Prof William T O'Connor
2007 Chair and Head of Teaching and Research in Physiology, Graduate Medical School, University of Limerick.
2005 Leader, Neuroscience Research, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
2005 Senior Lecturer, Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, University College Dublin, Ireland.
1994 Associate Professor, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
1986 Ph.D. Pharmacology, NUIG, Galway, Ireland.
1981 B.Sc. Biochemistry, NUIG, Galway, Ireland.
Research and Professional Experience
2004 SFI Investigator, Conway Institute, UCD, Ireland.
2002 Editor, Monitoring Molecules in Neuroscience (Book).
2002 Editor, Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Special Supplement.
2000 Principal Investigator, Conway Institute, UCD, Ireland.
1996 Research Director, The Microdialysis Laboratory, UCD, Ireland.
1995 College Lecturer, UCD, Ireland.
1994 Associate Professor, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
1990 Assistant Professor, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
1987 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute.
Reviewer (Written Communications)
Amino Acids, Behavioural Brain Research, Biological Psychiatry, Brain Research, Cerebral Cortex, Journal of Neurochemistry, Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Molecular Brain Research, Neuroscience, Neuroscience Letters, Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), Psychopharmacology.
Reviewer (Grant Applications)
2002 Expert evaluator Focus Group (Website Design), Enterprise Ireland
2001 Grant reviewer, Health Research Board, Ireland
2000 Expert evaluator (Technology) Enterprise Ireland
1999 Expert evaluator (Quality of Life), 5th Framework Proposals, European Commission, Brussels
1999 Grant reviewer, Mental Health and Mental Illness Committee
Fellowship Awards
2000 Senior Scientist Award, 9th Winter Schizophrenia Workshop. (Switzerland),
1998 Finalist, Young Psychopharmacologist Competition. 21st CINP Congress, Glasgow, UK,
1996 Young Scientist Award, 8th Biennial Winter Schizophrenia Workshop. (Switzerland)
1991 Mc Donnell - Pews Foundation Fellowship (USA),
1991 J. Macy Foundation Fellowship (USA),
1988 Traveling Fellowship, Wellcome Trust (Sweden).
Research Awards
2004 SFI Investigator Award,
2003 Enterprise Ireland, Basic Research Grant,
2002 National Neuroscience Network, Basic Research Grant,
2001 Enterprise Ireland, International Collaboration Grant,
2001 Health Research Board Postdoctoral Fellowship (3 Year)
2001 Health Research Board Clinical Research Fellowship (2 Year)
2000 Silver Medal Research Award Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.
2000 Charitable Infirmary Charitable Trust Research Award (3 Year)
2000 Principal Investigator Project Award, Conway Institute, UCD.
1999 Stanley Foundation Schizophrenia Research Award, USA (2 Year).
1996 Health Research Board Project Grant, Ireland (3 Year).
1995 Medical Research Council Research Award, Sweden (3 Year).
Publication Summary
Author on 195 refereed publications, 95 of which are full original papers also includes 5 reviews, 3 book chapters, one editorial as well as 288 conference proceedings abstracts. Has also edited one book 'Monitoring Molecules in Neuroscience (2001). Author on 229 unpublished conference papers.
Speaking Invitations
Includes 22 symposia lectures and 8 plenary lectures and in over 60 research institutes in 17 countries.
2007 IBRO, Melbourne, Australia. (Symposium chair)
2006 23rd International CINP, Chicago, USA. (Symposium chair)
2006 11th International Conference on In Vivo Methods, Italy.
2006 ACNP, Hawalli, USA (invited participant)
2005 Italian-Swedish Neuroscience Meeting, Italy.
2005 Impact Biomechanics Meeting, UCD, Ireland.
Funding Awarded for Research Projects since 2001
| Awarding Authority | Amount | Role |
| Science Foundation Ireland / Wyeth | 1,706,276 | PI |
| Enterprise Ireland | 189,100 | Co-PI |
| HEA PTRLI Cycle 3 | 190,000 | PI |
| HRB (Clinical. Research Fellow) | 106,921 | PI |
| Enterprise Ireland (International Collaboration) | 6,000 | PI |
| Total | €2,198,297 |
Current and Previous Ph.D. Students
Co-supervised four students to Ph.D. level in the Karolinska Institute (1987-1995) and eight students (six to Ph.D and two to M.Sc. level) in UCD (1995-2007) and currently supervises four postgraduate students. His doctoral students have secured senior R&D positions in the pharmaceutical industry in the Netherlands and postdoctoral research positions in Canada (McGill), USA (Cornell) and Ireland (NUIM Maynooth, Trinity College Dublin and Queens University, Belfast).
