Dr. Cliona Ni Cheallaigh

Dr. Cliona Ni Cheallaigh

Associate Professor Consultant, Clinical Medicine

Clíona Ní Cheallaigh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Medicine, TCD and a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and General Medicine in St James’s Hospital, Dublin. She is the Clinical Lead of a pilot Inclusion Health Service in St James’s Hospital dedicated to improving access to specialist hospital care for socially excluded individuals. This service has been featured:

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/a-health-programme-for-the-socially-excluded-is-reaping-benefits-1.3877528

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/dr-homelessness-caring-for-dublin-s-most-vulnerable-patients-1.3247190?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fhealth-family%2Fdr-homelessness-caring-for-dublin-s-most-vulnerable-patients-1.3247190

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/14/inclusion-health-an-irish-answer-to-the-homelessness-crisis

Her research seeks to look at the effect of social exclusion on health from a number of perspectives, and includes work on health systems design and evaluation, work funded by the HRB on premature ageing in homeless adults and work on the effect of social exclusion on the immune system funded by the Royal Hospitals of Dublin Trust.  

She is also part of the SFI-funded COVID-19 Research Hub in TCD, with a particular interest in looking at why people who are marginalized are more likely to get severe COVID-19.

https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/trinity-welcomes-further-investment-in-covid-19-research-project/

More reading on Inclusion Health here:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31959-1/fulltext

