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Professor Lorraine O'Driscoll

Professor of Pharmacology & Biomedicine (Pharmacy)
24 WESTLAND ROW
      
Profile Photo

Professor Lorraine O'Driscoll

Professor of Pharmacology & Biomedicine (Pharmacy)
24 WESTLAND ROW

 lodrisc@tcd.ie

 3531896 2822


Lorraine O'Driscoll (BSc(Hons, Pharm), MSc(Res, Clin Pharm), MA(Ed), PhD(Biotech), FTCD, FRSB, MRIA) Lorraine holds a BSc(Hons), pharmacology; MSc(Res), clinical pharmacology; MA, education; PhD, biotechnology. In 2012, she was elected to Fellowship in TCD. Following her PhD, Lorraine undertook biotechnology/biomedical research for US and EU industry (including Berlex; Archport Ltd-Axonobel; MediSyn Ltd; MedaNova Ltd.) before returning to academic research & teaching. At post-doctoral level, she gained experience at the Dana-Farber Harvard Cancer Institute and University of Miami. Prior to joining TCD in 2008, Lorraine most recently held the position of Senior Research Programme Leader and Lecturer in School of Biotechnology, DCU. Her research group focuses on diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers; discovering new therapeutic targets; cancer cells communication via exosomes, microvesicles and CTCs; elucidating and circumventing resistance to targets agents and classical chemotherapy; associations between obesity, metabolic syndrome and cancer. She has been a P.I. on 5 cancer clinical trials with ICORG. She is TCD's Principal Investigator on SFI-supported Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland; Strand Leader of Irish Cancer Society-supported Breast-PREDICT; and P.I. and Chair, H2020-supported European Network Cooperation in Science and Technology focussed on Exosomes & Microvesicles in Health & Disease which brings together researchers from 27 European countries, 3 US universities, Australia and 7 industry partners. In 2017, she was awarded approx. €4,000,000 as Director of a H2020 ITN aimed at training 15 PhD students in TRAIN-EV i.e. training in extracellular vesicles: for benefit in health and disease. She has developed tailored courses for academia (e.g. FEBS), semi-state bodies (e.g. IDA) and industry. Her graduates and mentees are now employed at NIH; Pfizer; Amgen; Leo; Roche; AstraZeneca; ICON plc; 2 are entrepreneurs/company CEOs; 2 are Managers of Research Centres; others hold lecturing and research posts in academia.
  Apoptosis   Apoptosis, molecular control   Bioinformatics   Biology   Biology and therapy of myeloma   Biomedical sciences   Breast cancer   Cancer genetics and cell biology including metastasis   Cell and tissue development   Cell and tissue maintenance, repair and ageing   Clinical research, trials   Diabetes and diabetic complications   Diagnostics   DNA transcription and translation   Drug development and evaluation   Drug discovery, profiling, targeting   Embryonic development   Endocrine function and disease   Gene targeting in breast cancer   Gene therapy   Gene transcription in human cancer   Human genetics   Immunoassays   In vitro testing, trial methods   Medical Sciences, Research   Membrane and protein trafficking   Multiple Myeloma   Oncogenes, apoptosis and tumour development   Pathology   Prostate cancer   Regulatory methods of gene expression   RNA processing, stability and degradation   Stem Cell biology and hematopoiesis   Therapeutic and Clinical oncology
Project Title
 Extracellular Vesicles from Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Treatment Option for COVID-19
From
June 2020
To
Summary
Funding Agency
COVID19 Response Funding
Project Title
 Extracellular Vesicle Research Exchanges for Advanced Biomarkers and Therapeutics
From
15/5/24
