UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science. Excellence in Education & Research.

UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science. Excellence in Education & Research.

Biomedical Science

This section comprises the subject areas of anatomy, healthcare informatics, medical microbiology, pathology and physiology.  It also contains academic staff with expertise in molecular, proteomic, genomic, bioinformatic and computational biology. 

One of the largest sections within the School, Biomedical Science is responsible for preclinical teaching within our biomedical health & life science, medicine, physiology and radiography programmes.  Staff contribute to teaching across a number of other UCD science programmes.

The group is highly research active and contains a number of principal investigators based within the UCD Health Science Centre, the UCD Conway Institute, Systems Biology Ireland and UCD CASL.

The Section is led by Professor Paul McLoughlin, UCD Professor of Physiology with support from Professor William Watson, Professor of Cancer Biology.

Subject Areas Within this Section

Human Anatomy

Human Anatomy is primarily the study of the morphology of the human body. Our undergraduate teaching correlates the anatomical knowledge learned from independent study and cadaver dissection with the clinical application of anatomical principles, clinical skills sessions illustrating functional anatomy, surface anatomy practical sessions where group numbers allow, and integrate medical imaging in both dissection room and didactic teaching settings

Head of Subject: Professor James Jones

  

Medical Informatics

Medical Informatics is concerned with the convergence of healthcare, information and computer science. The subject includes the study of electronic patient medical records, bioinformatics and technologies arising from the ‘Omics revolution.

Head of Subject: Dr Patrick Felle

 

Medical Microbiology

The branch of medicine and microbiology that deals with the study of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites), which are of medical importance and capable of causing infectious diseases in human beings.

Head of Subject: Professor William Hall

 

Pathology

The detailed study of the cause (aetiology), mechanisms of development (pathogenesis), structural alterations in the human body and the clinical consequences of disease.

Head of Subject: Professor Carel La Roux

 

Physiology

The science of the function of biomolecules, cells, organs, and organ systems within the human body. An understanding of healthy function (normal physiology) is key to understanding disease processes and biological dysfunction.

Head of Subject: Professor Paul McLoughlin

 

Biography: Prof Paul McLoughlin

Paul McLoughlin is a Professor of Physiology at UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research. Professor McLoughlin is a member of the Royal College of Physicians Ireland and gained his PhD from the University of London.

Professor McLoughlin is one of the School's most senior researchers, and his group focuses on the exploration and understanding of key mechanisms in the development and progression of lung diseases. These diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, cystic fibrosis, adult respiratory distress syndrome and occupational lung diseases and are amongst the most common (and increasing) causes of death and disability worldwide. No major therapeutic advances targeting novel molecular pathways have been made for many years due to the extremely limited knowledge of the underlying mechanisms. 

Lung diseases all cause reduced oxygen in the lung which then activates mechanisms that are pro-inflammatory, pro-thrombotic and promote maladaptive vascular remodelling.  Our current research is focused on understanding the specific mechanisms in the lung through which hypoxia promotes these disease responses. An understanding of these mechanisms enables the identification of potential therapeutic strategies that can be used to target the disease process within the lung without causing unwanted adverse effects in other organs.

Positions Held

  • 2004-present Professor of Physiology, UCD
  • 1998-2004 Associate Professor of Physiology, UCD1996-1998 Statutory (Senior) Lecturer in Physiology, UCD
  • 1993-1996 Lecturer in Physiology, UCD
  • 1992-1993 Postgraduate Medical Training
  • 1989-1993 Wellcome Research Fellow, UMDS, University of London
  • 1987-1989 Lecturer in Medicine, Trinity College Dublin
  • 1985-1987 Postgraduate Medical Training Dublin Hospitals
  • 1984-1985 Medical Demonstrator, Physiology UCD
  • 1983-1984 Postgraduate Medical Training St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin

Education

  • 1993 PhD, University of London
  • 1987 Member Royal College of Physicians in Ireland
  • 1985 BSc Physiology (Hons) University College Dublin
  • 1983 MB BCh, BAO (Hons) University College Dublin

 

Biography: Prof Bill Watson

Professor Watson received his PhD degree in Biochemistry from the Department of Biochemistry, University College Cork in 1995. He then undertook his post-doctoral research in University of Toronto and the Toronto General Hospital in Canada, before returning in 1997, to the Department of Surgery, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, University College Dublin and is now Associate Professor of Cancer Biology in the UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science.

Apart from his undergraduate and post-graduate teaching responsibilities, he has an active internationally recognised research group. As a translational biologist based in the Conway Institute he utilises latest technologies to study cellular and molecular pathways and clinical collaboration through the Prostate Cancer Research Consortium (of which he is the lead PI) to expand the understanding of the initiation and progression of prostate cancer in order to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic sites for manipulation.

Professor Watson is Section editor of the Scientific Discovery section of the BJUInternational, Chair of the Basic Research Section of the European Association for Urology Research Foundation, Principal Investigator in Molecular Medicine Ireland.

Biography: Prof Catherine Godson

Professor Catherine Godson obtained her BSc (Biochemistry) and PhD (Pharmacology) from UCD and, following postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Geneva and at UC San Diego, joined the faculty of Harvard University in 1994.  She returned to UCD in 1997 where she was appointed Professor of Molecular Medicine and established a group of research investigators at the Conway Institute focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation, progression potential regression of diabetic kidney disease.  She served between 2004 – 2007 as the University’s Vice President, Innovation and Corporate Partnerships.

In 2007, She was appointed as Director of the UCD Diabetes Research Centre leading a major research programme funded by Science Foundation Ireland and collaborators in biopharmaceutical industry.  Professor Godson has an international reputation in research on inflammation and its resolution, microvascular complications of diabetes and extracellular signal transduction and has authored or co-authored over 100 research papers, review articles, patents and book chapters. Professor Godson’s research activities are supported by grants from Science Foundation Ireland, Wellcome Trust, Health Research Board and the European Union.

Prof Godson was appointed to the Board of the Health Research Board in 2007, is a member of the European Medical Research Council and also serves on several international grant review committees including the Wellcome Trust Physiological Sciences Committee.  In 2011, she was elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy, one of the highest academic honours available to Irish scientists.