Cathal McCarthy

Background

About Cathal McCarthy

Cathal is a Senior Lecturer and Principal Investigator in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in UCC. I graduated with a B.Sc. Microbiology from University College Cork. I undertook my Ph.D studies in Vascular Biology in Dublin Institute of Technology, investigating the pathways modulating placental insufficiency in pre-eclampsia and IUGR. I completed my Postdoctoral studies in Cardiovascular Disease in University College Dublin focusing on atheroprotective networks mediating regression of pre-established atherosclerosis. I returned to UCC in 2013 and the primary focus of my research is Perinatal Pharmacology where I am investigating the disruptive pathways causing pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus and developing novel therapeutics to effectively treat these pregnancy complications. Pre-eclampsia and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus are intrinsically linked to elevated risks of poor maternal and perinatal outcomes with serious long-term sequelae for mother and baby. My group’s main research interests are:(a) Developing novel effective therapies for Pre-eclampsia by directly targeting mitochondrial superoxide scavenging using the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat model.(b) Investigating the relationship between maternal inflammation in pre-eclampsia and fetal neurodevelopmental outcomes.(c) Exploring the role of visceral adiposity and endogenous adipocyte signalling pathways in the development of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and the subsequent impact on fetal adiposity.