To
Summary
Funding Agency
European Commission
Programme
Horizon Europe 1.2 MSCA
Project Type
MSCA-2023-SE-01
Project Title
 Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer (EVIC)
From
Sept. 2019
To
Sept. 2023
Summary
EVIC is a project about tiny particles that are released from cancer cells into the bloodstream. These are called extracellular vesicles or EVs for short. Building on discoveries by Prof. O'Driscoll and her team, EVIC will study how EVs can be used for the early diagnosis of cancer and as indicators of the optimum anti-cancer drugs for a patient. Their research also shows that EVs from cancer cells may play a role in the spread of cancer throughout the body and in making cancer cells not respond to treatment. EVIC will investigate a new way of stopping, or at least limiting, this happening. But not all EVs are bad! EVIC will also engineering EVs from safe healthy cells to help transport drugs directly to cancer cells, so as to be of benefit at lowest possible doses with fewest side-effects.
Funding Agency
Irish Research Council
Programme
Irish Research Council Advanced Laurate Award
Project Type
PI
Person Months
250
Project Title
 Extracellular Vesicles Promoted Regenerative Osseointegration (EVPRO)
From
Jan. 2019
To
Feb. 2023
Summary
This project, as part of the consortium programme entitled "Extracellular Vesicles Promoted Regenerative Osseointegration (EVPRO)" is a collaboration with the Fraunhofer, Aachen, Germany and 9 other European academic, clinical and industry partners that will develop EV-loaded hydrogel coatings with immunomodulatory activity for promoted regenerative osseointegration of revision endoprosthesis. The focus in the O'Driscoll group is on developing and optimising a down-stream process to isolate EVs released from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-EVs), evaluating potency assays to assess the anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory capacities of obtained MSC-EVs to modulate endoprosthesis induces inflammation processes, elucidating the molecule contents of MSC-EVs with the intention of identifying those that may be contributing beneficial effects, and transferring the MSC-EVs production process to GMP compliant conditions.
Funding Agency
EU Commission - Horizon 2020 (H2020)
Programme
H2020-NMBP-TR-IND-2018 Transforming European Industry
Project Type
NMBP-TR-IND
Person Months
48
Project Title
 Extracellular vesicles: training in extracellular vesicles for benefit in health and disease (TRAIN-EV)
From
2017
To
2021
Summary
Exosomes and microvesicles/ectosomes, collectively termed extracellular vesicles (EV), have attracted much recent interest because of their potential functions, use as disease biomarkers and possible therapeutic exploitation. Due to their enormous relevance, this relatively new field of research is quickly expanding. However, there are still many gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed to ensure optimal exploitation of EVs from health and Europe's economic benefit. Addressing this, TRAIN-EV's objective is to provide excellent and integrated multi-disciplinary and inter-sectoral training of a critical mass of ESRs of outstanding potential in the academic, clinical, and industry/business components of exploiting EV, while performing novel cutting-edge research to address these gaps and generate new knowledge. This will be achieved by appointing 15 PhD students with Beneficiary and Partner Organisations offering secondments, training and additional networking opportunities. --- €3,900,500
Funding Agency
EU Commission - Horizon 2020 (H2020)
Programme
H2020-MSCA-ITN
Project Type
Research Innovation
Person Months
576

