Biography
For full details see www.okeeffelab.com. Gerard O'Keeffe graduated with a BSc degree (1st Hons) in Neuroscience from University College Cork (UCC) in 2000. Subsequently he undertook a PhD in the Department of Anatomy in UCC in Developmental Neurobiology. During his PhD, Dr. O'Keeffe spent 4 months in the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden on an Enterprise Ireland-funded International Collaboration grant developing his research.
In 2004, after graduating from his PhD, Dr. O'Keeffe moved to Cardiff University where he worked in the laboratories of Prof. Alun Davies FRS. Here he expanded his research interest in neural development, by looking at the roles of members of the TNF superfamily of receptors, and the molecular mechanisms mediating their effects on neuronal survival and growth in the developing CNS and PNS on a project funded by the Wellcome Trust. This work was published in two studies in Nature Neuroscience.
In 2008, he was awarded a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship, and returned to UCC in September 2008 when he was appointed as Lecturer and Principal Investigator in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience to establish an independent laboratory focused in understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration throughout the life-span. This recent has expanded in recent years to include the placenta, which is a critical determinant of healthy brain development.
His research laboratory is based in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience in the state-of-the-art Biosciences Institute in UCC. As of 2013 Gerard was appointed as a faculty member of the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC; www.ucc.ie/research/apc/content/) and the Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research (INFANT; www.infantcentre.ie) in UCC where he has added a translational work to his research program. Dr. O’Keeffe’s team is now located in the Biosciences Institute and the Translational Neuroscience hub in UCC.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 01-DEC-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 |
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2018) | 'Association of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy With Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis' Maher GM;O'Keeffe GW;Kearney PM;Kenny LC;Dinan TG;Mattsson M;Khashan AS; (2018) 'Association of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy With Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis'. Jama Psychiatry, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Mild prenatal hypoxia-ischemia leads to social deficits and central and peripheral inflammation in exposed offspring' O'Driscoll, David J.; Felice, Valeria D.; Kenny, Louise C.;Boylan, Geraldine B.; O'Keeffe, Gerard W. (2018) 'Mild prenatal hypoxia-ischemia leads to social deficits and central and peripheral inflammation in exposed offspring'. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, [DOI] [CORA Link] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Maternal distress in late pregnancy alters obstetric outcomes and the expression of genes important for placental glucocorticoid signalling' Togher, KL;Treacy, E;O'Keeffe, GW;Kenny, LC (2017) 'Maternal distress in late pregnancy alters obstetric outcomes and the expression of genes important for placental glucocorticoid signalling'. Psychiatric Research, 255 :17-26 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Endocytosis contributes to BMP2-induced Smad signalling and neuronal growth' Hegarty, S.V., Sullivan, A.M., O’Keeffe, G.W. (2017) 'Endocytosis contributes to BMP2-induced Smad signalling and neuronal growth'. Neuroscience Letters, 643 :32-37 [DOI] [CORA Link] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Zeb2 is a negative regulator of midbrain dopaminergic axon growth and target innervation' Shane V. Hegarty, Sean L. Wyatt, Laura Howard, Elke Stappers, Danny Huylebroeck, Aideen M. Sullivan & Gerard W. O’Keeffe (2017) 'Zeb2 is a negative regulator of midbrain dopaminergic axon growth and target innervation'. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'A new role for placental IL-6 signalling in determining neurodevelopmental outcome' O'Keeffe GW; (2017) 'A new role for placental IL-6 signalling in determining neurodevelopmental outcome'. Brain Behav Immun, 62 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Romidepsin induces caspase-dependent cell death in human neuroblastoma cells' Hegarty, Shane V.; Togher, Katie L.; O’Leary, Eimear; Solger, Franziska; Sullivan, Aideen M.; O’Keeffe, Gerard W. (2017) 'Romidepsin induces caspase-dependent cell death in human neuroblastoma cells'. Neuroscience Letters, 653 :12-18 [DOI] [CORA Link] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Targeting transcriptional regulators to regenerate midbrain dopaminergic axons in Parkinson's disease' Hegarty SV;Sullivan AM;O'Keeffe GW; (2017) 'Targeting transcriptional regulators to regenerate midbrain dopaminergic axons in Parkinson's disease'. Neural Regeneration Research, 12 (11) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Romidepsin induces caspase-dependent cell death in human neuroblastoma cells' Hegarty, SV;Togher, KL;O'Leary, E;Solger, F;Sullivan, AM;O'Keeffe, GW (2017) 'Romidepsin induces caspase-dependent cell death in human neuroblastoma cells'. Neuroscience Letters, 653 :12-18 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'The Effect of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy on the Risk of ADHD in the Offspring' Böhm S;Curran EA;Kenny LC;O'Keeffe GW;Murray D;Khashan AS; (2017) 'The Effect of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy on the Risk of ADHD