Dr. Mary Canavan
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry
Assistant Professor, Clinical Medicine TBSI
Biography
My research focuses on understanding the immunological mechanisms which drive the development of autoimmune diseases, such Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. We explore the role of innate and adaptive immunity in the pathogenesis these diseases. By using physiologically relevant ex-vivo models, across multiple disease stages, we aim to identify new biomarkers for disease onset, therapeutic response and disease severity. Finally, we collaborate with several pharmaceutical companies, clinicians, translational scientists and patients to maximise the impact of our work and ensure the successful translation of our findings from bench to bedside.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Jenkins, B.J. and Blagih, J. and Ponce-Garcia, F.M. and Canavan, M. and Gudgeon, N. and Eastham, S. and Hill, D. and Hanlon, M.M. and Ma, E.H. and Bishop, E.L. and Rees, A. and Cronin, J.G. and Jury, E.C. and Dimeloe, S.K. and Veale, D.J. and Thornton, C.A. and Vousden, K.H. and Finlay, D.K. and Fearon, U. and Jones, G.W. and Sinclair, L.V. and Vincent, E.E. and Jones, N., Canagliflozin impairs T cell effector function via metabolic suppression in autoimmunity, Cell Metabolism, 35, (7), 2023, p1132-1146.e9
Barker BE, Hanlon MM, Marzaioli V, Smith CM, Cunningham CC, Fletcher JM, Veale DJ, Fearon U, Canavan M., The mammalian target of rapamycin contributes to synovial fibroblast pathogenicity in rheumatoid arthritis., Frontiers in medicine, 10, 2023, p1029021
Floudas A, Smith CM, Tynan O, Neto N, Krishna V, Wade SM, Hanlon M, Cunningham C, Marzaioli V, Canavan M, Fletcher JM, Mullan RH, Cole S, Hao LY, Monaghan MG, Nagpal S, Veale DJ, Fearon U., Distinct stromal and immune cell interactions shape the pathogenesis of rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis., Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 2022, pannrheumdis-2021-221761
Marzaioli V, Canavan M, Floudas A, Flynn K, Mullan R, Veale DJ, Fearon U., CD209/CD14+ Dendritic Cells Characterization in Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis Patients: Activation, Synovial Infiltration, and Therapeutic Targeting., Frontiers in Immunology, 2022
Hanlon MM, Canavan M, Barker BE, Fearon U., Metabolites as drivers and targets in Rheumatoid Arthritis., Clinical and experimental immunology, 2021
Canavan M, Marzaioli V, Bhargava V, Nagpal S, Gallagher P, Hurson C, Mullan R, Veale DJ, Fearon U, Functionally Mature CD1c+ Dendritic Cells Preferentially Accumulate in the Inflammatory Arthritis Synovium., Frontiers in immunology, 2021
Floudas A, Canavan M, McGarry T, Mullan R, Nagpal S, Veale DJ, Fearon U., ACPA Status Correlates with Differential Immune Profile in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cells, ;10(3):, (64), 2021, pdoi: 10.33-
Floudas A, Neto N, Orr C, Canavan M, Gallagher P, Hurson C, Monaghan MG, Nagpar S, Mullan RH, Veale DJ, Fearon U., Loss of balance between protective and pro-inflammatory synovial tissue T-cell polyfunctionality predates clinical onset of rheumatoid arthritis., Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 2021
Viviana Marzaioli, Mary Canavan, Alex Donnolly, Siobhan Wade, Alexander Fraser, Tim O'Sullivan, Sinead Harney, Arthritis Ireland, Douglas J. Veale, Ursula Fearon, Knowledge of disease, diagnosis, adherence and impact of research in an Irish cohort of patients with inflammatory arthritis, HRB Open Research, 4, 2021, p60
Canavan M, Marzaioli V, McGarry T, Bhargava V, Nagpal S, Veale DJ, Fearon U., Rheumatoid arthritis synovial microenvironment induces metabolic and functional adaptations in dendritic cells., Clin Exp Immunol, Nov;202(2):226-238., 2020
Foley, C., Floudas, A., Canavan, M., Biniecka, M., MacDermott, E. J., Veale, D. J., Mullan, R. H., Killeen, O. G., Fearon, U., Increased T Cell Plasticity With Dysregulation of Follicular Helper T, Peripheral Helper T, and Treg Cell Responses in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Down Syndrome"Associated Arthritis, Arthritis & Rheumatology, 72, (4), 2020, p677-686
Marzaioli V, Canavan M, Floudas A, Wade SC, Low C, Veale DJ, Fearon U., Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cell Differentiation in Inflammatory Arthritis Is Regulated by the JAK/STAT Axis via NADPH Oxidase Regulation., Front Immunol, Jul 7;11:1406., 2020