Page 1 of 5
Details Date
Chair, International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) Annual Conference 2022 2021-2022
Chair, International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) Annual Conference 2021 2020-2021
Molecular and Precision Oncology Theme Leader, Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute (TSJCI) 2019
Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) Member of ProEvLifeCycle, The Netherlands 2019
Scientific PI, Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute (TSJCI) Breast Cancer Programme 2018
Management Committee member, H2020-funded cooperation in science and technology: Identifying Biomarkers through Translational Research for Prevention and Stratifictaion of Cancer 2018
Honorary Secretary to Science and Meetings Committee, International Society for Extracellular Vesicles 2018
Guest-Edition of Methods in Molecular Biology: Gene Expression Profiling - 2nd Edition 2018
Management Committee member, H2020-funded cooperation in science and technology: Delivery of Antisense RNA Therapeutics 2017
Founding Director, European Consortium TRAIN-EV (extracellular vesicles: for benefit in health and disease). 2017
Academic Mentor, Trinity College Dublin 2016
Member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Scientists 2016
Invited Role Model, Inspiring Leadership - Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (Aurora), Ireland and UK 2016
Founding Committee Member, Irish Association of Pharmacologists (IAP) 2016
Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) Member, Midatech Ltd, Oxford 2014
Hospital Professional Awards: Judging Panel Member 2014
Editorial Board Member, J. Extracell. Ves. 2013
Management Committee member, Irish Cancer Society (ICS)-funded national virtual cancer research centre Breast-Predict 2013
Appointed as Strand Leader, Irish Cancer Society (ICS)-funded national virtual research centre Breast-Predict 2013
Examiner (Report and Site Visit) for Enterprise Ireland Applied Research Capability award to Dundalk Institute of Technology 2013
Editorial Board Member, PeerJ 2012
Cancer Theme Steering Committee member, Trinity College Dublin 2012
Mentor, Career Path Development, University College Los Angeles (UCLA) 2011
External Examiner to Aarhus University postgraduate degree programmes 2010
Editorial Board Member, Molecular Biotechnology 2010
Management Committee member, Science Foundation Ireland-funded national virtual cancer research centre Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer Ireland 2009
Editorial Board Member, Anticancer Research 2009
Guest-Editor of book volume of Current Cancer Drug Targets entitled "Mechanisms of Cancer Drug Sensitivity & Resistance: A Translational Approach" 2009
Guest-Edition of Methods in Molecular Biology: Gene Expression Profiling 2009
Editorial Board Member for Cancer Genomics & Proteomics 2006
Research Specialist: All Ireland Clinical Oncology Research Group/Cancer Trials Ireland (& Principal Investigator on Phase I & II cancer clinical trials) 2005
Editorial Board Member for Encyclopaedia of Bioscience Frontier in Bioscience 2007
External Examinder for 35 PhD candidates including studenst in: Oxford Univeristy, Cambridge University, Aarhus University, Edinburgh University, Cardiff University, University College London, Queen's University Belfast, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, National University of Ireland Galway, University College Dublin, Univeristy College Cork 2005
External Examiner/Panel Member to Athlone Institute of Technology for Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) 2006
Editorial Board Member, BMC Cancer 2011
Editorial Board Member, Journal of Biomarkers 2012
Frequently review for journals incl. Oncogene, Eur. J. Cancer, J. Medical Virol., Tissue Eng., J. Histochem. Cytochem., Stem Cells, Anticancer Res., Exp. Opin. Drug Discovery, BMC Development Biology, Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism, Cancer Detect. Prevent., The Review of Diabetes Studies, Cancer Genomics & Proteomics, Differentiation, FEBS Lett., Exp. Opin. Mol. Diag., Eur. J. Pharmaceutical Sci, Experimental Haematol., Personalized Medicine, Circulation Res., Biochemica Medica, Cancer, Eur. J. Pharmacol., Leukaemia Res., Biochem. Pharmacol., Exp. Opin. Therap. Targets, J. Pharmacy & Pharmacol., Brit. J. Dermatol., Clin. Chem., BBA Cancer, Cancer Res., Nature, Nature Medicine, The Lancet 2001
Details Date From Date To
Elected Member of the Board of Directors, International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) 2018 present
Founding Committee Member, Irish Association of Pharmacologists (IAP) 2016 present
Founding Chair, European Network on Microvesicles and Exosomes in Health and Disease 2013 present
Invited Member of Irish Cancer Society (ICS) Research Capacity Building Committee 2011 2013
Member, Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland 2010
Invited Member of the International Institute of Anticancer Research (IIAR) Scientific Advisory Board 2006 present
Deputy-President of the Irish Branch of the European Tissue Culture Society (ETCS) 2005 2010
Director, Irish Association for Cancer Research (IACR) 2008 2014
Member of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) 2006 present