in the Offspring'. Journal Of Attention Disorders, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'A practical description and student perspective of the integration of radiology into lower limb musculoskeletal anatomy' Davy, S;O'Keeffe, GW;Mahony, N;Phelan, N;Barry, DS (2017) 'A practical description and student perspective of the integration of radiology into lower limb musculoskeletal anatomy'. Irish Journal of Medicine, 186 :409-417 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol' Maher GM;O'Keeffe GW;Kenny LC;Kearney PM;Dinan TG;Khashan AS; (2017) 'Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol'. Bmj Open, 7 (10) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'A Case Study in the Use of Primary Literature in the Context of Authentic Learning Pedagogy in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Classroom' O'Keeffe GW;McCarthy MM; (2017) 'A Case Study in the Use of Primary Literature in the Context of Authentic Learning Pedagogy in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Classroom'. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 16 (1) [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'An Attitudinal Survey of Undergraduate Neuroscience Students Regarding Their Views on the Relevance of Lectures to their Education' O'Keeffe GW;Sullivan AM;McCarthy MM; (2017) 'An Attitudinal Survey of Undergraduate Neuroscience Students Regarding Their Views on the Relevance of Lectures to their Education'. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 16 (1) [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Effects of intracerebral neurotrophic factor application on motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis' Hegarty, S.V., Lee, D.J., O'Keeffe, G.W., Sullivan, A.M. (2017) 'Effects of intracerebral neurotrophic factor application on motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis'. Parkinsonism & related disorders, 38 :19-25 [DOI] [CORA Link] [Details] | |
| (2017) | 'Exposure to Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Increases the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Affected Offspring' Curran, Eileen A.; O’Keeffe, Gerard W.; Looney, Ann Marie; Moloney, Gerard; Hegarty, Shane V.; Murray, Deirdre M.; Khashan, Ali S.; Kenny, Louise C. (2017) 'Exposure to Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Increases the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Affected Offspring'. Molecular Neurobiology, [DOI] [CORA Link] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Cadaveric anatomy in the future of medical education: What is the surgeons view?' Sheikh, AH,Barry, DS,Gutierrez, H,Cryan, JF,O'Keeffe, GW (2016) 'Cadaveric anatomy in the future of medical education: What is the surgeons view?'. Anatomical Sciences Education, 9 :203-208 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Distinct alterations in motor & reward seeking behavior are dependent on the gestational age of exposure to LPS-induced maternal immune activation' Straley ME;Van Oeffelen W;Theze S;Sullivan AM;O'Mahony SM;Cryan JF;O'Keeffe GW; (2016) 'Distinct alterations in motor & reward seeking behavior are dependent on the gestational age of exposure to LPS-induced maternal immune activation'. Brain Behav Immun, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'A Small Molecule Activator of p300/CBP Histone Acetyltransferase Promotes Survival and Neurite Growth in a Cellular Model of Parkinson's Disease' Hegarty S.V., O'Leary E., Solger F., Stanicka J., Sullivan A.M., O'Keeffe G.W. (2016) 'A Small Molecule Activator of p300/CBP Histone Acetyltransferase Promotes Survival and Neurite Growth in a Cellular Model of Parkinson's Disease'. Neurotoxicity Research, 30 (3):510-520 [DOI] [CORA Link] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Neurotrophic factor therapy for Parkinson's disease: past, present and future' Sullivan AM;O'Keeffe GW; (2016) 'Neurotrophic factor therapy for Parkinson's disease: past, present and future'. Neural Regeneration Research, (11):205-207 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Region-specific role of growth differentiation factor-5 in the establishment of sympathetic innervation' O'Keeffe, GW,Gutierrez, H,Howard, L,Laurie, CW,Osorio, C,Gavalda, N,Wyatt, SL,Davies, AM (2016) 'Region-specific role of growth differentiation factor-5 in the establishment of sympathetic innervation'. Neural Development, 11 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ inhibits the survival and axon growth of midbrain dopaminergic neurons through a p38-MAPK dependent mechanism' Collins LM, Dal Bo G, Calcagno M, Monzón- Sandoval J, Sullivan AM, Gutierrez H, Morari M, O’Keeffe GW (2016) 'Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ inhibits the survival and axon growth of midbrain dopaminergic neurons through a p38-MAPK dependent mechanism'. Molecular Neurobiology, [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'The epigenome as a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease' Hegarty, S.V., Sullivan, A.M., O'Keeffe, G.W. (2016) 'The epigenome as a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease'. Neural Regeneration Research, 11 (11):1735-1738 [DOI] [CORA Link] [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Anatomy Education for the YouTube Generation' Barry, DS;Marzouk, F;Chulak-Oglu, K;Bennett, D;Tierney, P;O'Keeffe, GW (2016) 'Anatomy Education for the YouTube Generation'. Anatomical Sciences Education, 9 :90-96 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Anatomy education for the YouTube Generation' Barry DS, Marzouk F, Chulak-Oglu K, Bennett D, Tierney P, O’Keeffe GW (2015) 'Anatomy education for the YouTube Generation'. Anatomical Sciences Education, [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Prenatal Stress Induces Subtle Alterations in Major Physiological Systems: a Role for Gut Microbiota?' Golubeva AV, Crampton S, Desbonnet L, Edge D, O’Sullivan O, Lomasney KW, Zhdanov AV, Moloney RD, Borre YE, Cotter PD, Hyland NP, O'Halloran KD, Dinan TG, O’Keeffe GW #, Cryan JF#. (2015) 'Prenatal Stress Induces Subtle Alterations in Major Physiological Systems: a Role for Gut Microbiota?'. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 60 :58-75 [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Regulation of SPRY3 by X chromosome and PAR2-linked promoters in an autism susceptibility region' Ning Z, McLellan AS, Ball M, Wynne F, O'Neill C, Mills W, Quinn JP, Kleinjan DJ, Anney RJ, Carmody RJ, O’Keeffe GW, Moore T. (2015) 'Regulation of SPRY3 by X chromosome and PAR2-linked promoters in an autism susceptibility region'. Human Molecular Genetics, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Cadaveric anatomy in the future of medical education: what is the surgeons view?' Hassan-Sheik A, Barry DS, Cryan JF, O’Keeffe GW. (2015) 'Cadaveric anatomy in the future of medical education: what is the surgeons view?'. Anatomical Sciences Education, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Zeb2: a multifunctional regulator of nervous system development' Hegarty SV, Sullivan AS, O’Keeffe GW (2015) 'Zeb2: a multifunctional regulator of nervous system development'. Progress In Neurobiology, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Modular and concerted expression of immune system regulatory and signalling components in the developing and adult nervous system' Monzon-Sandoval Jimena, Castillo-Morales A, Crampton SJ, McKelvey L, Nolan A, O’Keeffe GW#, Gutierrez H#. (2015) 'Modular and concerted expression of immune system regulatory and signalling components in the developing and adult nervous system'. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Viral vector delivery of neurotrophic factors for Parkinson’s disease therapy' Kelly MJ, O'Keeffe GW, Sullivan AM (2015) 'Viral vector delivery of neurotrophic factors for Parkinson’s disease therapy'. Molecular Medicine, [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Down regulation of microRNA-374a in Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encepahlopathy' Looney AM, Walsh BH, Moloney G, Grenham S, Fagan A, O’Keeffe GW, Clarke G, Cryan JF, Dinan TG, Boylan GB, Murray DM. (2015) 'Down regulation of microRNA-374a in Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encepahlopathy'. Journal of Paediatrics, [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'The neurite growth inhibitory effects of soluble TNF-alpha on developing sympathetic neurons are dependent on developmental age' Nolan AM, Collins LC, Wat SL, Gutierrez H, O'Keeffe GW. (2015) 'The neurite growth inhibitory effects of soluble TNF-alpha on developing sympathetic neurons are dependent on developmental age'. Differentiation, 88 (4-5):124-130 [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Class-IIa Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Promotes the Growth of Neural Processes and Protects Them Against Neurotoxic Insult' Collins L.M., Adriaanse L.J., Theratile S.D., Hegarty S.V., Sullivan A.M., O'Keeffe G.W. (2015) 'Class-IIa Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Promotes the Growth of Neural Processes and Protects Them Against Neurotoxic Insult'. Molecular Neurobiology, 51 (3):1432-1442 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Knockdown of interleukin-1 receptor 1 is not neuroprotective in the 6-hydroxydopamine striatal lesion rat model of Parkinson's disease' Walsh S, Gavin A, Wyatt S, O'Connor C, Keeshan K, Nolan YM, O'Keeffe GW*, Sullivan AM*. (2015) 'Knockdown of interleukin-1 receptor 1 is not neuroprotective in the 6-hydroxydopamine striatal lesion rat model of Parkinson's disease'. International Journal of Neuroscience, 125 (1):70-77 [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Activin signalling and pre-eclampsia: From genetic risk to pre-symptomatic biomarker' Williamson RD, O'Keeffe GW*, Kenny LC*. (2015) 'Activin signalling and pre-eclampsia: From genetic risk to pre-symptomatic biomarker'. Cytokine, 72 (2):360-365 [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Ventral midbrain neural stem cells have delayed neurogenic potential in vitro' Hegarty S.V., Spitere K., O'Keeffe G.W., Sullivan A.M. (2014) 'Ventral midbrain neural stem cells have delayed neurogenic potential in vitro'. Neuroscience Letters, 559 :193-198 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Expression of endogenous Mkp1 in 6-OHDA rat models of Parkinson's disease' Collins LM, Gavin AM, Walsh S, Sullivan AM, Wyatt SL, O'Keeffe GW, Nolan YM, Toulouse A (2014) 'Expression of endogenous Mkp1 in 6-OHDA rat models of Parkinson's disease'. SpringerPlus, 3 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'LPS alters placental inflammatory and endocrine mediators and inhibits fetal neurite growth in affected offspring during late gestation' Straley ME, Togher KL, Nolan AM, Kenny LC, O'Keeffe GW (2014) 'LPS alters placental inflammatory and endocrine mediators and inhibits fetal neurite growth in affected offspring during late gestation'. Placenta, 35 :533-538 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Microbiota and neurodevelopmental windows: implications for brain disorders' Borre YE, O'Keeffe GW, Clarke G, Stanton C, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. (2014) 'Microbiota and neurodevelopmental windows: implications for brain disorders'. Trends In Molecular Medicine, 20 (9):509-518 [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Epigenetic regulation of the placental HSD11B2 barrier and its role as a critical regulator of fetal development' Togher KL, O'Keeffe MM, Khashan AS, Gutierrez H, Kenny LC, O'Keeffe GW (2014) 'Epigenetic regulation of the placental HSD11B2 barrier and its role as a critical regulator of fetal development'. Epigenetics, 9 (6):816-822 [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Predicting infant neurodevelopmental outcomes using the placenta?' O'Keeffe GW, Kenny LC (2014) 'Predicting infant neurodevelopmental outcomes using the placenta?'