Multitudes of different neurotransmitters are used to relay messages between nerve cells in the brain. Using microdialysis (via a specially constructed and very small artificial blood vessel) we monitor the release of neurotransmitters from nerve circuits mediating movement and emotion. The aim is to understand the role of neurotransmitter release in these nerve circuits thereby leading to new treatments for Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and schizophrenia and head trauma. 'Pharmacircuitry' namely the drug treatment of individual nerve circuits is being pioneered by this research. Our belief is driven by an understanding of illness of mind and brain as a disorder in a specific nerve circuit and is one, which will lead to better and safer drugs and to new sites of intervention.
The field of research in microdialysis is modern and at the leading edge of new biotechnology. The microdialysis method has a wide range of applications in physiology and has major therapeutic potential and while our scientific focus is an understanding of illness of mind and brain as a disorder of the nerve network this method also spans genetics, functional neuroanatomy, biochemistry and pharmacology. All studies are performed in the intact brain of animals and man.
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Figure. Whole brain MRI guidance Images for targeting a microdialyis probe into the right anterior hippocampus of Patient PS. The location of the anterior hippocampus was confirmed intraoperatively using this guidance system prior to the placement of the microdialysis probe. In this case, a selective right mesial temporal approach was performed (i.e., via the right Sylvian fissure) (yellow line) with the assistance of preoperative T2-weighted coronal, axial and sagittal and 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (as shown). The dialyzing tip of the microdialysis probe was implanted 10mm into the anterior hippocampus. (Adapted from Thomas P.M., Phillips J.P. and O'Connor W.T. Hippocampal microdialysis during spontaneous intraoperative epileptiform activity. Acta Neurochir (Wien), 146: 143-151, 2004). |
Studies include the application of microdialysis in intact epileptic human brain to study the role of the anterior temporal necortex in regulating hippocampal GABA and glutamate release (1). A total of nine patients with intractable epilepsy were investigated before and after removal of the temporal cortex and hippocampus and the findings revealed a relationship between affected neurons and their ability to release neurotransmitter. Another study clarified the role of dopamine in regulating the motor nerve circuit of mice carrying the gene for the human form of Huntington's disease (2). I have recently developed a model of head trauma, which mimics the brain damage associated with mild and severe head injury in the human in an effort to discover new treatments for brain injury including stroke (3). A truly unique feature of our research approach is that we employ neuroinformatics whereby the findings from the brain studies are pooled into a computer model, which mimics the action of the nerve circuit (4). The goal is to generate a computer model powerful enough to predict better and safer drugs for the treatment of brain damage and mental illness.
1. Microdialysis of the lateral and temporal lobe during temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. P. M. Thomas, J. P. Phillips and W. T. O'Connor. Surgical Neurology, 63, 70-79, 2005.
2. Evidence for dysfunction of the nigrostriatal pathway in the R6/1 line of transgenic Huntington's disease mice Petersen, Z. Puschban, J. Lotharius, B. NicNiocaill, P. Wiekop, W. T. O'Connor and P. Brundin. Neurobiology of Disease, 11, 134-146, 2002.
3. A selective depolarisation-induced increase in excitatory acid neurotransmitter release in rat medial prefrontal cortex using a microdialysis model of traumatic brain injury. A. Smyth, M. Gilchrist and W.T. O'Connor. Proceedings of the IUTAM Symposium, Biomechanics of Impact: from fundamental insights to applications. UCD, Dublin, Ireland July 11-15, 2005.
4.Towards a systems understanding of the cerebral motor circuit. P. Wellstead, O. Mason, W. T. O'Connor, et al. . Proceedings of the 1st FOSBE Symposium. UCLA, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, Aug 7-10, 2005.