Dr. Carol Aherne grew up in Co Wicklow, Ireland. She studied science and graduated in 2002 with a BSc in Pharmacology from University College Dublin (UCD). She subsequently undertook a PhD in UCD in the school of Veterinary Medicine in 2003 and graduated in 2008. Her area of research was examining the role of nuclear orphan receptors in rheumatoid arthritis. During her PhD studies she took part in an Irish government sponsored training program which allowed her to complete part of her PhD work with Prof. Orla Conneely in Baylor College of Medicine in Heuston, Texas, USA.
The experience of working in a multi-disciplinary medical and research centre, along with her interest in further understanding tissue inflammation led her to take a postdoctoral research position in the Mucosal Inflammation Program at the University of Colorado, USA, in 2008. Dr. Aherne’s postdoctoral work demonstrated that substances released in the intestinal lining could be used to strengthen the intestinal barrier in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In 2014, Dr. Aherne was appointed as an Assistant Professor and established her own lab at the University of Colorado to study intestinal barrier function in IBD. This work was supported by National Institute of Health grants, and fellowships from the Crohn’s and Colitis foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association. In 2019, Dr. Aherne was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the UCD School of Medicine.
Current Research Challenges
Dr. Aherne’s current research is primarily focused on IBD. This umbrella term covers the diseases of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease which are lifelong diseases, estimated to affect 40,000 individuals in Ireland. Dr. Aherne has a specific interest in the lining of the gut, which consists of a mucus layer on top of an epithelial cell layer. In IBD patients the mucus and epithelial lining of the gut is damaged in part by the body’s immune system. Current IBD therapies are aimed at stopping the immune system from causing damage to the gut. However, these therapies fail in up to 50% of patients. An ongoing challenge in the field is understanding how the early damage occurs to the gut lining and the reason why the immune system causes damage in the gut. Dr. Aherne’s work aims to target this early stage of disease. Her lab is interested in the possibility that the mucus and epithelial cell layer can be strengthened to prevent the damage that occurs in IBD. It is the hope that by targeting a biological system that increases the function and strength of the lining of the gut that this would promote recovery of intestinal function in patients.
Her work involves using cell culture systems from mice and IBD patients, in conjunction with animal models to investigate the cell barriers and pathways that can increase the strength of the mucus and the epithelial layer. The long term goal is to develop novel therapeutic approaches for IBD that protect and strengthen the barrier function of the intestine.
The Researcher
Dr. Aherne has a keen interest in a supportive research culture. She is founder and Co-Chair of the UCD School of Medicine (SOM) Grants Advisory Committee whose goal is to assist investigators applying for research grants.
This work is complimented by her role as UCD SOM Research Integrity Champion where she is leading a pilot project sponsored by the UCD Research Culture Initiative. This project will design an advanced communications workshop aimed at building strong relationships within research teams.
Dr. Aherne has been principal investigator on multiple grants that support her work on gut barrier function in IBD. She maintains a patient centric focus in her research which was inspired by the collaborative medical and research community at the University of Colorado. This was strengthened through her relationship with The Crohn’s and Colitis foundation (USA) who facilitate links between researchers and the IBD community. This network allowed Dr. Aherne to meet patients and share research updates through informal discussions and lab tours. This continued with her move to UCD where The Patient Voice in IBD events, facilitated by the Conway Institute, help to link patients and researchers, allowing both sides to learn from each other.
Carol has a young family who enjoy spending time outdoors camping, hiking and travelling together. Having lived in Colorado for 11 years she developed a passion for skiing which she tries to maintain in less mountainous Ireland.
Future Research Aspirations
Looking to the future Dr. Aherne is keen to build on her current Science Foundation Ireland sponsored research towards better understanding of the gut barrier in IBD. A key challenge is that IBD is a heterogenous, lifelong disease, in which the causes of gut barrier dysfunction as well as the optimal method to restore this barrier will vary between patients. In the future, a more personalised approach to therapy is required to address these patient specific needs. Dr. Aherne plans to develop her research program in this area utilising patient derived samples in her studies to determine patient specific responses. In this endeavour, she will leverage existing clinical collaborations in a translational medicine funded project with Dr Seamus Hussey, who is the lead PI for the DOCHAS project (Determinants and Outcomes in Children and Adolescents with IBD), based at the National Children's Research Centre, Crumlin. In order to make an impact on the key area of a personalised approach for patients there needs to be consistent, facilitated, interaction between patients and the research community. Dr. Aherne plans to address this need by developing existing clinical collaborations and working to grow the IBD network in Ireland through involvement with organisations such as The Patient Voice in IBD.
Related Links
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