Faculty Research Seminar Highlights Advances in Genomic and Epigenomic Research at TU Dublin
The Faculty of Sciences and Health Research Committee hosted the sixth Faculty Research Seminar of the 2025/2026 series on the 15th April 2026. The seminar theme was 'Genomic and Epigenomic Approaches for Precision Diagnostics and Public Health at TU Dublin.'
Dr Therese Murphy, School of Biological, Health and Sport Sciences, was the first speaker and reflected on both her career and research journey. Her work focuses on the epigenomics of complex diseases, with particular interest in depression and inflammatory disorders. Through collaboration with Professor Sarah Jane Delaney, she has combined expertise in epigenomics and machine learning to advance biomarker discovery. Dr Murphy discussed her publication in Nature Mental Health on blood biomarkers associated with depression. Her research also includes the development of epigenetic clocks that predict biological age based on DNA methylation patterns. In addition, she highlighted her EU patent-pending research on a novel oesophageal cancer biomarker capable of identifying both early- and late-stage disease.
Dr Leonard Koolman, School of Biological, Health and Sport Sciences, provided an overview of his educational background and research career. His research experience spans a wide range of areas, including fermented foods, slurry microbiota, food spoilage, Salmonella in poultry, pesticides, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and, more recently, electrogenic bacteria. He is currently collaborating with Monash University on Klebsiella monitoring and AMR research. During his presentation, he encouraged researchers to make use of resources such as KlebNET-GSP, a global genomic surveillance platform and AMR risk framework for Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pathogenwatch, a genomic surveillance platform for tracking pathogens worldwide. Dr Koolman also shared his enthusiasm about welcoming a new Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow in September 2026 to further develop research into electrogenic bacteria.
The event was chaired by Dr Niamh Gilmartin, School of Biological, Health and Sport Sciences, who facilitated a lively and engaging Q&A session following the presentations.