News within Clinical Medicine
Dr Frederick Sheedy awarded Starting Investigators Research Grant
Dr Frederick Sheedy, Senior Research Fellow in the TB Immunology Group was recently awarded a Starting Investigators Research Grant by SFI. This programme supports young investigators as they transition towards independence as well as funding a PhD student to be mentored and trained by the awardee. Dr Sheedy’s proposed research funded by the scheme builds on his history studying miRNAs in innate immunity and disease and aims to target these key regulatory molecules to alter the body’s response to the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, with the ultimate aim of boosting the effectiveness of TB vaccines.
Dr Sheedy hopes to utilize the inhibition of both miRNAs, miR-21 and miR-33, to modify macrophage pathways in response to Mtb with the hope of boosting immunity to Mtb as well as exploring ways the research can be applied to improving human health.