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Profile Photo

Professor Laure Marignol

Professor In Radiation Biology (Radiation Therapy)
TRINITY CENTRE, S J H - PHASE II & III
      
Profile Photo

Professor Laure Marignol

Professor In Radiation Biology (Radiation Therapy)
TRINITY CENTRE, S J H - PHASE II & III

 LAURE.MARIGNOL@tcd.ie

 3531896 3255


Professor Laure Marignol is Professor in Radiation Biology and Head of the Discipline of Radiation Therapy in the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin. She is an Elected Fellow of the University and founder of Applied Radiation Therapy Trinity (ARTT), one of Ireland's leading multidisciplinary radiation biology research programmes. Her research seeks to understand why biologically similar tumours respond differently to radiotherapy and how biological discovery can improve cancer care. Over the past two decades, her work has advanced understanding of tumour hypoxia, radioresistance, molecular biomarkers and tumour response modelling. More recently, her research has focused on tumour sex chromosome biology, leading to the development of OSIRIS, a research programme investigating tumour sex chromosome state as a novel determinant of tumour behaviour and radiation response. Professor Marignol's research integrates laboratory biology, computational approaches and clinical datasets to identify previously overlooked biological determinants of treatment response. While grounded in radiation biology, her work increasingly spans multidisciplinary collaborations with clinicians, physicists, computer scientists and researchers across emerging fields to accelerate the translation of biological discoveries into precision oncology. Alongside her research, Professor Marignol has played a leading role in advancing radiation biology through education, mentorship and international scientific leadership. She has established research capacity within radiation therapy through ARTT, supervised doctoral researchers, developed innovative research education programmes adopted across Trinity College Dublin, and contributed extensively to international education through the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO). She serves as Associate Editor for leading international oncology journals and contributes to research funding, professional societies and clinical guideline development across Europe. Professor Marignol believes that the greatest advances in cancer research arise from combining scientific curiosity with multidisciplinary collaboration. Her vision is to expand the contribution of radiation biology beyond its traditional boundaries, ensuring that biological discovery informs research, clinical practice and ultimately improves outcomes for people living with cancer.
  Biological Markers   Biomedical Research Resources, Other   Cancer genetics and cell biology including metastasis   Cell Lines   Clinical Radiobiology   Data Management/Analysis   DNA   Drug Delivery Systems   Exercise   Gene Expression   Genetic Manipulation   Genomics   Inhibitors   Lung Cancer   Mathematical modelling   Medical Outcomes   Metabolism, Protein   Methods of Drug Delivery   Molecular Biology   Oncology   Precision Medicine   Prostate cancer   Proteins and Macromolecules   Radiomics   Radiotherapy   Radiotherapy, Biological response modifiers and chemoprevention   Sex differences in radiation biology   Stem Cell   Therapeutic and Clinical oncology   Tissue Culture   Transgene Expression   Urogenital System   Urology
Project Title
 Tumours have a sex: impact on the response of bladder cancer to therapy.
From
October 2021
To
October 2025
Summary
Years of experience with ionising radiation and/or chemical poisons has taught us that damaging the genome - cutting the DNA molecule that it consists of - can block the development of cancer and delay death. This project will investigate sex as a biological variable affecting the ability of bladder cancer to overcome these cuts and escape destruction. This work will compare the presence of the tools required to repair this damage in female and male bladder cancer patients, experimentally manipulate their availability and test their relationship with the cancer development process in laboratory models.
Funding Agency
PhD Provost Award 2021
Project Type
PhD project
Project Title
 Creating the next-generation Cancer cell DNA damaging agent
From
October 2020
To
Present
Summary
Our insufficient, biologically challenged or poorly targeted ability to generate fatal DNA damage in cancer cells is recognised as an underlying major limiting factor to therapeutic efficacy of current cancer treatments. While efforts to modify the DNA damage response are yielding encouraging results, few novel anti-cancer DNA damaging agents are emerging. This project aims to create the next generation cancer cell DNA damaging agent.
Project Type
Wet lab
Person Months
1
Project Title
 Tumours have a sex: Impact on disease development and treatment response.
From
October 2019
To
Ongoing
Summary
The issue of sex bias or sex dismorphism in science is rapidly gaining momentum. Sex is a variable that affects several biological functions including both the innate and adaptive immune systems, the mode of stress-induced cell death and pain responses. Sex-specific studies have highlighted that drugs may affect males and females differently. But the impact of sex on the radiation response remains largely unstudied. Our lab investigates the impact of sex as a biological variable in the response to anti-cancer treatment. This work would involve the generation of in vitro survival curves using both female and male cancer cell lines, the review of published and recorded clinical data, and a solid evaluation of the potential sex-specific differences in the behaviour of cancer cells.
Project Type
Wet lab
Person Months
2
Project Title
 Development of a Companion diAgnostic teSt for radiotheraPy prostAte canceR patients (CASPAR)
From
01/01/2017
To
31/128/2017
Summary
There is an unmet need to develop companion diagnostic tests that can guide patients and their clinicians through the treatment decision process. This project propose assesses a novel protein for its prognostic and therapeutic potential in high risk radiotherapy prostate cancer patients. The long-term focus of CASPAR is to develop a novel companion diagnostic test and therapeutic combination that can allow personalized prescription of radiotherapy for these patients.
Funding Agency
Science Foundation Ireland
Programme
TIDA
Person Months
12
Project Title
 Prognosis potential of miRNAs in high risk radiotherapy prostate cancer patients
From
01 December 2012
To
01 December 2016
Summary
Failure to identify tumours with a radioresistant phenotype in the 1,000+ Irish prostate cancer patients/year receiving radiation therapy (RT) is associated with recurrence and decreased overall survival in approximatively 300-400 of these men, particularly those with localised Gleason 8-10 prostate carcinoma. This study aims to identify a miRNA panel that can be detected in diagnostic tissue biopsy specimen from high-risk patients, which will assist the identification of the 30-50% who are at greater risk of biochemical failure following RT.
Funding Agency
Irish Cancer Society
Project Type
Translational

