History

The research interests of the Translational NanoMedicine and Molecular Imaging Group include the preclinical characterisation and translational aspects associated with new generation nanomedicine, the biomedical applications of nanotechnologies and medical technologies, and molecular mechanisms of the immune system functioning in healthy and diseased models, in inflammation and cancer, advanced cell and molecular imaging. Within the Advanced Materials for BioEngineering Research Centre (AMBER) at TCD the group is pursuing the applications of nanomaterials for advanced research and medical diagnostics and assessment of environmental, health and safety impact of emerging nanomaterials.

Nanomedicine as a multidisciplinary research theme within the TTMI focuses on fundamental aspects of nanoparticle interactions with living cells and organisms, key questions at nanoscale level in toxicology and pharmacology with a strong drive towards nanomedicine products development (such as nanovaccine, lipid nanocarrier, nanoradiosensitizers), their translation and pre-clinical validation. The research group is supported by a fully established infrastructure within TTMI, and TCD, enabling to perform advanced studies into nanomaterials characterisation and functionalization and characterisation based on nano-particle tracking analysis approach (NTA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), spectral and high content cell imaging and analysis (HCSA), advanced confocal and electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and also high throughput transfection, isolation, separation. Furthermore in the last 5 years the group has successfully developed, characterised and validated new approach methodologies (NAMs) and 3D models (e.g., spheroids and organoids) which are meeting the latest European and International directives on 3Rs and human-relevance for drug discovery.