https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030449

Publications and Further Research Outputs

  • Ní Cheallaigh, C., Sheedy, F.J., Harris, J., Muñoz-Wolf, N., Lee, J., West, K., McDermott, E.P., Smyth, A., Gleeson, L.E., Coleman, M., Martinez, N., Hearnden, C.H., Tynan, G.A., Carroll, E.C., Jones, S.A., Corr, S.C., Bernard, N.J., Hughes, M.M., Corcoran, S.E., O'Sullivan, M., Fallon, C.M., Kornfeld, H., Golenbock, D., Gordon, S.V., O'Neill, L.A., Keane, J. Lavelle, E.C, A Common Variant in the Adaptor Mal Regulates Interferon Gamma Signaling., Immunity, 44, (2), 2016, p368 - 379Journal Article, 2016, URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Ni Cheallaigh C, Kieran J, Cullivan C, Browne J, Kenny R, Bergin C, Byrne D, Usage of Unscheduled Hospital Care by Homeless Individuals in Dublin, Ireland: A Cross-Sectional Study, BMJ Open, 7, (e016420), 2017Journal Article, 2017, DOI , URL
  • Ni Cheallaigh Cliona, Sheedy Frederick J., Shields Up: Systemic Protection Provided by microRNA-21 During Sepsis?, 45 , (7 ), 2017Journal Article, 2017, URL
  • Ní Cheallaigh C, O'Leary A, Keating S, Bergin C, Telementoring with project ECHO: a pilot study in Europe, BMJ Innovations, 3, (3), 2017, p144--151Journal Article, 2017, DOI , URL
  • Layte, R. and McCrory, C., Ni Cheallaigh, C., Bourke, N., Kivimaki, M., Ribeiro, A.I, Stringhini, S. and Vineis, P., A Comparative Analysis of the Status Anxiety Hypothesis of Socio-Economic Inequalities in Health Based on 18,349 individuals in Four Countries and Five Cohort Studies, Scientific Reports, Online, 2019, p1 - 6Journal Article, 2019, URL
  • Coleman MM, Basdeo SA, Coleman AM, Cheallaigh CN, Peral de Castro C, McLaughlin AM, Dunne PJ, Harris J, Keane J., All-trans Retinoic Acid Augments Autophagy during Intracellular Bacterial Infection., American journal of respiratory cell and molecular biology, 59, (5), 2018, p548-556Journal Article, 2018, DOI
  • Ni She E., Morton S., Lambert V., Ni Cheallaigh C., Lacey V., Dunn E., Loughnane C., O'Connor J., McCann A., Adshead M., Kroll T., Clarifying the mechanisms and resources that enable the reciprocal involvement of seldom heard groups in health and social care research: A collaborative rapid realist review process, Health Expectations, 2019Journal Article, 2019, DOI
  • McCrory, C., Fiorito, G., Ni Cheallaigh, C., Polidoro, S., Karisola, P., Alenius, H., Layte, R., Seeman, T., Vineis, P. & Kenny, RA. , How does socio-economic position (SEP) get biologically embedded? A comparison of allostatic load and the epigenetic clock(s)., Psychoneuroendocrinology, 104, 2019, p64 - 73Journal Article, 2019, URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Cathal McCrory, Giovanni Fiorito, Sinead McLoughlin, Silvia Polidoro, Cliona Ni Cheallaigh, Nollaig Bourke, Piia Karisola, Harri Alenius, Paolo Vineis, Richard Layte, Rose Anne Kenny, Epigenetic clocks and allostatic load reveal potential sex-specific drivers of biological ageing, Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, 2019Journal Article, 2019
  • Broderick J, Waugh A, Mc Govern M, Alpine L, Kiernan S, Murphy N, Hodalova D, Feehan S, Ní Cheallaigh C. , Addressing complex societal challenges in health education - A physiotherapy-led initiative embedding inclusion health in an undergraduate curriculum, HRB Open Research, 2, (22), 2019Journal Article, 2019, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Liam Townsend, Adam H Dyer, Karen Jones, Jean Dunne, Rachel Kiersey, Fiona Gaffney, Laura O'Connor, Aoife Mooney, Deirdre Leavy, Katie Ridge, Catherine King, Fionnuala Cox, Kate O'Brien, Joanne Dowds, Jamie Sugrue, David Hopkins, Patricia Byrne, Tara Kingston, Cliona Ni Cheallaigh, Parthiban Nadarajan, Anne Marie McLaughlin, Nollaig M Bourke, Colm Bergin, Cliona O'Farrelly, Ciaran Bannan, Niall Conlon, Persistent fatigue following SARS-CoV-2 infection is common and independent of severity of initial infection, PloS One, 2020Journal Article, 2020