Page 1 of 2
Details Date
Specialist Examiner (Radiobiology), Royal College of Radiologists FRCR examinations, UK December
Member, History Committee, Radiation Research Society (USA). January
Prostate Cancer Research UK. Invited member, Research Advisory committee. July
Editor, Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology (Elsevier) September
Invited member, The Advisory Committee for Radiation Oncology Practice (ACROP) committee. March
Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology, Editorial Board Member. July
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Advisory Committee (Ireland) ( Minister Appointed Radiobiology advisor) July
Cancers (Special Issue Invited Guest Editor) July
European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, ESTRO 2021 Conference Scientific Advisory Group (Radiobiology Symposium development, Session chair, Abstract Reviewer) April
Basic Radiobiology Teaching Course, European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (Faculty member) September
University of Manchester, UK (PhD external Examiner) July
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Faculty of Radiologists, FRCR Radiobiology Examination Preparation course (Radiation Oncology Registrars) (Radiobiology Course development, Instructor (Radiobiology); Tutor (Statistics)) June
University College Dublin, School of Medicine. Professional Certificate in Radiation Safety. (Curriculum developer, Instructor). June
Protocol for treatment interruption Compensation, Lung Radiation Therapy due to COVID-19 (Radiobiology Advisor) May
European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, ESTRO 2020 Conference Scientific Advisory Group (Radiobiology Symposium development, Session chair, Abstract Reviewer) December
Irish Radiation Research Society (Chair) February
European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, Radiobiology Committee (Invited Member)
St Luke's Radiation Oncology Network - Radiobiology Steering Committee (Invited member) May
Nature Scientific Reports (Editor) June
Journal Reviewer - Molecular Biology Reports Urology Advances in Radiation Oncology Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine Physics and Imaging in Radiation Oncology technical innovations and patient support in radiation oncology International Journal of Molecular Medicine Cancers June
The Wellcome - HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme (Supervisor) June
Grant Reviewer - Medical Research Council (UK), COST Action (European Commission), EIT Health COVID Rapid response (European Commission), ERA PerMed (European Commission) June
Journal reviewer - Frontiers Oncology Clinical breast cancer Journal of Clinical Medicine Cells Molecular Oncology Oncology reports Oncology letters Oncotarget June
GANIL (Grand Accélérateur d'Ions Lourds) - Application Reviewing Committee member June
Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland (PhD external examiner) December
Irish Radiation Research Society (Deputy Chair) December
Irish Radiation Research Society (Secretary) December
Grant Reviewer - Leading Fellows Postdoc Programme (The Netherlands) March
University of Cape Town, South Africa (PhD external examiner) September
Irish Radiation Research Society (Treasurer) December
International Exchange, Global Health Disparities Research Training Program, Division of Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA. (Invited Mentor) July
University of New South Wales, Australia (PhD external examiner) November
Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
French Fluent Fluent Fluent
German Basic Basic Basic
Details Date From Date To
Irish Radiation Research Society 2013 Present
European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) 2009 Present
Radiation Research Society (USA) 2007 Present
Irish Association for Cancer Research 2003 Present
Sarah Barrett , Mohammad Zahid , Conor K McGarry , Heiko Enderling , Gerard M Walls , Laure Marignol, External Validation of The Proliferation Saturation Index Model in Predicting Tumour Volume Regression in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
Sarah Barrett, Laure Marignol, Gerard G Hanna, Conor K McGarry , Gerard M Walls, Monitoring lung tumour volume on daily cone beam CT; is it achievable in a real-world setting?, Technical Innovations & Patient Support in Radiation Oncology, 2025, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI  URL
SK Zazzera , C Poole & L Marignol, Investigating the Needs and Concerns of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Questioning Cancer Patients, Journal of Homosexuality, 2024, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Harris E, Marignol L., Prehabilitation for Patients with Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy: a Scoping Review., Clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain)), 36, (4), 2024, p254-264 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Grimes, D.R. and Rassamegevanon, T. and Marignol, L., In silico analysis of overall survival with YBX1 in male and female solid tumours, Scientific Reports, 14, (1), 2024, Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Vens, C. and van Luijk, P. and Vogelius, R.I. and El Naqa, I. and Humbert-Vidan, L. and von Neubeck, C. and Gomez-Roman, N. and Bahn, E. and Brualla, L. and Böhlen, T.T. and Ecker, S. and Koch, R. and Handeland, A. and Pereira, S. and Possenti, L. and Rancati, T. and Todor, D. and Vanderstraeten, B. and Van Heerden, M. and Ullrich, W. and Jackson, M. and Alber, M. and Marignol, L., A joint physics and radiobiology DREAM team vision â€" Towards better response prediction models to advance radiotherapy, Radiotherapy and Oncology, 196, (110277), 2024, Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Marignol, L. and Pugh, C.W., Time, location and function of hypoxia-inducible factors are critical to therapeutic tumour response, BMJ Oncology, 3, (1), 2024, Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Collier, R. and Leech, M. and Marignol, L. and Gaffney, J. and Leijenaar, R. and Malone, C., Creating a 3D-printed pelvic phantom to explore the impact of Magnetic Resonance (MR) scanner noise in radiomics analysis, a technical note., Annals of 3D Printed Medicine, 13, (100143), 2024, Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text  DOI
Ripoll-Viladomiu, I. and Prina-Mello, A. and Movia, D. and Marignol, L., Extracellular vesicles and the †six Rs†in radiotherapy, Cancer Treatment Reviews, 129, (102799), 2024, Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Marignol, L. and McMahon, S.J., Research Trends in the Study of the Relative Biological Effectiveness: A Bibliometric Study, Radiation Research, 202, (2), 2024, p177-184 , Notes: [cited By 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

