Fellowship Call for 2019
October 12, 2018ICAT One Health Study Day Registration
February 29, 2024Full NameProfessor Cecilia O'Kane
Centre for Experimental Medicine
Queen's University Belfast
Webpage:qub.ac.uk
Email Address:Email hidden; Javascript is required.
- infectious disease and the immune system
- cell and developmental biology/regenerative medicine
- Other
Critical care
- Medicine
- Respiratory Medicine
We are a group of researchers focussed on developing new therapies for and understanding mechanisms in, inflammatory lung disease, in particular Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Our work spans the spectrum from basic human cell experiments in vitro through pre-clinical models to clinical trials in patients. We have a strong emphasis on testing therapies in human pre-clinical models before progressing to clinical studies. Our human pre-clinical models of ARDS include the ex vivo human perfused (and ventilated) lung, and LPS inhalation followed by BAL in healthy volunteers. We are one of only 2 centres in the UK to run the ex vivo lung model to test therapies for ARDS, and we have used the human LPS model to test a range of anti-inflammatory and pro-reparative therapeutics (Shyamsundar 2009 AJRCCM, Shyamsundar 2014 AJRCCM). More recently we have developed an interest in mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy as a novel therapy for ARDS and have obtained funding to progress to a clinical trial in ARDS.