. Trends In Molecular Medicine, 20 (6):303-305 [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Roles for the TGF beta Superfamily in the Development and Survival of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons' Hegarty, SV,Sullivan, AM,O'Keeffe, GW (2014) 'Roles for the TGF beta Superfamily in the Development and Survival of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons'. Molecular Neurobiology, 50 :559-573 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Canonical BMP-Smad signalling promotes neurite growth in rat midbrain dopaminergic neurons' Hegarty SV, Collins LM, Gavin AM, Roche S, Wyatt SL, Sullivan AS, O'Keeffe GW. (2014) 'Canonical BMP-Smad signalling promotes neurite growth in rat midbrain dopaminergic neurons'. NeuroMolecular Medicine, 16 (2):473-489 [Details] | |
| (2014) | '6-Hydroxydopamine induces distinct alterations in GDF5 and GDNF mRNA expression in the rat nigrostriatal system in vivo' Gavin AM, Walsh S, Wyatt SL, O'Keeffe GW*, Sullivan AM* (2014) '6-Hydroxydopamine induces distinct alterations in GDF5 and GDNF mRNA expression in the rat nigrostriatal system in vivo'. Neuroscience Letters, (561):176-181 [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'BMP-Smad1/5/8 signaling in the development of the nervous system' Hegarty SV, O'Keeffe GW*, Sullivan AM* (2013) 'BMP-Smad1/5/8 signaling in the development of the nervous system'. Progress In Neurobiology, 109 (C):28-41 [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'The spatial and temporal arrangement of the radial glial scaffold suggests a role in axon tract formation in the developing spinal cord' Barry DS, Pakan JMP, O'Keeffe GW, McDermott KW (2013) 'The spatial and temporal arrangement of the radial glial scaffold suggests a role in axon tract formation in the developing spinal cord'. Journal of Anatomy, 222 (2):203-213 [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Ventral midbrain neural stem cells have delayed neurogenic potential in vitro' Hegarty SV, Spitere K, Sullivan AM, O'Keeffe GW (2013) 'Ventral midbrain neural stem cells have delayed neurogenic potential in vitro'. Neuroscience Letters, [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Nerve growth factor-mediated regulation of pain signalling and proposed new intervention strategies in clinical pain management' McKelvey L, Shorten G, O'Keeffe GW (2013) 'Nerve growth factor-mediated regulation of pain signalling and proposed new intervention strategies in clinical pain management'. Journal of Neurochemistry, 124 (3):276-289 [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'The spatial and temporal arrangement of the radial glial scaffold suggests a role in axon tract formation in the developing spinal cord' Barry, DS,Pakan, JMP,O'Keeffe, GW,McDermott, KW (2013) 'The spatial and temporal arrangement of the radial glial scaffold suggests a role in axon tract formation in the developing spinal cord'. Journal of Anatomy, 222 :203-213 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Regulation of neurite growth by tumour necrosis superfamily member RANKL' Gutierrez H, Kisiswa L, O'Keeffe GW, Smithen M, Wyatt SL, Davies AM (2013) 'Regulation of neurite growth by tumour necrosis superfamily member RANKL'. Open Biology, 3 (1) [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'The neuropathological consequences of peroxismal dysfunction in the developing brain' Barry DS, O'Keeffe GW (2013) 'The neuropathological consequences of peroxismal dysfunction in the developing brain'. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 45 (9):2012-2015 [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase (MKP)-1 as a Neuroprotective Agent: Promotion of the Morphological Development of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons' Collins L.M., O'Keeffe G.W., Long-Smith C.M., Wyatt S.L., Sullivan A.M., Toulouse A., Nolan Y.M. (2013) 'Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase (MKP)-1 as a Neuroprotective Agent: Promotion of the Morphological Development of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons'. NeuroMolecular Medicine, 15 (2):435-446 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Negative regulation of TLX by IL-1β correlates with an inhibition of adult hippocampal neural precursor cell proliferation' Ryan SM, O'Keeffe GW, O'Connor C, Keeshan K, Nolan YM. (2013) 'Negative regulation of TLX by IL-1β correlates with an inhibition of adult hippocampal neural precursor cell proliferation'. Brain Behav Immun, 33 :7-13 [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'NF-kappaB: emerging roles in hippocampal development and function' Crampton SJ, O'Keeffe GW (2013) 'NF-kappaB: emerging roles in hippocampal development and function'. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 45 (8):1821-1824 [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'A role for interleukin-1 beta in determining the lineage fate of embryonic rat hippocampal neural precursor cells' Green, HF,Treacy, E,Keohane, AK,Sullivan, AM,O'Keeffe, GW,Nolan, YM (2012) 'A role for interleukin-1 beta in determining the lineage fate of embryonic rat hippocampal neural precursor cells'. Molecular and cellular neurosciences, 49 :311-321 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'The intracellular portion of GITR enhances NGF-promoted neurite growth through an inverse modulation of Erk and NF-kB signalling' McKelvey L, Gutierrez H, Nocentini G, Crampton SJ, Riccardi CR, O'Keeffe GW (2012) 'The intracellular portion of GITR enhances NGF-promoted neurite growth through an inverse modulation of Erk and NF-kB signalling'. Biology Open, 1 (10):1016-1023 [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'Transplantation of novel human GDF-5-expressing CHO cells is neuroprotective in models of Parkinson’s disease' Costello DJ*, O'Keeffe GW*, Hurley F, Sullivan AM (2012) 'Transplantation of novel human GDF-5-expressing CHO cells is neuroprotective in models of Parkinson’s disease'. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 16 (10):2451-2460 [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'Exposure of foetal neural progenitor cells to IL-1beta impairs their proliferation and alters their differentiation – a role for maternal inflammation?' Crampton SJ, Collins LM, Toulouse A, Nolan Y, O'Keeffe GW (2012) 'Exposure of foetal neural progenitor cells to IL-1beta impairs their proliferation and alters their differentiation – a role for maternal inflammation?'. Journal of Neurochemistry, 120 (6 ):964-973 [Details] | |
| (2011) | 'IL-1β inhibits axonal growth of developing sympathetic neurons' Nolan AM, Nolan YM, O'Keeffe GW; (2011) 'IL-1β inhibits axonal growth of developing sympathetic neurons'. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, 48 (2):142-150 [Details] | |
| (2009) | 'Neurotrophic factors in autonomic nervous system development' Davies AM, Gutierrez H, O'Keeffe GW, Kos C, Pandolfi PP, Riccardi C, Riccardi D, Vizard T. (2009) 'Neurotrophic factors in autonomic nervous system development'. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic & Clinical, 149 (1) [Details] | |
| (2008) | 'NGF-promoted axon growth and target innervation requires GITRL/GITR autocrine signalling' O'Keeffe GW, Gutierrez H, Pandolfi, PP, Riccardi, C, Davies AM ; (2008) 'NGF-promoted axon growth and target innervation requires GITRL/GITR autocrine signalling'. Nature Neuroscience, 11 (2):135-142 [Details] | |
| (2008) | 'Nuclear factor kappa B signaling either stimulates or inhibits neurite growth depending on the phosphorylation status of p65/RelA' Gutierrez H*, O'Keeffe GW*, Gavalda N, Gallagher D, Davies AM; (2008) 'Nuclear factor kappa B signaling either stimulates or inhibits neurite growth depending on the phosphorylation status of p65/RelA'. Journal of Neuroscience, 28 (33):8246-8256 [Details] | |
| (2008) | 'Regulation of axonal and dendritic growth by the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor' Vizard TN, O'Keeffe GW, Gutierrez H, Kos CH, Riccardi D, Davies AM; (2008) 'Regulation of axonal and dendritic growth by the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor'. Nature Neuroscience, 11 (3):285-291 [Details] | |
| (2008) | 'Induction of A9 dopaminergic neurons from neural stem cells improves motor function in an animal model of Parkinson¿s disease' O'Keeffe FE, Scott S, Tyers P, O'Keeffe GW, Dalley JW, Zufferey R, Caldwell MA ; (2008) 'Induction of A9 dopaminergic neurons from neural stem cells improves motor function in an animal model of Parkinson¿s disease'. Brain, 131 (3):630-641 [Details] | |
| (2007) | 'Nuclear factor-kappaB activation via tyrosine phosphorylation of inhibitor kappaB-alpha is crucial for ciliary neurotrophic factor-promoted neurite growth from developing neurons' Gallagher, D., Gutierrez, H., Gavalda, N., O'Keeffe, G., Hay, R., Davies, AM.; (2007) 'Nuclear factor-kappaB activation via tyrosine phosphorylation of inhibitor kappaB-alpha is crucial for ciliary neurotrophic factor-promoted neurite growth from developing neurons'. Journal of Neuroscience, 27 (36):9664-9669 [Details] | |
| (2005) | 'The role of growth/differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) in the induction and survival of midbrain dopaminergic neurones: relevance to Parkinson's disease treatment' Sullivan, A.M., O'Keeffe, G.W.; (2005) 'The role of growth/differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) in the induction and survival of midbrain dopaminergic neurones: relevance to Parkinson's disease treatment'. Journal of Anatomy, 207 (3):19-26 [Details] | |
| (2004) | 'Effects of growth/differentiation factor 5 on the survival and morphology of embryonic rat midbrain dopaminergic neurones in vitro' O'Keeffe, G.W., Dockery, P., Sullivan, A.M. (2004) 'Effects of growth/differentiation factor 5 on the survival and morphology of embryonic rat midbrain dopaminergic neurones in vitro'. Journal of Neurocytology, 33 (5):479-488 [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2004) | 'Expression of growth/differentiation factor -5 in the developing and adult rat brain' O'Keeffe GW, Hanke M, Pohl J, Sullivan AM ; (2004) 'Expression of growth/differentiation factor -5 in the developing and adult rat brain'. Developmental Brain Research, 151 (1-2):199-202 [Details] |
Professional Activities
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | / |
Conference Contributions
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2015) | Society for Reproductive investigation 2015, Curran E, Khashan A, O'Keeffe GW, Kenny LC (2015) Hypertension in Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder in a British Cohort. [Poster Presentation], Society for Reproductive investigation 2015, San Francisco, USA . [Details] | |
| (2015) | RCOG annual academic meeting 2015, Williamson R, McCarthy C, O'Keeffe GW, Kenny LC. (2015) To assess the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulated by magnesium sulphate in regulating placental function using in vitro models of the human placenta. [Poster Presentation], RCOG annual academic meeting 2015, London, UK . [Details] | |