  • Siersbaek, R; Ford, J; Ní Cheallaigh, C;Burke, S;Thomas, S., Making healthcare accessible for single adults with complex needs experiencing long-term homelessness: A realist evaluation protocol [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]., HRB Open Research , 2021, p1-17Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Fogarty, Helen, Townsend, Liam, Ni Cheallaigh, Cliona, Bergin, Colm, Martin"Loeches, Ignacio, Browne, Paul, Bacon, Christopher L., Gaule, Richard, Gillett, Alexander, Byrne, Mary, Ryan, Kevin, O"Connell, Niamh, O"Sullivan, Jamie M., Conlon, Niall, O'Donnell, James S., COVID19 coagulopathy in Caucasian patients, British Journal of Haematology, 189, (6), 2020, p1044-1049Journal Article, 2020, DOI
  • Fogarty, Helen, Townsend, Liam, Ni Cheallaigh, Cliona, Bergin, Colm, Martin"Loeches, Ignacio, Browne, Paul, Bacon, Christopher L., Gaule, Richard, Gillett, Alexander, Byrne, Mary, Ryan, Kevin, O'Connell, Niamh, O'Sullivan, Jamie M., Conlon, Niall, O'Donnell, James S., More on COVID"19 coagulopathy in Caucasian patients, British Journal of Haematology, 189, (6), 2020, p1060-1061Journal Article, 2020, DOI
  • Grant, Conor, Bergin, Colm, O"Connell, Sarah, Cotter, John, Ní Cheallaigh, Clíona, High-Cost, High-Need Users of Acute Unscheduled HIV Care: A Cross-Sectional Study, Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 7, (2), 2020Journal Article, 2020, DOI
  • Ewins, Karl, Ni Ainle, Fionnuala, Ni Cheallaigh, Cliona, Dunlea, Eoghan, Kelliher, Sarah, Imbalzano, Egidio, Bortoluzzi, Cristiano, Jou, Inés, Alfonso-Megido, Joaquín, Díaz-Pedroche, María del Carmen, Monreal, Manuel, Higher Rates of Death and Major Bleeding Highlight the Inequities That Exist in the Care of People with Venous Thromboembolism Who Experience Social Exclusion: Findings from a Prospective Registry of 79735 Patients (RIETE), Blood, 134, (Supplement_1), 2019, p4677-4677Journal Article, 2019, DOI
  • Ewins, Karl, Ni Ainle, Fionnuala, Dunlea, Eoghan, Kelliher, Sarah, Sandys, Vicky, Rooney, Hannorah, Macken, Lily, Cliona, Ni Cheallaigh, Socially Excluded Persons in Ireland Have an Increased Annual Risk of Hospitalisation Due to Venous Thromboembolic Disease, Blood, 134, (Supplement_1), 2019, p4702-4702Journal Article, 2019, DOI
  • Carroll, Aine, O'Brien, Siobhan, Harrington, Deirdre, Cheallaigh, Cliona Ní, The unmet Rehabilitation needs in an Inclusion Health Integrated Care Programme for Homeless Adults in Dublin, Ireland, International Journal of Integrated Care, 19, (4), 2019, p13Journal Article, 2019, DOI
  • Bristowe, K, Clift, P, James, R, Josh, J, Platt, M, Whetham, J, Nixon, E, Post, FA, McQuillan, K, Ní Cheallaigh, C, Murtagh, FEM, Anderson, J, Sullivan, AK, Harding, R, Towards person"centred care for people living with HIV : what core outcomes matter, and how might we assess them? A cross"national multi"centre qualitative study with key stakeholders, HIV Medicine, 2019Journal Article, 2019, DOI
  • Bristowe, K., Murtagh, F. E. M., Clift, P., James, R., Josh, J., Platt, M., Whetham, J., Nixon, E., Post, F. A., McQuillan, K., Cheallaigh, C. Ní, Kall, M., Anderson, J., Sullivan, A. K., Harding, R., The development and cognitive testing of the positive outcomes HIV PROM: a brief novel patient-reported outcome measure for adults living with HIV, Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 18, (1), 2020Journal Article, 2020, DOI
  • McCrory C, Fiorito G, Hernandez B, Polidoro S, O'Halloran AM, Hever A, Ni Cheallaigh C, Lu AT, Horvath S, Vineis P, Kenny RA., GrimAge outperforms other epigenetic clocks in the prediction of age-related clinical phenotypes and all-cause mortality., The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 76, (5), 2021, p741 - 749Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Sinéad Kiernan, David Mockler, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Julie Broderick, Physical functioning limitations and physical activity of people experiencing homelessness: A scoping review, HRB , 2020Journal Article, 2020, DOI , URL