Canavan M, Wade SM, Veale DJ, Fearon U, Response to: 'Polyfunctional TEM cells in psoriatic arthritis synovium skewed towards Th17 cells' by Raychaudhuri et al., Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 2020
Wade SM, Canavan M, McGarry T, Low C, Wade SC, Mullan RH, Veale DJ, Fearon U, Association of synovial tissue polyfunctional T-cells with DAPSA in psoriatic arthritis., (Jan 10th), 2019
Wade SM, Ohnesorge N, McLoughlin H, Biniecka M, Carter SP, Trenkman M, Cunningham CC, McGarry T, Canavan M, Kennedy BN, Veale DJ, Fearon U., Dysregulated miR-125a promotes angiogenesis through enhanced glycolysis., EBioMedicine. , Sep;47:, 2019, p402 - 413
Canavan M, Walsh AM, Bhargava V, Wade SM, McGarry T, Marzaioli V, Moran B, Biniecka M, Convery H, Wade S, Orr C, Mullan R, Fletcher JM, Nagpal S, Veale DJ, Fearon U, Enriched CD141+ DCs in the joint are transcriptionally distinct, activated, and contribute to joint pathogenesis., JCI Insight, 3, (23), 2018, p95228-
Guo Y, Walsh AM, Canavan M, Wechalekar MD, Cole S, Yin X, Scott B, Loza M, Orr C, McGarry T, Bombardieri M, Humby F, Proudman SM, Pitzalis C, Smith MD, Friedman JR, Anderson I, Madakamutil L, Veale, Fearon U, Nagpal S, Immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-1 pathway is down-regulated in synovium at various stages of rheumatoid arthritis disease progression., PloS one, 2018
O'Rourke M, Fearon U, Sweeney CM, Basdeo SA, Fletcher JM, Murphy CC, Canavan M, The pathogenic role of dendritic cells in non-infectious anterior uveitis., Experimental eye research, 2018, p121 - 128
Wade SM, Trenkmann M, McGarry T, Canavan M, Marzaioli V, Wade SC, Veale DJ, Fearon U, Altered expression of microRNA-23a in psoriatic arthritis modulates synovial fibroblast pro-inflammatory mechanisms via phosphodiesterase 4B., J Autoimmunity, S0896-84, (S0896-84), 2018
Nikiphorou E, Studenic P, Ammitzbøll CG, Canavan M, Jani M, Ospelt C, Berenbaum F, EMEUNET., Social media use among young rheumatologists and basic scientists: results of an international survey by the Emerging EULAR Network (EMEUNET)., Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 76, (4), 2017, p712-715
Sharee A. Basdeo, Deborah Cluxton, Jamal Sulaimani, Barry Moran, Mary Canavan, Carl Orr, Douglas J. Veale, Ursula Fearon and Jean M. Fletcher, Ex-Th17 (Nonclassical Th1) Cells Are Functionally Distinct from Classical Th1 and Th17 Cells and Are Not Constrained by Regulatory T Cells, Journal of Immunology, 2017
McGarry T 1 , Biniecka M 1 , Gao W 1 , Cluxton D 2 , Canavan M 1 , Wade S 3 , Wade S 1 , Gallagher L 1 , Orr C 1 , Veale DJ 1 , Fearon U , Resolution of TLR2-induced inflammation through manipulation of metabolic pathways in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Science Reports, 7, (22), 2017, p43165-
Nikiphorou E, Studenic P, Alunno A, Canavan M, Jani M, Berenbaum F, 'Twitterland': a brave new world?, Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 2017
Guo Y, Walsh AM, Fearon U, Smith MD, Wechalekar MD, Yin X, Cole S, Orr C, McGarry T, Canavan M, Kelly S, Lin TA, Liu X, Proudman SM, Veale DJ, Pitzalis C, Nagpal S., CD40L-Dependent Pathway Is Active at Various Stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Progression., Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 198, (11), 2017, p4490-4501
Fearon U, Canavan M, Biniecka M, Veale DJ, Hypoxia, mitochondrial dysfunction and synovial invasiveness in rheumatoid arthritis., 2016
Biniecka M, Canavan M, McGarry T, Gao W, McCormick J, Cregan S, Gallagher L, Smith T, Phelan JJ, Ryan J, O'Sullivan J, Ng CT, Veale DJ, Fearon U, Dysregulated bioenergetics: a key regulator of joint inflammation., 75, (12), 2016, p2192-2200
Basdeo, S.A., Moran, B., Cluxton, D., (...), Fearon, U., Fletcher, J.M., Polyfunctional, pathogenic CD161+ Th17 lineage cells are resistant to regulatory T cell-mediated suppression in the context of autoimmunity, Journal of Immunology, 195, (2), 2015, p528-540
Canavan, M., McCarthy, C., Larbi, N.B., Dowling, J.K., Collins, L., O'Sullivan, F., Hurley, G., Murphy, C., Quinlan, A., Moloney, G., Darby, T., Macsharry, J., Kagechika, H., Moynagh, P., Melgar, S., Loscher, C.E., Activation of liver X receptor suppresses the production of the IL-12 family of cytokines by blocking nuclear translocation of NF-"Bp50, Innate Immunity, 20, (7), 2014, p675-687
Draper E, DeCourcey J, Higgins SC, Canavan M, McEvoy F, Lynch M, Keogh B, Reynolds C, Roche HM, Mills KH, Loscher CE, Conjugated linoleic acid suppresses dendritic cell activation and subsequent Th17 responses., The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 25, (7), 2014, p741-9
