Dr. Sinead Cristin Corr

Dr Sinéad Corr qualified with a BSc Microbiology in 2002 and in 2007 with a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from the Dept. of Microbiology and Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), University College Cork (UCC). This was followed by postdoctorate work as part of a collaboration between GlaxoSmithKline and APC (2006-2008), and subsequently with Prof. Luke O'Neill's Inflammation Research Group, at the School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) (2008-2015). In 2015, Sinéad obtained an academic position in the Dept. of Microbiology, TCD, where she established the Microbiome & Mucosal Immunity research group. Dr Corr is also Faculty member and Funded Investigator with APC Microbiome Ireland, Cork.

     BACTERIAL INFECTION   BIOACTIVE PEPTIDES   EPITHELIAL PERMEABILITY   Functional Food   GUT BARRIER FUNCTION   IBD   Infection and immunity   INFLAMMATION   Intestinal Barrier Function   INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS   INTESTINAL INFECTIONS   INTESTINAL INFLAMMATION   microbiome   MICROBIOTA   miRNA   Molecular basis to inflammation and innate immunity   MOUSE MODELS   Prebiotic   Probiotic

Using in vitro and in vivo based models and analysis of clinical samples combined with Next-Generation Sequencing my research explores specific hypotheses about the host-microbiome relationship, assessing the impact of the gut microbiome on health and deciphering the mechanisms underlying disease associations. Of interest, gastroenteritis, including bacterial infectious diseases, are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, while inflammatory bowel diseases affect over 2 million people in Europe. Our research has a key focus on IBD and we target Microbiome, Metabolome, cytokine and microRNA networks to understand how healthy immune responses are maintained at the intestinal mucosal barrier and what processes over-ride this during disease or infection. This research has a strong translational focus maintained by active collaboration with clinician colleagues and industrial biopharma partners, with the aim of identifying therapeutic strategies including novel dietary interventions, postbiotics and naturally-sourced bio-actives to manipulate intestinal immunity and enhance the beneficial aspects of the gut microbiome, with the ultimate goal of boosting health. Core Research Strands: Regulation of the intestinal epithelial barrier & immunity: Implications for infectious disease and inflammation Novel regulators of innate immunity and the Microbiome: MicroRNAs Exploring the functional attributes of the microbiome (including pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria) and its metabolites Pathogenesis of bacterial infection and identification of novel antimicrobials Therapeutic Manipulation of the Microbiome, Intestinal Immunity and Health: Dietary Interventions and functional foods; microbiome-based strategies including probiotics and postbiotic; Naturally-sourced bio-actives; novel antimicrobials;