Ronan Bergin, Phd Email & Phone Number

Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland

Part of the founding team looking to commercialise our research in the food space.

This is a collaborative role with an industry partner in which I focus on the area of insulin resistance. The goal of the project was to identify novel chemical entities for the treatment of pre-diabetes. This involves the initial identification, in vitro testing and validation of target compounds which, if successful, progress into a murine in vivo model of obesity.Beyond lab work, this role required delivering presentations and detailed reports to various industrial partners and stakeholders, requiring me to adapt my presentation style to suit the audience. I have also contributed to the writing of grant proposals, invention disclosures and project authorisations. This role has given me valuable insight into the commercialisation of research and has underscored the importance of the translation of basic research into a functional output.

My postdoctoral position initially focused on carrying the work from my PhD forward and completing the study of my investigation into the signalling mechanisms underlying the formation of an inflammasome complex.I successfully characterised a novel signalling relationship between the proteins NLRP3, IRAK1 and Pellino2, which together are required for a functioning inflammatory response. This work was published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.I also worked on a number of different projects, including:- The investigation into genes contributing to inflammation in obesity- Examining the metabolic shift in immune cells during an immune response- The role of single-stranded DNA in eliciting an immune response

Maynooth, Co Kildare

During my PhD studies I demonstrated laboratory techniques to undergraduate students as part of their programme. I also assisted in explaining the theory behind the techniques employed. I assessed the students performance during these practicals by their overall competency during the sessions as well as grading reports which the students were required to submit to me.Throughout my years of demonstrating, I learned to adapt my teaching methods based on the ability of the individual and as a result my ability to communicate complex ideas in a variety of ways has increased. Teaching and demonstrating lab skills to students was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience for me.

Maynooth, Co Kildare

I was awarded a BioAT (BioAnalysis & Therapeutics) scholarship position after a highly competitive interview process. This was an inter-institutional 4-year structured PhD programme which allowed for the collaboration with a variety of institutes in Ireland (Maynooth, RCSI, DCU, Tallaght IT).The first year of the BioAT program allowed for a number of 3 month long rotations throughout the various collaborating institutes. During these rotations, a lab based project was undertaken, which helped to determine the direction of my research going forward through years 2-4. The BioAT program also provided specialised training and lecturing throughout the course of my PhD in the following areas:- Research Methods & Statistical Analysis- Cell Signalling & Molecular Medicine- Clinical Microbiology & Immunology- Functional & Structural Definition of Drug Targets- Pharmacometrics- Drug Design & Development- Biomedical Imaging in Diagnostics & Therapeutics- Molecular & Cell Biology Techniques- Leadership in the research environment- Innovation and High Technology Entrepreneurship- Personal and professional development- Patent and Licensing/IP & Commercialisation of ResearchIn years 2-4 I began working in the Molecular Immunology lab in Maynooth University under the supervision of Prof. Paul Moynagh. During this time my main research aim was to characterise the functional role of the protein Pellino2 using a newly generated knockout mouse model. I was able to characterise a functional change in how these mice regulated the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, which is a very importance protein in how fever is induced. The regulation of IL-1β is mostly attributed to a multi-protein complex known as the the inflammasome.My work showed that Pellino2 played an active role in mediating the assembly of the NLRP3 inflammasome and thus controlled the secretion of IL-1β.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Molecular Immunology

Master Of Science - Msc, Immunology And Global Health

Bachelor Of Science - Bsc, Biotechnology