Prof. Cormac Taylor receives prestigious US research award

The American Physiological Society (APS) has presented Professor Cormac Taylor with the 2017 Takeda Distinguished Research Award. The prestigious award is presented annually, by the Society’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology Section, to an outstanding investigator who is internationally recognised for his/her contribution to physiological research in these areas.

The award was presented to Professor Taylor, a Professor of Cellular Physiology at UCD’s School of Medicine and a Fellow of UCD Conway Institute, during the 2017 APS Experimental Biology meeting held this week in Chicago.

This is the first time that this award has been presented to a scientist located outside the United States since it was established in 2007.

Founded in 1887, the APS was the first US society in the biomedical sciences field. The Society currently represents more than 10,500 members and publishes 15 peer-reviewed journals with a worldwide readership. Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease.

Professor Taylor's research group in UCD Conway Institute is investigating the mechanisms by which epithelial cells respond to low oxygen levels (hypoxia). The group explores the regulation of gene expression in hypoxic conditions and the potential of targeting of oxygen-sensitive cellular pathways in inflammation as a means of treating conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Professor Cormac Taylor (pictured right) said, “I am delighted and honoured to receive the 2017 Takeda Distinguished Researcher Award. This Award, which underscores the importance of investigator-led basic research in medicine, is a testament to the hard work of the PhD students and postdocs who have trained in my lab at University College Dublin over the last number of years.”

Professor Orla Feely, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact said, “I would like to congratulate Professor Cormac Taylor on receiving the American Physiological Society’s 2017 Takeda Distinguished Research Award. This Award demonstrates the quality and impact of his research programme at University College Dublin into the cellular response to hypoxia. This research has revealed novel mechanisms whereby protective endogenous processes can be exploited for therapeutic gain in the context of prevalent chronic inflammatory bowel disease.”

Dr Declan F. McCole, Chair, APS Gastrointestinal and Liver Section said, “University College Dublin’s Professor Taylor is very highly regarded within the gastrointestinal research community for his work on the roles of hypoxia in intestinal inflammation. He has generated very important insights in this field and thus is an extremely worthy winner of the 2017 Takeda Distinguished Research Award. He is also well known for being a vocal supporter of the broader mission of the American Physiological Society.”

He added, “As a UCD graduate myself it is particularly rewarding to be able to present Professor Taylor with this award.”

Watch a short video to find out more about Professor Taylor’s research via https://youtu.be/hzLB-qEQpw4.

Produced by Micéal Whelan, UCD Communications Manager (Innovation)