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Dr. Julie Renwick

Assistant Professor (Clinical Microbiology)
TALLAGHT HOSPITAL
      
Profile Photo

Dr. Julie Renwick

Assistant Professor (Clinical Microbiology)
TALLAGHT HOSPITAL

 renwickj@tcd.ie

 3531896 3791


Dr Renwick graduated from Maynooth University (MU) with an Honours Degree in Biology in 2003. From there she was accepted into a PhD program in the National Institute of Cellular Biotechnology in MU where she completed her PhD in medical microbiology investigating the interactions between Aspergillus fumigatus and human and insect immune cells. In 2006 she was appointed as a microbiology and genetics lecturer in the Institute of Technology, Dublin. During her three years in this position she completed a Post-Graduate Higher Diploma in third level education in MU. In 2009 she accepted a research fellowship in the Clinical Microbiology department at the Trinity centre for Health Science in Tallaght hospital. Dr Renwick has established and developed a number of national and international clinical studies and research projects including co-founding the AIrway Microbiome in Cystic Fibrosis (AIM-CF) project. As a principle investigator of the National Children's Research Centre, her research focused on identifying and characterising the microbial communities present in the airways of children with CF and understanding how these microbial communities interact with the host and impact on disease progression. Dr Renwick was appointed Assistant Professor within the clinical microbiology department in Trinity College in 2016 and is currently the Head of Discipline of Clinical Microbiology.
  ASPERGILLUS-FUMIGATUS   CYSTIC FIBROSIS   DIAGNOSTICS   LOWER RESPIRATORY-TRACT   MICROBIOLOGY   microbiome   PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA   RESPIRATORY INFECTION
Project Title
 RESIST-AMR
From
2022
To
2027
Summary
Antimicrobials are critical resources for human, animal and plant health. With emergence of antimicrobial resistance and lack of new antimicrobials, we face an unprecedented global environmental, food security and human health threat. Applying a multidisciplinary approach, the team including 4 PhD projects and expertise from plant scientists, clinical and environmental microbiologists, geneticists, antimicrobial resistance specialists, computer scientists/statisticians, bioengineers and sociologists, will study environmental and human 'resistomes' from agricultural and clinical settings and analyse agricultural stakeholders' practices and policies to identify institutional reform implications.
Funding Agency
Prendergast challenge based award
Project Title
 SPIN-CF: Study of Polymicrobial INteractions in CF
From
To
Summary
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the leading cause of infection in people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Colonisation with P. aeruginosa occurs early in life and once established is very difficult to eradicate. Up to 95% of morbidity and mortality in CF occurs as a result of chronic airway infections. In people with CF, airway damage begins early in life and the course of infection and inflammation in childhood can influence future prognosis. P. aeruginosa is independently linked to worsened prognosis for CF patients and has the ability to rapidly develop resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics including Penicillin, Cephalosporin, Aminoglycosides, Quinolones, Polymyxins and Carbapenems which are the leading antibiotics used to treat P. aeruginosa infections currently. P. aeruginosa acquires resistance genes and specific mutations that enhance its survival in the presence of antibiotics. New therapeutic avenues for treatment of P. aeruginosa infections in CF are imminent and early eradication is vital to prevent establishment of chronic infection. We have identified a molecule produced by Aspergillus fumigatus (a fungus that commonly co-colonises the CF airways with P. aeruginosa) that can inhibit P. aeruginosa growth in planktonic and biofilm forms. We aim to explore the therapeutic potential of this molecule.
Funding Agency
Irish Research Council & ESCMID
Project Type
Translational basic science project
Project Title
 AIM-CF: The Airway Microbiome in Cystic Fibrosis
From
2011
To
2017
Summary
AIM CF is a branch of the larger Study of Host Immunity and Early Lung Disease in Cystic Fibrosis (SHIELD CF) biobanking project established by Prof Paul McNally and Dr Barry Linnane. I am co-PI on the AIM CF project where we have developed protocols for isolating DNA and RNA from CF patient BAL samples and optimised an assay for detected viable bacteria using molecular methods. We have employed a 16S rRNA microarray, 454 pyrosequencing and Illumina MiSeq to characterise the upper and lower CF airway microbiome and compare it to healthy controls. This is an ongoing longitudinal study.
Funding Agency
The National Children's Hospital & The National Children's Research Centre
Programme
Joint award
Project Type
Longitudinal clinical study
Project Title
 ACRE: Antimicrobial Coating pRojEct
From
Jan 2018
To
Summary
Incorporating a new antimicrobial technology into the hospital setting to reduce bacterial bioburden and thus prevalence of resistance in the hospital environment. Internationally collaborative project lead by scientists and clinicians in Kastus, Trinity College and Tallaght hospital.