Dowling JK, McCoy CE, Doyle SL, Benlarbi N, Canavan M, O'Neill LA, Loscher CE, Conjugated linoleic acid suppresses IRF3 activation via modulation of CD14., The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 24, (5), 2013, p920-928
Eve Draper, Clare M. Reynolds, Mary Canavan, Kingston H. Mills, Christine E. Loscher, and Helen M. Roche, Omega-3 fatty acids attenuate dendritic cell function via NF-kappa B independent of PPAR gamma, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 22, (8), 2011, p784-790
Research Expertise
Description
Since starting my independent research group in 2022 and being appointed as an Assistant Professor, I have secured over 1.7million euro in research funding from competitive funding bodies such as Irish Research Council, Health Research Board and Science Foundation Ireland. This funding was awarded via a variety of peer reviewed schemes, and I believe is strong evidence in support of my research trajectory to date. My research aims to examine how the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages healthy cells and tissues in autoimmune disease. Over the last 3 years I have successfully developed a novel immunopathology research programme encompassing researchers and clinicians across multiple academic and hospital sites " specifically Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI), Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI), St James Hospital and St" Vincent"s University Hospital. This research programme involves examination of immune cell dysfunction in blood and tissues from patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Giant Cell Arteritis, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The group now consists of 4 PhD students " 3 in which I am the sole supervisor and an additional PhD in which I co-supervisor, 1 postdoctoral researcher and additional funding in place to employ and additional postdoctoral researcher, 1 part time research assistant and a fulltime translational research coordinator who is responsible for patient recruitment, consent and biospecimen collection. I have published 30 publications to date with a H index of 24. Specifically, since the establishment of our translational research programme we have published 1 senior author paper, and co-authored 4 additional manuscripts. At present we have an additional co-authored manuscript accepted in Science Advances with a further senior author publication submitted to the British Society of Immunology respected research journal Discover Immunology. I believe that the metrics provided above are demonstratable of my upward career trajectory and are representative of achievements of an Associate Professor rank.Projects
- Title
- Tissue Specific Immune Memory Mediates Disease Progression and Disease Flare in Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Funding Agency
- SFI
- Date From
- 01/09/2024
- Date To
- 31/08/2028
- Title
- Restoration of Immunological Tolerance in Rheumatoid Arthritis via Metabolic Reprogramming of Dendritic Cells
- Funding Agency
- HRB
- Title
- Restoration of Immunological Tolerance in Rheumatoid Arthritis via Metabolic Reprogramming
- Funding Agency
- Trinity College Dublin Deans Award
- Date From
- 01/01/2024
- Date To
- 31/12/2024
- Title
- Synovial T cell Memory Responses in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Progression
- Funding Agency
- Irish Research Council
- Date From
- 01/09/2023
- Date To
- 31/08/202023
- Title
- Ongoing Examination of the PD-1 Pathway throughout the Evolution of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Funding Agency
- Health Research Board
- Date From
- 01/03/2023
- Date To
- 01/03/2027
Recognition
Representations
Organizer of Immunology Research Forum (IRF) Monthly seminar series in the area of Immunology hosted in Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute
Director: Centre for Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases Responsible for strategic oversight in line with charities objectives.
Director : Irish Cancer Society I am responsible for the overall governance of the charity and ensuring the charities strategic goals are reached.
Chair: Research Advisory Committee | Irish Cancer Society I have full oversight and responsibility for all research activities and investments of the charity, and must ensure alignment with our strategic plan.
Associate Editor: BMC Rheumatology BMC Rheumatology editorial member responsible as part of a team for manuscripts in the Pre-clinical and Translational Science section.