Member of Irish Network of Stem-Cell Investigators (INNSI) 2004 2010
Member of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Scientists 2004
Board Member of the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology 2002 2008
Member of the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology Scientific Advisory Board 2002 2008
Elected Member on Dublin City University's Research Advisory Board 2002 2008
Elected Member on Dublin City University's Faculty of Science & Health Research Committee 2003 2008
Member of British Pharmacological Society 2016 present
Member, European Assoication for Cancer Research (EACR) 2008
Member, American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2007
Member, American Society for Cancer Research (AACR) 2007
Member, European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2006
Christodoulides, N., Bollard, S., Chabria, Y., O"Driscoll, L., Potter, S., A bibliometric systematic review of extracellular vesicles in cutaneous malignant melanoma from 2005 to 2025, Frontiers in Oncology, 16, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Henderson B.D., McMahon L., Lewis F., Marion C., Hurley S., Gately K., Narinda I., Kanjuga M., Norris L., Martin C., Conlon N., O'Driscoll L., Saadeh F.A., O'Gorman C., Maguire P.J., Kamran W., Ibrahim E., Cadoo K.A., Coleman N., O'Leary J.J., Ward M.P., O'Toole S.A., A workflow for assessing antibody-drug conjugate target expression on circulating tumour cells from triple-negative breast cancer and epithelial ovarian cancer patients, Journal of Liquid Biopsy, 13, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Mimma Maggio, Carolina Martins, Rafic Yunus Al-Masri, S R Petrousek, Mathieu Brunet, Leigh A. Madden, Cansu Görgün, Tara Ní Néill, Conor T. Buckley, Lorraine O'Driscoll, David A. Hoey, Extracellular Vesicles-Mediated Crosstalk in Bone: miR-150-5p as a Mechanosensitive Inhibitor of Osteoclastogenesis, Molecular Therapy, 34, (8), 2026, p4942 - 4963, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Carolina Martins, Mimma Maggio, Cansu Görgün, Mathieu Brunet, Marko Dobricic, R. Almasri, Fergal J. O'Brien, Lorraine O'Driscoll, David A. Hoey, Mechanical Cues and Lineage Commitment Govern the Angiogenic Potential of Mesenchymal Cell"Derived Extracellular Vesicles, Advanced Biology, 10, (2), 2026, pe00544 - e00544, pe00544-e00544 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Belényesi, S.-K., Patmore, S., Hurley, S., Oner, E., Saini, V.M., Kanjuga, M., Lewis, F., Menon, M.S., Cahill, C., Tierney, A., Deac, O., Martinez, M.J.S., Lowery, M.A., O"Leary, J.J., Gately, K., O"Toole, S., O"Driscoll, L., Size-exclusion chromatography as a clinically applicable method for extracellular vesicles collection as liquid biopsies shows potential diagnostic relevance and correlation with poorer outcome in common cancer types, Translational Oncology, 72, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
LEWIS, F., WARD, M. P., SAADEH, F. A., O'GORMAN, C., MAGUIRE, P. J., BEIRNE, J. P., KAMRAN, W., IBRAHIM, E., NORRIS, L., KELLY, T., HURLEY, S., HENDERSON, B., KANJUGA, M., O'DRISCOLL, L., GATELY, K., ONER, E., SAINI, V. M., CADOO, K., MARTIN, C., O'LEARY, J. J. & O'TOOLE, S. A., A pilot study evaluating the feasibility of enriching and detecting circulating tumour cells from peripheral and ovarian veins in rare epithelial ovarian carcinomas, European Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2025, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Oliver, Charlotte and Gonzalez, Ailynne Sepulveda and Mukhopadhya, Anindya and Santoro, Jessie and Buckley, Frank and O'Driscoll, Lorraine and Brodkorb, André and Giblin, Linda, Milk Extracellular Vesicles enhance gut barrier function in vitro, International Dairy Journal, 163, 2025, Notes: [Cited by: 0], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Corcoran, Claire and Rani, Sweta and Breslin, Susan and Gogarty, Martina and Ghobrial, Irene M and Crown, John and O†Driscoll, Lorraine, Correction to: miR-630 targets IGF1R to regulate response to HER-targeting drugs and overall cancer cell progression in HER2 over-expressing breast cancer (Molecular Cancer, (2014), 13, 1, (71), 10.1186/1476-4598-13-71), Molecular Cancer, 24, (1), 2025, Notes: [Cited by: 0; All Open Access, Gold Open Access], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Belényesi, Szilárd-Krisztián and Patmore, Sean and O'Driscoll, Lorraine, Extracellular vesicles and the tumour microenvironment, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Reviews on Cancer, 1880, (2), 2025, Notes: [Cited by: 2; All Open Access, Hybrid Gold Open Access], Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Ward MP, Lewis F, O'Gorman C, Norris LA, Lochrin SE, Kane LE, Kelly TE, Mohamed BM, Ramesh A, O'Connor R, Kilgour E, Henderson B, Kanjuga M, Hurley S, Edgerton L, Tewari P, Gately K, O'Driscoll L, Hokamp K, Cashman S, McManus G, Brooks DA, Selemidis S, Coleman N, Kennedy J, Kamran W, Beirne JP, Maguire P, Abu Saadeh F, Cadoo K, Martin CM, O'Leary JJ, O'Toole SA., Circulating tumour cells are a prognostic indicator in advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer and are associated with platelets and immune cells following dissemination., British journal of cancer, 2025, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