| (2015) | Society for Reproductive investigation 2015, Williamson R, McCarthy C, Kenny LC, O'Keeffe GW. (2015) Assessing the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulated by Magnesium Sulphate in an in vitro model of the human placenta. [Poster Presentation], Society for Reproductive investigation 2015, San Francisco, USA . [Details] | |
| (2015) | Society for Reproductive investigation 2015, Togher K, Radford J, Sheenan R, Kenny LC, O'Keeffe GW (2015) Epigenetic regulation of placental HSD11B2 identifies class-specific HDAC and DNMT inhibitors as novel protective pharmacotherapy for the human placenta. [Poster Presentation], Society for Reproductive investigation 2015, San Francisco, USA . [Details] | |
| (2014) | Young Life Scientists Conference, Togher KT, Kenny LC, O'Keeffe (2014) Maternal Stress and Immune Mediated Interactions in Placental 11β-HSD2 Reduction: A Role for Developmental Programming. [Poster Presentation], Young Life Scientists Conference, TCD, Dublin , 01-MAR-14 - 01-MAR-14. [Details] | |
| (2014) | Young Life Scientists Conference, Williamson R, McCarthy C, O’Keeffe GW, Kenny LC (2014) Molecular and cellular mechanisms of magnesium sulphate in regulating placental function studied using in vitro models of the human placenta. [Poster Presentation], Young Life Scientists Conference, TCD, Dublin , 01-MAR-14 - 01-MAR-14. [Details] | |
| (2013) | ECNP Workshop 2013, Golubeva AV, Crampton SJ, Desbonnet L, Edge D, Lomasney K, Hyland NP, O'Halloran KD, Dinan TG, O'Keeffe GW, Cryan JF. (2013) Differential negative impact of prenatal stress on physiological systems in adulthood. [Poster Presentation], ECNP Workshop 2013, Nice, France , 07-MAR-13 - 10-MAR-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Young Life Scientist's Symposium 2013 - Cell Signalling, Togher KL, Kenny LC, O'Keeffe GW. (2013) Dose-dependent inhibition of 11-beta hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase type 2 by cortisol in SHSY5Y cells: implications for fetal development. [Poster Presentation], Young Life Scientist's Symposium 2013 - Cell Signalling, Cork, Ireland , 11-SEP-13 - 11-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | 1st NF-kB: “the subunits” workshop 2013, O’Keeffe GW. (2013) The role of p65 phosphorylation in the regulation of axonal growth during development. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 1st NF-kB: “the subunits” workshop 2013, Marburg, Germany , 01-APR-13 - 04-APR-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013, O'Driscoll D, Edge D, O'Keeffe GW, O'Halloran KD. (2013) Ventilatory pattern of an immature rat model of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. [Poster Presentation], 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013, Cork, Ireland , 12-SEP-13 - 13-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013, Collins, L.M., O'Keeffe, G.W., Gavin, A.M., Wyatt, S.L., Sullivan, A.M., Toulouse, A., Nolan, Y.M. (2013) Expression of endogenous MKP-1 in the adult rat nigrostriatal system following a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine striatal and medial forebrain lesion. [Poster Presentation], 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013, Cork, Ireland , 03-SEP-13 - 06-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013, O'Driscoll D, O’Shea ER, Edge D, O'Halloran KD, Cryan JF, O’Mahony SM, O'Keeffe GW. (2013) Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy: early neurobehavioural consequences in neonatal rats. [Poster Presentation], 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013, Cork, Ireland , 12-SEP-13 - 13-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Young Life Scientists Conference 2013, Hegarty, S.V., Sullivan, A.M., O'Keeffe G.W. (2013) BMP2 and GDF5 induce neurite extension in ventral midbrain dopaminergic neurons through a Smad dependent pathway. [Oral Presentation], Young Life Scientists Conference 2013, UCC, Cork , 11-SEP-13 - 11-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013, Straley M, O'Mahony S, O'Keeffe GW (2013) Prenatal Infection has Differential Effects on Fetal Mesencephalic Development, Depending on Gestational Age of Inflammatory Event. [Poster Presentation], 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2013, Cork, Ireland , 09-SEP-13 - 11-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | Society for Neuroscience 2013, Crampton SJ, Golubeva AV, Desbonnett L, Edge D, O’Kalloran K, Cryan JF, O’Keeffe GW. (2013) Neuro-immune and behavioural consequences of chronic prenatal stress in affected offspring. [Poster Presentation], Society for Neuroscience 2013, (San Diego, USA) , 09-NOV-13 - 13-NOV-13. [Details] | |
| (2013) | 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Hegarty, S.V., Sullivan, A.M., O'Keeffe G.W. (2013) BMP2 and GDF5 induce neuronal differentiation through a Smad dependant pathway in a model of human midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Prize for best poster. [Poster Presentation], 8th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Cork, Ireland , 03-SEP-13 - 05-SEP-13. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Collins LM, O'Keeffe GW, Long-Smith CM, Sullivan AM, Toulouse A, Nolan YM. (2012) Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MKP)-1 promotes the morphological development of midbrain dopmainergic neurons. [Poster Presentation], 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Dublin, Ireland , 05-SEP-12 - 05-SEP-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Gavin A, Wyatt S, Sullivan AM, O'Keeffe GW (2012) Expression of endogenous GDF5, GDNF, and their receptors in the rat nigrostriatal pathway following a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine terminal lesion. [Poster Presentation], 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Dublin, Ireland , 05-SEP-12 - 06-SEP-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | UCC Doctoral Showcase [Finalist], Hegarty SV, O’Keeffe GW, Sullivan AM. (2012) Parkinson’s disease: Can we move in the right direction?. [Oral Presentation], UCC Doctoral Showcase [Finalist], Cork, Ireland , 07-JUN-12 - 07-JUN-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, McKelvey L, Gutierrez H, Nocentini G, Crampton SJ, Davies AM, Riccardi CR, O’Keeffe GW (2012) The intracellular portion of GITR enhances NGF-promoted neurite growth through an inverse modulation of Erk and NF-kB signalling. [Poster Presentation], 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Dublin, Ireland , 05-SEP-12 - 06-SEP-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Hegarty SV, Sullivan AM, O’Keeffe GW. (2012) GDF5 and BMP2 have differential effects on rat ventral mesencephalic neural stem cells, depending on their developmental stage. [Poster Presentation], 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Dublin, Ireland , 05-SEP-12 - 06-SEP-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Walsh S, Keeshan K, Nolan Y, O’Keeffe GW, Sullivan AM. (2012) The effect of IL-1R1 shRNA intra-nigral administration in a hemi-parkinsonian 6-hydroxydopamine rat model. [Poster Presentation], 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Dublin, Ireland , 05-SEP-12 - 06-SEP-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | UCC Doctoral Showcase [Finalist], McKelvey L, O’Keeffe GW. (2012) Feel the pain?. [Oral Presentation], UCC Doctoral Showcase [Finalist], Cork, Ireland , 07-JUN-12 - 07-JUN-12. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Nolan A, O'Keeffe GW. [Poster Prize] (2012) Maternal inflammation inhibits neuronal growth in offspring via an upregulation of autocrine TNF-alpha expression. [Poster Presentation], 7th Neuroscience Ireland Conference, Dublin, Ireland , 05-SEP-12 - 06-SEP-12. [Details] | |
| (2011) | 6th Neuroscience Ireland 2011, McKelvey L, Riccardi CR, O'Keeffe GW. (2011) Characterisation of the molecular mechanisms mediating GITR-regulated axonal growth. [Poster Presentation], 6th Neuroscience Ireland 2011, Maynooth, Ireland , 01-SEP-11 - 02-SEP-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | COST Action Inflammation in Brain Disease June 2011, Nolan A, O’Keeffe GW. (2011) Regulation of Rat Sympathetic Axonal Growth by TNF and IL-1b during Development. [Poster Presentation], COST Action Inflammation in Brain Disease June 2011, Dublin, Ireland , 03-JUN-11 - 03-JUN-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | 6th Neuroscience Ireland 2011, Hegarty SV, Sullivan AM, O'Keeffe GW. (2011) The Development of Rat Ventral Mesencephalic Neural Stem Cells in vitro. [Poster Presentation], 6th Neuroscience Ireland 2011, Maynooth, Ireland , 01-SEP-11 - 02-SEP-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience 2011, Gavin A, Wyatt S, Sullivan AM, O'Keeffe GW. (2011) Analysis of the temporal expression and neurotrophic effects of GDNF in the developing rat nigrostriatal system. [Poster Presentation], IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience 2011, Florence, Italy , 14-JUL-11 - 18-JUL-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience 2011, Nolan A, O’Keeffe GW. (2011) Regulation of NGF-promoted axonal growth by IL-1β and TNF during the sympathetic neuron development. [Poster Presentation], IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience 2011, Florence, Italy , 14-JUL-11 - 18-JUL-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | 6th Neuroscience Ireland 2011, Nolan A, O’Keeffe GW. [Poster prize] (2011) Regulation of NGF-promoted axonal growth by IL-1β and TNF during the sympathetic neuron development. [Poster Presentation], 6th Neuroscience Ireland 2011, Maynooth, Ireland , 01-SEP-11 - 02-SEP-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | 6th Neuroscience Ireland 2011, Crampton SJ, O'Keeffe GW. (2011) Effect of Interleukin-1β on proliferating embryonic rat ventral mesencephalic precursor cells. [Poster Presentation], 6th Neuroscience Ireland 2011, Maynooth, Ireland , 01-SEP-11 - 02-SEP-11. [Details] | |
| (2011) | COST Action Inflammation in Brain Disease 2011, Crampton SJ, O'Keeffe GW. (2011) Effect of Interleukin-1β on the proliferation and differentiation of embryonic rat ventral mesencephalic precursor cells. [Poster Presentation], COST Action Inflammation in Brain Disease 2011, UCD, Ireland , 03-JUN-11 - 03-JUN-11. [Details] | |
| (2010) | 5th Neuroscience Ireland, Gavin A, Wyatt S, Sullivan AM, O'Keeffe GW. (2010) Spatiotemporal analysis of GDF-5 expression in the developing rat nigrostriatal system. [Poster Presentation], 5th Neuroscience Ireland, Dublin, Ireland , 02-SEP-10 - 03-SEP-10. [Details] | |
| (2010) | Neuroscience Ireland 2010, Nolan A, O’Keeffe GW. (2010) Regulation of Rat Sympathetic Axonal Growth by the Inflammatory Cytokines TNF and IL-1b during Development. [Poster Presentation], Neuroscience Ireland 2010, Dublin, Ireland , 02-SEP-10 - 03-SEP-10. [Details] | |
| (2010) | Neuroscience Ireland 2010, Crampton SJ, Sullivan AM, O'Keeffe GW. (2010) Stereological analysis of the brachypod mouse brain. [Poster Presentation], Neuroscience Ireland 2010, Dublin, Ireland , 02-SEP-10 - 03-SEP-10. [Details] | |
| (2008) | 2nd Mammalian Genetics, Development and Disease Meeting, O’Keeffe GW. (2008) Autocrine GITRL signalling in the control of axonal growth. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 2nd Mammalian Genetics, Development and Disease Meeting, Cardiff, UK , 01-JUN-08 - 01-JUN-08. [Details] | |
