Supervisor View Full Details 2nd

Supervisor View Full Details
October 11, 2016
Fellowship Call for 2019
October 12, 2018

Full NameProfessor Peter J Conlon

Department:Medicine

Organisation:Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Webpage:beaumont.ie

Email Address:Email hidden; Javascript is required.

Research Fields
  • genetics, genomics and molecular biology
  • epidemiology/population health research
Postgrad Medical Specialties
  • Medicine
  • Ophthalmology
Medical Subspecialties
  • Nephrology
My Work

For the last 20 years I have been studying the genetic basis of inherited kidney disease. In collaboration with colleagues at Duke University and Prof Gianpiero (Cavelleri RCSI https://www.rcsi.com/people/profile/gcavalleri) we have been responsible for the identification of 5 novel genes implicated in the etiology of inherited kidney disease . We have also undertaken seminal investigations of genome wide association studies of the genetics of kidney transplant survival. To date we have supervised 13 MD and PhD studies. We have established the Irish Kidney Gene Project http://www.beaumont.ie/kidneycentre-aboutus-irishkidneygeneproject

Murray SL, Dorman A, Benson KA, Connaughton DM, Stapleton CP, Fennelly NK, Kennedy C, McDonnell CA, Kidd K, Cormican SM, Ryan LA, Lavin P, Little MA, Bleyer AJ, Doyle B, Cavalleri GL, Hildebrandt F, Conlon PJ. Utility of Genomic Testing after Renal Biopsy. Am J Nephrol. 2019

Stapleton CP, Kennedy C, Fennelly NK, Murray SL, Connaughton DM, Dorman AM, Doyle B, Cavalleri GL, Conlon PJ. An Exome Sequencing Study of 10 Families with IgA Nephropathy. Nephron. 2019 Dec 19:1-12. Doi:

Cormican S, Connaughton DM, Kennedy C, Murray S, Živná M, Kmoch S, Fennelly NK, O’Kelly P, Benson KA, Conlon ET, Cavalleri G, Foley C, Doyle B, Dorman A, Little MA, Lavin P, Kidd K, Bleyer AJ, Conlon PJ. Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD) in Ireland. Ren Fail. 2019 Nov;41(1): 832-841.

Stapleton CP, Birdwell KA, McKnight AJ, Maxwell AP, Mark PB, Sanders ML, Chapman FA, van Setten J, Phelan PJ, Kennedy C, Jardine A, Traynor JP, Keating B, Conlon PJ, Cavalleri GL. Polygenic risk score as a determinant of risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in a European-descent renal transplant cohort. Am J Transplant. 2019 Mar;19(3):801-810. doi: 10.1111/ajt.15057. Epub 2018 Sep 5.

Connaughton DM, Kennedy C, Shril S, Mann N, Murray SL, Williams PA, Conlon PJ E, Nakayama M, van der Ven AT, Ityel H, Kause F, Kolvenbach CM, Dai R, Vivante A, Braun DA, Schneider R, Kitzler TM, Moloney B, Moran CP, Smyth JS, Kennedy A, Benson K, Stapleton C, Denton M, Magee C, O'Seaghdha CM, Plant WD, Griffin MD, Awan A, Sweeney C, Mane SM, Lifton RP, Griffin B, Leavey S, Casserly L, de Freitas DG, Holian J, Dorman A, Doyle B, Lavin PJ, Little MA, Conlon PJ, Hildebrandt F; Monogenic causes of chronic kidney disease in adults. Kidney Int. 2019 Apr;95(4):914-928. doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2018.10.031. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Stapleton CP, Heinzel A, Guan W, van der Most PJ, van Setten J, Lord GM, Keating BJ, Israni AK, de Borst MH, Bakker SJL, Snieder H, Weale ME, Delaney F, Hernandez-Fuentes MP, Reindl-Schwaighofer R, Oberbauer R, Jacobson PA, Mark PB, Chapman FA, Phelan PJ, Kennedy C, Sexton D, Murray S, Jardine A, Traynor JP, McKnight AJ, Maxwell AP, Smyth LJ, Oetting WS, Matas AJ, Mannon RB, Schladt DP, Iklé DN, Cavalleri GL, Conlon PJ; The impact of donor and recipient common clinical and genetic variation on estimated glomerular filtration rate in a European renal transplant population. UK Ireland Renal Transplant Consortium; DeKAF Genomics and GEN03 Studies; International Genetics and Translational Research in Transplantation Network. Am J Transplant. 2019 Aug;19(8):2262-2273. doi: 10.1111/ajt.15326. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Potential Projects

Given our long standing interest in inherited kidney disease and the infrastructure we have created to create a national referral center for inherited kidney disease and ability to undertake whole genome or exome sequencing of genomic DNA we have opportunities to undertake studies to identify the frequency of rare inherited kidney disease syndromes.
we also have a specific interest in identifying " new genes " being implicated in inherited kidney disease by phenotyping large families wit inherited kidney disease and undertaking linkage studies to identify pathogenic mutations.

In recent years we have undertaken a large study of Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease the most common inherited disorder in Ireland and have been studying patients within the same family discordant for age of ESRD and have been attempting to identify gene gene interaction that provide an explanation for the different phenotype for patients within the same family.

In recent months we have undertaken a study of inherited kidney disease in Irish Travelers and are attempting to identify inherited kidney disease syndromes present in Irish Travelers.

Any of these projects would make fertile ground for future PhD students as ICAT scholars .