Page 1 of 25
Wong J, Chabria Y, Patmore S, Moore A, O'Driscoll L, O'Boyle N, Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Biomarkers in Allergic Contact Dermatitis, Contact Dermatitis, 17th European Society for Contact Dermatitis Congress, Copenhagen, Denmark, 24-27 June 2026, 94, (S1), Wiley, 2026, pp32-41 , Notes: [Presenter: Jing Ling Wong], Oral Presentation, PUBLISHED
Wong J, Chabria Y, Patmore S, Moore A, O'Driscoll L, O'Boyle N, Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Biomarkers in Allergic Contact Dermatitis, Contact Dermatitis, 17th European Society for Contact Dermatitis Congress, Copenhagen, Denmark, 24-27 June 2026, 94, (S1), Wiley, 2026, pp32-41 , Published Abstract, PUBLISHED
JL Wong, N O'Boyle, L O'Driscoll, 343 Extracellular Vesicles Released from Skin Keratinocytes in Response to Contact Allergens, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 54th Annual ESDR Meeting, Antwerp, Belgium, 10-13 September 2025, 145, (12), 2025, ppS326-, Published Abstract, PUBLISHED
EU Commission/H2020, 'European Network on Microvesicles and Exosomes in Health & Disease', https://youtu.be/TmQBS5rPyEY, 2018, -, Broadcast, PUBLISHED
O'Driscoll L, Keynotes Speaker: Exosomes and Ectosomes - friends & foes in cancer?, Dublin City University Research Day, Dublin City University, 26 January, 2018, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
O'Driscoll L, Characterisation and analysis of exosomes/extracellular vesicles, American Physiological Society: President's Symposium Series, San Diego, US, 22 April, 2018, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
O'Driscoll L, Training in Extracellular Vesicles: for benefit in Health & Disease, International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) 2018, Barcelona, Spain, 3 May, 2018, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
O'Driscoll L., Interview by HBM-LS (Lonza), 2018, -, Notes: [http://www.hansabiomed.eu/index.php/lorraine-o-driscoll], Miscellaneous, PUBLISHED
Lowry MC, Breslin S, Conlon NT, Collins D, Eustace A, Crown J, Maher S, O'Sullivan J, O'Driscoll L, Investigating the role of CAIX in the mechanism of HER2-targeted drug resistance in breast cancer cells and extracellular vesicles , Breast-Predict showcase, UCD, Dublin, 17 October, 2018, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED
Lowry MC, Breslin S, O'Driscoll, Investigating the role of CSF-1 and CAIX in neratinib-resistant HER2+ breast cancer cell lines and extracellular vesicles, International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) 2018, Barcelona, Spain, 2-6 May, 2018, Oral Presentation, PRESENTED

  


Page 1 of 13
Award Date
Elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA) 2021
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society for Biology (FRSB) 2020
Irish Research Council Advanced Laurate Award 2019
Eurolife Distinguished Lecture Award 2019
Elected Fellow of Trinity College Dublin (FTCD) 2012
MA (jure oficii) 2012
Dublin City University's President's Targeted Research Award 2006
Albert College Fellowship Award 2004
Royal College of Physicians National Scientific & Medical Award 1996
Pfizer Young Investigator International Award 1991
Bi-directional translational research; cancer research; diagnostic biomarkers; predictive/ companion markers; novel therapeutic targets; targeted therapies; pipeline drugs; monoclonal antibodies; small molecules; breast cancer; lung cancer; prostate cancer; G.I. cancer; melanoma; pancreatic cancer; brain cancer; multiple resistance; metastasis/ advanced cancer; immune suppression; exosomes; hypoxia; extracellular vesicles; clinical and industry collaborations; public and patient involvement; clinical trials