| (2007) | British Neuroscience Association meeting 2007, Gallagher DJ, Gutierrez H, O'Keeffe GW, Gavalda N, Hay R, Davies AM. (2007) CNTF promotes neurite growth a non-canonical NIK-dependent pathway. [Poster Presentation], British Neuroscience Association meeting 2007, Harrogate, UK , 01-APR-07 - 04-JUL-07. [Details] | |
| (2007) | NeuroNE European Meeting 2007, O’Keeffe GW. (2007) Beyond the neurotrophins; the control of neurite growth by members of the TNF superfamily. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], NeuroNE European Meeting 2007, Varenna, Italy , 01-JUL-07 - 04-JUL-07. [Details] | |
| (2007) | British Neuroscience Association meeting 2007, O'Keeffe GW, Gutierrez H, Gavalda N, Davies AM. (2007) A novel TNF-a autocrine loop activates the canonical NF-kB pathway to limit NGF-promoted axonal growth in developing neurons. [Poster Presentation], British Neuroscience Association meeting 2007, Harrogate, UK , 01-APR-07 - 04-APR-07. [Details] | |
| (2007) | British Neuroscience Association meeting 2007, O'Keeffe GW, Gutierrez H, Gavalda N, Davies AM. (2007) The phosphorylation status of the p65 NF-kB subunit determines whether NF-kB promotes or inhibits neurite growth. [Poster Presentation], British Neuroscience Association meeting 2007, Harrogate, UK , 01-APR-07 - 04-APR-07. [Details] | |
| (2004) | 4th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience 2004, Toulouse, A., O’Keeffe, G.W., Sullivan, A.M. (2004) Dopaminergic induction from expanded rat ventral mesencephalic progenitor cells by GDF-5 and BMP-2, requires signalling through BMPR-Ib. [Poster Presentation], 4th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience 2004, San Diego, USA , 23-NOV-04 - 27-NOV-04. [Details] | |
| (2002) | Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland Summer meeting 2002, O’Keeffe, G.W., Costello, D.J., Sullivan, A.M. (2002) Growth/differentiation factor-5: developmental regulator, potential treatment. [Poster Presentation], Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland Summer meeting 2002, Dundee, Scotland , 23-JUL-12 - 26-JUL-12. [Details] | |
| (2003) | 6th International Conference on Alzheimer`s and Parkinson`s Disease, Costello, D.J., O'Keeffe, G.W., Hurley, F.M., Hanke, M., Sullivan, A.M. (2003) A growth/differentiation factor 5-producing CHO cell line enhances the survival and function of dopaminergic grafts in a 6-OHDA rodent model of Parkinsonism. [Poster Presentation], 6th International Conference on Alzheimer`s and Parkinson`s Disease, Seville, Spain , 08-MAY-03 - 12-MAY-03. [Details] | |
| (2003) | Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland Winter Meeting 2003, O’Keeffe, G.W., Hanke, M., Sullivan, A.M. (2003) Growth/differentiation factor-5, a growth factor with potential for therapeutic approaches for Parkinson's disease. [Best oral presentation]. [Oral Presentation], Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland Winter Meeting 2003, Egham, UK , 07-JAN-03 - 10-JAN-03. [Details] | |
| (2003) | Irish Society for Neurology meeting 2003, Costello, D.J., O'Keeffe, G.W., Hurley, F.M., Sullivan, A.M. (2003) A growth/differentiation factor 5 producing CHO cell line enhances the survival and function of dopaminergic grafts in a 6-OHDA rodent model of Parkinsonism. [Poster Presentation], Irish Society for Neurology meeting 2003, Cork, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2002) | 3rd Forum of European Neuroscience, O’Keeffe, G.W., Costello, D.J., Sullivan, A.M. (2002) Expression of the dopaminergic neurotrophin Growth differentiation factor-5 in the developing ventral mesencephalon and its effect on the differentiation of neural stem cells. [Poster Presentation], 3rd Forum of European Neuroscience, Paris, France , 13-JUL-02 - 17-JUL-02. [Details] | |
| (2002) | 3rd Forum of European Neuroscience, O’Keeffe, G.W., Costello, D.J., Sullivan, A.M. (2002) Restorative effects of growth/differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5) in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. [Poster Presentation], 3rd Forum of European Neuroscience, Paris, France , 13-JUL-02 - 17-JUL-02. [Details] | |
| (2001) | Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland Summer Meeting 2001, O’Keeffe, G.W., Sullivan, A.M. (2001) Investigation of the expression of growth/differentiation factor-5 in the developing rat brain. [Best poster presentation]. [Poster Presentation], Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland Summer Meeting 2001, Dublin, Ireland , 10-JUL-01 - 12-JUL-01. [Details] |
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 | |
|---|---|
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. | |
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 | |
|---|---|
Invited Internal Examiner (2014): PhD Thesis - Elaine O'Loughlin. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC, 2014. | |
Invited External Examiner (2013): PhD Thesis - Konstantin Grygoryev. Tyndall Institute, 2013. | |
Invited Internal Examiner (2012): MSc Thesis - Ian O'Brien. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC, 2012. | |
Invited Internal Examiner (2010): MSc Thesis - Lorna Farelly. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC, 2010. | |
Invited External Examiner (2012): PhD Thesis - Jennifer Day. Department of Physiology, Trinity College Dublin, 2012. | |
Invited External Examiner (2012): PhD Thesis - Stephaine Denieffe. Department of Physiology, Trinity College Dublin, 2012. | |
Invited Internal Examiner (2012): MSc Thesis - Martin Kelly. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, UCC, 2012. |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
Overview:- 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 |
Research Information
Internal Collaborators
| Name | Institute | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |