Dr Una Fitzgerald
Job title
Lecturer and Principal Investigator, Multiple Sclerosis and Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Group. Representative of CURAM at the University of Galway.
Organisation
NUI Galway
Broad research area
Basic Science Research
Research interests
The overarching research theme is the investigation of the pathological processes occurring during multiple sclerosis (MS). We have completed many post-mortem MS tissue, pre-clinical and ex vivo studies, investigating endoplasmic reticulum stress signalling and modelling various aspects of disease pathology. Our current major focus is the progressive phase of MS. This is a stage where, 10-15 years after diagnosis, people with MS experience worsening symptoms, leading to reduced mobility, increased fatigue and disruptions in cognitive functions. We are the lead in an EU-wide Innovative Training Network Consortium that is aiming to develop a new approach to treating progessive MS (Marie-Curie-Sklodovska PMSMatTrain projet 813263). Collaborators in Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the Czech republic will work with Dr FitGerald, Prof Abhay Pandit and Dr Nathan Quinlan to train 15 PhDs who will become expert researchers in the progressive phase of MS.
In an Parkinson's disease-focused EU-funded project, the group is participating in a consortium of early-stage researchers and principal investigators, focused on the development of novel biomaterials-based therapies for Parkinson's disease.
In an Parkinson's disease-focused EU-funded project, the group is participating in a consortium of early-stage researchers and principal investigators, focused on the development of novel biomaterials-based therapies for Parkinson's disease.