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Award Date
Election to Fellowship, Trinity College Dublin 10/04/2017
Faculty of Health Sciences, Dean's Research Award 2020
Cancer Immunology Stimulus Award 2018
GANIL (Grand Accélérateur d'Ions Lourds) Beam Access Award 2018
Faculty of Health Sciences, Dean's Teaching Award 2015
Science Foundation Ireland, TIDA 2017
Early Career Investigator Award, Radiation Research Society (USA) October 2017
Irish Cancer Society, Prostate Cancer Project Grant 01/12/2012
Travel Award, Radiation Research Society, USA 2010
6th St Lukes Young Investigator Award 2009
Early investigator award, Association for Radiation Research (UK) 2007
Radiation biology seeks to understand why tumours respond differently to radiotherapy. This question has driven my research throughout my career and continues to shape the direction of my laboratory today. My research focuses on uncovering the hidden biological determinants of tumour radiation response and translating these discoveries into more precise approaches to cancer treatment. Over the past two decades, my work has investigated multiple dimensions of tumour biology, including hypoxia, radioresistance, DNA damage responses, molecular signalling pathways, mathematical modelling and predictive biomarkers. Together, these studies have sought to explain why biologically similar tumours often respond differently to the same treatment. As my research programme has evolved, I have become increasingly interested in biological variables that remain overlooked despite their potential to influence tumour behaviour. This has led to the development of the OSIRIS research programme, which investigates tumour sex chromosome state as a novel determinant of tumour heterogeneity and radiation response. By integrating laboratory biology, computational analysis and large-scale clinical datasets, our work aims to establish a more complete understanding of the biological factors that shape treatment outcomes. My laboratory combines experimental radiation biology with multidisciplinary collaborations spanning clinical oncology, medical physics, computational biology and artificial intelligence. While our discoveries originate within radiotherapy, they increasingly provide insights into fundamental tumour biology with implications for precision oncology and future cancer care. Alongside scientific discovery, I am committed to expanding the contribution of radiation biology through education, collaboration and research capacity building. I believe that the greatest advances in cancer research arise when biological understanding is integrated across disciplines and translated into meaningful improvements for patients.