Dr. Gina Renata Leisching

Research Assistant Professor, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute

Biography

I aim to be an innovator in the fields of academia and research. I have expertise in the areas of biomedical science and immunometabolism. I was born and raised in South Africa where I excelled academically, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Physiology and a PhD in Physiological Sciences at Stellenbosch University.

Following my studies, I began my career in academia, working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. Here, I conducted noteworthy research on tuberculosis, focusing on identifying host defense mechanisms through my studies of the bacterial molecular mechanisms that promote survival in the host cell. My research resulted in several high-impact publications in major scientific journals and has contributed significantly to our understanding of the disease.

I am currently a Research Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin where my work aims to understand the immunometabolism of diseases underpinned by type I interferons. Currently, I have a specific interest in lupus and in identifying ways in which we can manipulate immune cell metabolism to minimise disease burden. I am passionate about contributing to the growth and development of the next generation of scientists aiming to provide them with the scientific tools to excel in their careers.

My contributions to science have been widely recognized, and I have received numerous awards and accolades for my accomplishments. I was awarded a Y rating from the National Research Foundation in 2019 as a Promising Young Researcher as well as a Top 20 Postdoctoral Fellow at Stellenbosch University in 2019.

I remain committed to pushing the boundaries of science and innovation, and to making a positive impact on society.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Leisching G, Keane J., Bystander Macrophage Metabolic Shift after Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection., American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology, 63, (6), 2020, p863-865Journal Article, 2020, DOI
Cilian Ó Maoldomhnaigh, Donal J Cox, James Joseph Phelan, Karl M. Gogan, Kate McQuaid, Amy Martina Coleman, Sharee Ann Basdeo and Joseph Keane., Lactate alters metabolism in human macrophages and improves their ability to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Frontiers in Immunology, 2021Journal Article, 2021, DOI
Yennemadi AS, Jameson G, Glass M, De Pasquale C, Keane J, Bianchi M, Leisching G., Chronic IFN" treatment induces leukopoiesis, increased plasma succinate and immune cell metabolic rewiring., Cellular immunology, 390, 2023, p104741Journal Article, 2023, DOI
Leisching, G., Loos, B., Botha, M., Engelbrecht, A.-M., Bcl-2 confers survival in cisplatin treated cervical cancer cells: Circumventing cisplatin dose-dependent toxicity and resistance, Journal of Translational Medicine, 13, (1), 2015Journal Article, 2015, DOI
Leisching, G., Loos, B., Nell, T., Engelbrecht, A.-M., Sutherlandia frutescens treatment induces apoptosis and modulates the PI3-kinase pathway in colon cancer cells, South African Journal of Botany, 100, 2015, p20-26Journal Article, 2015, DOI
Leisching, G.R., Loos, B., Botha, M.H., Engelbrecht, A.-M., The role of mTOR during cisplatin treatment in an in vitro and ex vivo model of cervical cancer, Toxicology, 335, 2015, p72-78Journal Article, 2015, DOI
Leisching, G., Pietersen, R.-D., Mpongoshe, V., Van Heerden, C., Van Helden, P., Wiid, I., Baker, B., The host response to a clinical MDR mycobacterial strain cultured in a detergent- free environment: A global transcriptomics approach, PLoS ONE, 11, (4), 2016Journal Article, 2016, DOI
Leisching, G., Loos, B., Botha, M., Engelbrecht, A.-M., A nontoxic concentration of cisplatin induces autophagy in cervical cancer selective cancer cell death with autophagy inhibition as an adjuvant treatment, International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 25, (3), 2015, p380-388Journal Article, 2015, DOI
Abhilasha Madhvi, Hridesh Mishra, GR Leisching, PZ Mahlobo, B Baker, Comparison of human monocyte derived macrophages and THP1-like macrophages as in vitro models for M. tuberculosis infection, Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 67, 2019, p101355Journal Article, 2019, DOI
Gina R. Leisching, PI3-Kinase "" Catalytic Isoforms Regulate the Th-17 Response in Tuberculosis, Frontiers in Immunology, 10, 2019Journal Article, 2019, DOI
G. Leisching, A. Ali, V. Cole, B. Baker, 2"-5"-Oligoadenylate synthetase-like protein inhibits intracellular M. tuberculosis replication and promotes proinflammatory cytokine secretion, 2019Journal Article, 2019, DOI
Gina Leisching, Victoria Cole, Aus T. Ali, Bienyameen Baker, OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3 restrict intracellular M. tb replication and enhance cytokine secretion, International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 80, 2019, pS77--S84Journal Article, 2019, DOI
Leisching, G., Wiid, I., Baker, B., OAS1, 2, and 3: Significance during Active Tuberculosis?, Journal of Infectious Diseases, 217, (10), 2018, p1517-1521Journal Article, 2018, DOI
Leisching, G.R., Susceptibility to Tuberculosis is associated with PI3K-dependent increased mobilization of neutrophils, Frontiers in Immunology, 9, (JUL), 2018Journal Article, 2018, DOI
