Featured Researcher: Dr. Fiona McGillicuddy
My Research
The ever increasing levels of obesity in Western society (24% of adult Irish population) has demanded a better understanding of how metabolic perturbations that accompany obesity increase cardiovascular risk. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels are often reduced in obese states. HDL particles are cardio-protective and accept cholesterol from peripheral cells, such as lipid-laden foam-cells, and transport acquired lipid to liver for secretion into bile and feces, a process known as reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). While obesity is known to lower HDL-C concentrations, the molecular effects of obesity on HDL functionality (i.e. how effective the HDL particles are at accepting cholesterol) and RCT in vivo are unknown. Through funding received through a SFI-HRB-Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellowship, I aim to characterise the effects of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and adipose inflammation on HDL functionality and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in vivo and determine whether impeding adipose inflammation improves HDL functionality despite obesity using murine models.
>> Read more on Fiona's work: Obesity and heart disease: is the health of your fat a measure of risk?
Role
Independently funded Research Fellow under the mentorship of Professor Helen Roche in the Nutrigenomics Research Group
Hometown
Dublin
Career Path
2012: Awarded a SFI-HRB-Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellowship
2009-2011: Senior postdoctoral researcher with Prof Roche in UCD assessing the contribution of IL-1 signals to diet induced insulin resistance
2006-2009: Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania with Dr. Muredach Reilly and Dr. Dan Rader in field of lipoprotein metabolism
2002-2006: PhD with Professor Alan Keenan assessing the drug-eluting potential of novel biomaterials for stent coatings
Publications
McGillicuddy, F.C., et al., Lack of Interleukin-1 Receptor I (IL-1RI) Protects Mice From High-Fat Diet-Induced Adipose Tissue Inflammation Coincident With Improved Glucose Homeostasis. Diabetes, 2011.
Zhang & McGillicuddy et al., Adipocyte modulation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Circulation, 2010.
Mehta, N.N., et al., Experimental endotoxemia induces adipose inflammation and insulin resistance in humans. Diabetes, 2010.
McGillicuddy, F.C., et al., Interferon gamma attenuates insulin signaling, lipid storage, and differentiation in human adipocytes via activation of the JAK/STAT pathway. J Biol Chem, 2009.
McGillicuddy, F.C., et al., Inflammation impairs reverse cholesterol transport in vivo. Circulation, 2009.
Why choose UCD Conway?
I chose the UCD Conway Institute for my Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship due to the multidisciplinary environment present and excellent core-technologies available to me.