Details Date
Member of organisation committee of the Focus on Infection meeting 2017 Dec 2017
Internal examiner for PhD continuation 2017
Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
Details Date From Date To
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) present 2019
European Respiratory Society 2011 Present
Irish Thoracic Society 2011 Present
McDermott, G.; Walsh, A.; Crispie, F.; Frost, S.; Greally, P.; Cotter, P.D.; O"Sullivan, O.; Renwick, J., Insights into the Adolescent Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiome Using Shotgun Metagenomics., International Journal of Molecular Science, 25, (7), 2024, p3893-, Notes: [https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25073893], Journal Article, PUBLISHED
N Sarwar, E Reece, J Renwick, Polymicrobial interactions: Implication for virulence in chronic lung disease., ESCMID, Barcelona, Spain, April 2023, 2023, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED
Katie Dunne, Emma Reece, Siobhán McClean, Sean Doyle, Thomas R Rogers, Philip Murphy, Julie Renwick, Aspergillus fumigatus Supernatants Disrupt Bronchial Epithelial Monolayers: Potential Role for Enhanced Invasion in Cystic Fibrosis, Journal of Fungi, 9, (4), 2023, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Johanna Rhodes, Alireza Abdolrasouli, Katie Dunne, Thomas R. Sewell, Yuyi Zhang, Eloise Ballard, Amelie P. Brackin, Norman van Rhijn, Alexandra Tsitsopoulou, Raquel B. Posso, Sanjay H Chotirmall, Noel G McElvaney, Philip G Murphy, Alida Fe Talento, Julie Renwick, Paul S. Dyer, Adrien Szekely, Michael J. Bromley, Elizabeth M. Johnson, P. Lewis White, Adilia Warris, Richard C. Barton, Silke Schelenz, Thomas R. Rogers, Darius Armstrong-James, Matthew C. Fisher, Population genomics confirms acquisition of drug-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus infection by humans from the environment, Nature Microbiology, 2022, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Karolina Klosinska, Emma Reece, Elaine Kenny, Julie Renwick, Reducing Human DNA Bias in cystic fibrosis airway specimens for microbiome analysis, Journal of Microbiological Methods, 2022, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Linnane, B.;Walsh, A.M.; Walsh, C.J.; Crispie, F.; O'Sullivan, O.; Cotter, P.D.; McDermott, M.; Renwick, J.; McNally, P., The Lung Microbiome in Young Children with Cystic Fibrosis: A Prospective Cohort Study, Microorganisms, 9, (429), 2021, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Julie Renwick, Emma Reece, Jamie Walsh, Ross Walsh, Thara Persaud, Cathal O'Leary, Seamas C. Donnelly, Peter Greally. , Early Interleukin-22 and neutrophil proteins are correlated to future lung damage in children with cystic fibrosis.., Frontiers in Pediatrics, 31, (9), 2021, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Emma Reece, Pedro H Bettio, Julie Renwick, Polymicrobial Interactions in the Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiome Impact the Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Antibiotics, 10, (7), 2021, p827-, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Johanna Rhodes, Alireza Abdolrasouli, Katie Dunne, Thomas R. Sewell, Yuyi Zhang, Eloise Ballard, Amelie P. Brackin, Norman van Rhijn, Alexandra Tsitsopoulou, Raquel B. Posso, Sanjay H Chotirmall, Noel G McElvaney, Philip G Murphy, Alida Fe Talento, Julie Renwick, Paul S. Dyer, Adrien Szekely, Michael J. Bromley, Elizabeth M. Johnson, P. Lewis White, Adilia Warris, Richard C. Barton, Silke Schelenz, Thomas R. Rogers, Darius Armstrong-James, Matthew C. Fisher, Tracing patterns of evolution and acquisition of drug resistant Aspergillus fumigatus infection from the environment using population genomics. , BioRxiv, 2021, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Microbiology of the Cystic Fibrosis Airway in, Reference Module in Life Sciences, Elsevier, 2019, pphttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978 , [Gillian McDermott, Emma Reece and Julie Renwick], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
  

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Award Date
Prendergast Challenge based award 2022
Irish Research Council 2021
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 2021
Provost PhD award 2019
Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund Start up funding 2016
Wellcome Trust travel award 2017
My research focuses on chronic respiratory infections, with a particular interest in Cystic Fibrosis (CF). In recent years the airways of people with CF have been found to harbour a diverse community of microorganisms. These finding are forcing a paradigm shift in how we view airway infections. To date the clinical significance of the presence of these microbial communities in the CF airways is still poorly understood. I currently have numerous basic science and clinical studies underway exploring the microbial communities present in the airway and how they contribute to chronic airway disease progression. I co-founded the Airway Microbiome in CF (AIM CF) project which is an arm of the larger Study of Host Immunity and Early Lung Disease in CF (SHIELD CF) longitudinal project. I also have an interest in advancing diagnostic techniques and improving detection of common airway pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus. My research is multidisciplinary and relies on a high level of communication between clinicians and scientists to apply the most advanced, cutting-edge sequencing and molecular techniques to the clinical setting.