Gina Leisching, Ray-Dean Pietersen, Carel van Heerden, Paul van Helden, Ian Wiid, Bienyameen Baker, RNAseq reveals hypervirulence-specific host responses to M. tuberculosis infection, Virulence, 8, (6), 2017, p848--858Journal Article, 2017, DOI
Leisching, G., Wiid, I., Baker, B., The Association of OASL and Type I Interferons in the Pathogenesis and Survival of Intracellular Replicating Bacterial Species, Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 7, (MAY), 2017Journal Article, 2017, DOI
G. Leisching, R.-D. Pietersen, I. Wiid, B. Baker, Virulence, biochemistry, morphology and host-interacting properties of detergent-free cultured mycobacteria: An update, Tuberculosis, 100, 2016, p53--60Journal Article, 2016, DOI
Anjali S. Yennemadi, Joseph Keane, Gina Leisching, Mitochondrial bioenergetic changes in systemic lupus erythematosus immune cell subsets: Contributions to pathogenesis and clinical applications, Lupus, 2023, p096120332311646Journal Article, 2023, DOI
Abhilasha Madhvi, Hridesh Mishra, Novel N. Chegou, Gerard Tromp, Carel J. Van Heerden, R. D. Pietersen, Gina Leisching, Bienyameen Baker, Distinct host-immune response toward species related intracellular mycobacterial killing: A transcriptomic study, Virulence, 11, (1), 2020, p170--182Journal Article, 2020, DOI
Dannielle K Moore, Gina R. Leisching, Candice I. Snyders, Andrea Gutschmidt, Ilana C. Rensburg, Andre Loxton, Immunoglobulin profile and B"cell frequencies are altered with changes in the cellular microenvironment independent of the stimulation conditions, Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, 8, (3), 2020, p458--467Journal Article, 2020, DOI
Leisching G, Yennemadi A, Gogan K, Keane J., Interferon " and ß induce differential transcriptional and functional metabolic phenotypes in human macrophages and blunt glycolysis in response to antigenic stimuli., European journal of immunology, 2024, pe2451032Journal Article, 2024, DOI
Anjali S Yennemadi, Natasha Jordan, Sophie Diong, Joseph Keane, Gina Leisching, The Link Between Dysregulated Immunometabolism and Vascular Damage: Implications for the Development of Atherosclerosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Other Rheumatic Diseases, The Journal of Rheumatology, 2024Journal Article, 2024, URL
Anjali S Yennemadi, Joseph Keane, Gina Leisching, The Isolation and Characterization of Low-and Normal-Density Neutrophils from Whole Blood, Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), (216), 2025, pe67805-Journal Article, 2025, DOI , URL
Yennemadi A, The link between dysregulated immunometabolism and vascular damage: Implications for the development of atherosclerosis in SLE., Journal of Rheumatology, 2024Journal Article, 2024, DOI
Yennemadi A, Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Failure in SLE Immunocytes: Targeting Fitness for Therapy, Clinical Immunology, 2025Journal Article, 2025
Yennemadi AS, Mitochondrial bioenergetic failure in SLE immunocytes: Targeting fitness for therapy, Clinical Immunology, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
Kevin Brown, Aaron M. Walsh, Anjali S Yennemadi, Dearbhla M Murphy, Sarah Conolly, Mary P. O"Sullivan, Sharee A. Basdeo, Seónadh M. O"Leary, Gina Leisching, Joseph Keane, HIV inhibits Warburg metabolism in human macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
Lorraine Thong, Olivia Sandby Thomas, Oisin Ó Gallchobhair, Emily Duffin, Anjali S Yennemadi, Gina Leisching, Dearbhla M Murphy, Parthiban Nadarajan, Fiona O" Connell, M. Sullivan, Sharee A. Basdeo, Donal J Cox, Joseph Keane, Dexamethasone impairs glycolysis but improves mycobacterial killing in primary human macrophages, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
Seán Donohue, Gina Leisching, Joseph Keane, The Emerging Role of Immunothrombosis in the Control and Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
Anjali S Yennemadi, Faye K Murphy, Joseph Keane, Gina Leisching, Sex-Specific Metabolic Programming in Human Neutrophil Subsets, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
Faye K Murphy, Anjali S Yennemadi, Natasha Jordan, Gina Leisching, The role of interferon-mediated suppression of monocyte immunothrombosis in infection susceptibility in systemic lupus erythematosus, Clinical & Experimental Immunology, 220, (1), 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
Gina Leisching, Donal J Cox, Vincent Bondet, Anjali S Yennemadi, Seán Donohue, Darragh Duffy, Joseph Keane, Human macrophages secrete both interferon " and interferon ß protein during infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI

My research interests include immunopathological mechanisms related to cellular metabolism in both SLE and TB. I aim to conduct patient-centered research with outcomes being relevant to patients and their families.

I am particularly interested in thromboinflammation and the immune-related pathways driving this phenomenon in disease.

Autoimmunity, Innate immunity, Cellular immunology, Infectious diseases, Immunology,

Recognition

Awards and Honours

Top 20 Post-doctoral Fellow (stellenbosch University, South Africa) 2019
Health Research Board Emerging Investigator Award 2024
Promising Young Researcher (National Research Foundation) 2019