What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease where scarring of lung tissue reduces oxygen exchange, often leading to respiratory failure. The most common form, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), has an unknown cause but is associated with genetic and environmental factors. IPF disproportionately affects men, can be inherited, and currently has no cure, making it a major challenge for patients and healthcare systems worldwide.
Globally, IPF contributes to high mortality rates and significant healthcare costs, highlighting the urgent need for innovative therapies and improved disease models.Our research addresses these challenges by developing advanced iPSC-based lung models and gene-targeted therapies, creating platforms that enable precision medicine and accelerate the path to clinical trials.
PRECISE-PF: Understanding genetic lung fibrosis
STAR-TEL: UStratified Therapeutic Assessment Platform for Short Telomere related Lung Fibrosis using Patient-Derived iPSC
We are investigating how genetic mutations drive interstitial lung disease, with a focus on creating more accurate disease models. Using patient-derived iPSCs, our lab has developed alveolar spheroid “lung-in-a-dish” systems that allow us to study disease mechanisms in a controlled environment. This project, funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) in Ireland, has already generated promising insights into cellular pathways and therapeutic targets, paving the way for expanded studies and collaborative research aimed at developing precision treatments.We welcome academic collaborators, industry partners, and clinical networks to join us in advancing these findings toward novel therapies and future clinical trialsOur project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant, aims to tackle Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)—a lethal lung disease with limited treatment options. We are developing patient-derived “lung-in-a-dish” models to understand how telomere shortening drives disease and to test gene-targeted mRNA nanomedicines that could restore lung health without toxicity.
ERC-funded research transforming IPF treatment through precision medicine, this work will lay the foundation for personalized therapies and future clinical trials, addressing a major unmet need in global healthcareAGE-FIBROSIS: Assessing the Pathogenicity of Alveolar Epithelial Telomeres in Pulmonary Fibrosis
We investigate how telomere shortening contributes to pulmonary fibrosis using patient-derived iPSC models, and explore the role of sex hormones in disease progression. Previously supported by the Irish Research Council, this work is uncovering new mechanisms and creating opportunities for precision therapies. Building on these findings, we aim to expand collaborations with clinical partners, industry, and future research grant funding to accelerate therapeutic development and translationcircPF: Understanding the role of non-coding RNAs in alveolar epithelial damage pulmonary fibrosis
We aimed to uncover how alveolar epithelial cells contribute to pulmonary fibrosis, focusing on the role of non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs and circular RNAs in disease development. This work, supported by a Clement Archer Scholarship from RCSI, is advancing our understanding of molecular drivers of lung scarring and paving the way for new therapeutic strategies.REIDD: Assessing the potential of Digital Patient Empowered Monitoring for Remote Early Identification of Interstitial Lung Disease
We aim to determine if daily remote real-time spirometry monitoring can identify patients with rapidly progressive CTD-ILD allowing for early intervention, improving survival outcomes. This research is supported by the RCSI StAR MD Programme in collaboration with Beacon Hospital and the Irish Society for Rheumatology’s Patient Initiative Fund.What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic multi-organ disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. It is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which disrupts the function of the CFTR protein responsible for regulating salt and water balance in cells. The greatest risk factor is a family history of the disease, and while treatments have improved, CF remains a life-limiting condition with significant healthcare challenges worldwide.Our research focuses on developing advanced iPSC-based models of CF to better understand disease mechanisms and accelerate the discovery of novel therapies, paving the way for precision medicine and future clinical trials.This HRB Emerging Investigator Award-funded project partnered with clinical teams in the real-world RECOVER study, which examined the day-to-day effects of the latest CF treatments. The project successfully created patient-specific “lung-in-a-dish” models to investigate variable drug responses, providing an evidence-based platform for personalized therapy development and informing future clinical strategies.