981 to 1985: BA (Mod) in Physiology, Trinity College Dublin
All welcome! Refreshments available from 11:40am
Associate sponsors of the 2012/2013 Conway Lecture & Seminar Series (CLASS) are Cruinn Diagnostics, Bio-Sciences & Roche.