  • Broderick J, Kiernan S, Murphy N, Dowds J, Ní Cheallaigh C. , Feasibility of a Broad Test Battery to Assess Physical Functioning Limitations of People Experiencing Homelessness, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 18, (3), 2021, p1035-Journal Article, 2021, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Liam Townsend, Adam H Dyer, Aifric Naughton, Rachel Kiersey, Dean Holden, Mary Gardiner, Joanne Dowds, Kate O'Brien, Ciaran Bannan, Parthiban Nadarajan, Jean Dunne, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Padraic Fallon, Colm Bergin, Cliona O'Farrelly, Cliona Ni Cheallaigh, Nollaig Bourke, Niall Conlon, Longitudinal analysis of COVID-19 patients shows age-associated T cell changes independent of ongoing ill-health, Frontiers In Immunology, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • Townsend L, Fogarty H, Dyer A, Martin-Loeches I, Bannan C, Nadarajan P, Bergin C, O' Farrelly C, Conlon N, Bourke NM, Ward SE, Byrne M, Ryan K, O' Donnell JS, Prolonged elevation of D-dimer Levels in Convalescent COVID-19 patients is Independent of the Acute Phase Response., Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • Daniel J. Klionsky, Amal Kamal Abdel-Aziz, Sara Abdelfatah, Mahmoud Abdellatif, Asghar Abdoli, Steffen Abel, Hagai Abeliovich, Marie H. Abildgaard, Yakubu Princely Abudu, [...], Mary P. O'Sullivan, Timothy E. O'Sullivan, [...], Judith C. Sluimer, Christina L. Stallings & Chun-Kit Tong, Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition), Autophagy, 17, (1), 2021, p1 - 382Journal Article, 2021, URL
  • Kiernan S, Ní Cheallaigh C, Murphy N, Dowds J, Broderick J., Markedly poor physical functioning status of people experiencing homelessness admitted to an acute hospital setting, Scientific Reports , 11, (9911), 2021Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Doran E, Barron E, Healy L, O'Connor L, Synnott C, Ni Cheallaig, Doherty C, Improving access to epilepsy care for homeless patients in the Dublin Inner City: a collaborative quality improvement project joining hospital and community care, British Jorurnal of Medicine Open Quality, 2021, pe001367-Journal Article, 2021, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Siersbaek Rikke, Ford John Alexander, Burke Sara, Ní­ Cheallaigh Clí­ona, Thomas Steve, Contexts and mechanisms that promote access to healthcare for populations experiencing homelessness: a realist review , BMJ-Open, 11 , (4 ), 2021, pe043091 -Journal Article, 2021, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Cheallaigh, C.N., de Castro, C.P., Coleman, M.M., Hope, J.C., Harris, J., Macrophages and tuberculosis, Handbook of Macrophages: Life Cycle, Functions and Diseases, 2012, p1-41Journal Article, 2012
  • Geriatric Medicine Research Collaborative , Covid Collaborative , Carly Welch, Age and frailty are independently associated with increased COVID-19 mortality and increased care needs in survivors: results of an international multi-centre study, Age and Ageing, 2021, p617-630Journal Article, 2021, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • C Ní Cheallaigh, H I Hassanin, Infectious diseases, inflammaging and antibiotic use in elderly; critical appraisal of real-life practice, QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 111, (suppl{\_), 2018Journal Article, 2018, DOI
  • Eimear O Brien, Cliona Ní Cheallaigh, Nadim Akasheh, Declan Byrne, Barry Kennedy, Jennifer Kieran, Rachel Kidney, Joseph Browne, 268DEVELOPMENT OF AN ELECTRONIC FRAILTY INDEX USING ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD DATA AS A PREDICTOR OF OUTCOMES IN ACUTE ADMISSIONS, Age and Ageing, 45, (suppl 2), 2016, pii1.48--ii12Journal Article, 2016, DOI
  • Cliona Ni Cheallaigh, Sarah Cullivan, Jennifer Kieran, Joe Browne, Fiona O'Reilly, Kieran Harkin, Una Geary, Colm Bergin, Austin O'Carroll, Rose Anne Kenny, Declan Byrne, 290HOMELESSNESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH PREMATURE ONSET OF MULTIMORBIDITY AND INCREASED USAGE OF ACUTE HOSPITAL SERVICES, Age and Ageing, 45, (suppl 2), 2016, pii13.150--ii56Journal Article, 2016, DOI
  • J.S. Lambert, C. Murphy, A. O"Carroll, J. Farrell, A. Patel, G. Avramovic, W. Cullen, C. Ní Cheallaigh, The Dublin Hepcheck Study: Community Based Testing of HCV by Point of Care Oraquick® HCV Saliva Test in Homeless Populations, Journal of Hepatology, 64, (2), 2016, pS726Journal Article, 2016, DOI
  • Rikke Siersbaek, John Ford, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Sara Burke, Steve Thomas, Making healthcare accessible for single adults with complex needs experiencing long-term homelessness: A realist evaluation protocol, HRB Open Research, 3, 2021, p73Journal Article, 2021, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Rikke Siersbaek, John Ford, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Sara Burke, Steve Thomas, How accessible is healthcare for single adults experiencing long-term homelessness and complex needs? A realist evaluation protocol, HRB Open Research, 3, 2020, p73Journal Article, 2020, DOI
  • Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Ann-Marie Lawlee, Jess Sears, Joanne Dowds, The Development of an Inclusion Health Integrated Care Programme for Homeless Adults in Dublin, Ireland, International Journal of Integrated Care, 18, (s2), 2018, p184Journal Article, 2018, DOI
  • Borhan, N., Borhan, F., Ni Cheallaigh, C., Dinesh, B., O"Reilly, K., Moughty, A., Bacteraemia in the ED: Are we meeting targets?, Irish Medical Journal, 111, (3), 2018, p720Journal Article, 2018
  • Ward, S.E. and Curley, G.F. and Lavin, M. and Fogarty, H. and Karampini, E. and McEvoy, N.L. and Clarke, J. and Boylan, M. and Alalqam, R. and Worrall, A.P. and Kelly, C. and de Barra, E. and Glavey, S. and Ni Cheallaigh, C. and Bergin, C. and Martin-Loeches, I. and Townsend, L. and Mallon, P.W. and O'Sullivan, J.M. and O'Donnell, J.S. and O'Connell, N. and Ryan, K. and Byrne, M. and Preston, R. and Kenny, D., Von Willebrand factor propeptide in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): evidence of acute and sustained endothelial cell activation, British Journal of Haematology, 192, (4), 2021, p714-719Journal Article, 2021, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Thomas Phelan, Jean Dunne, Niall Conlon, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, W. Mark Abbott, Raquel Faba-Rodriguez, Fatima Amanat, Florian Krammer, Mark A. Little, Gerry Hughes, Colm Bergin, Colm Kerr, Sudharshana Sundaresan, Aideen Long, William McCormack, Gareth Brady, Dynamic Assay for Profiling Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Their ACE2/Spike RBD Neutralization Capacity, Viruses, 13, (7), 2021, p1371Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Liam Townsend, Adam H. Dyer, Patrick McCluskey, Kate O"Brien, Joanne Dowds, Eamon Laird, Ciaran Bannan, Nollaig M. Bourke, Cliona Ní Cheallaigh, Declan G. Byrne, Rose Anne Kenny, Investigating the Relationship between Vitamin D and Persistent Symptoms Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Nutrients, 13, (7), 2021, p2430Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Áine Carroll, Siobhan O"Brien, Dee Harrington, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Ann-Marie Lawlee, Prasanth Sukumar, The Unmet Rehabilitation Needs in an Inclusion Health Integrated Care Programme for Homeless Adults in Dublin, Ireland, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, (15), 2021, p7917Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Bastard, Paul, Gervais, Adrian, Le Voyer, Tom, Rosain, Jérémie, Philippot, Quentin, Manry, Jérémy, Michailidis, Eleftherios, Hoffmann, Hans-Heinrich, Eto, Shohei, Garcia-Prat, Marina, Bizien, Lucy, Parra-Martínez, Alba, Yang, Rui, Haljasmägi, Liis, Migaud, Mélanie, Särekannu, Karita, Maslovskaja, Julia, de Prost, Nicolas, Tandjaoui-Lambiotte, Yacine, Luyt, Charles-Edouard, Amador-Borrero, Blanca, Gaudet, Alexandre, Poissy, Julien, Morel, Pascal, Richard, Pascale, Cognasse, Fabrice, Troya, Jesus, Trouillet-Assant, Sophie, Belot, Alexandre, Saker, Kahina, Garçon, Pierre, Rivière, Jacques G., Lagier, Jean-Christophe, Gentile, Stéphanie, Rosen, Lindsey B., Shaw, Elana, Morio, Tomohiro, Tanaka, Junko, Dalmau, David, Tharaux, Pierre-Louis, Sene, Damien, Stepanian, Alain, Megarbane, Bruno, Triantafyllia, Vasiliki, Fekkar, Arnaud, Heath, James R., Franco, José Luis, Anaya, Juan-Manuel, Solé-Violán, Jordi, Imberti, Luisa, Biondi, Andrea, Bonfanti, Paolo, Castagnoli, Riccardo, Delmonte, Ottavia M., Zhang, Yu, Snow, Andrew L., Holland, Steven M., Biggs, Catherine, Moncada-Vélez, Marcela, Arias, Andrés Augusto, Lorenzo, Lazaro, Boucherit, Soraya, Coulibaly, Boubacar, Anglicheau, Dany, Planas, Anna M., Haerynck, Filomeen, Duvlis, Sotirija, Nussbaum, Robert L., Ozcelik, Tayfun, Keles, Sevgi, Bousfiha, Ahmed A., El Bakkouri, Jalila, Ramirez-Santana, Carolina, Paul, Stéphane, Pan-Hammarström, Qiang, Hammarström, Lennart, Dupont, Annabelle, Kurolap, Alina, Metz, Christine N., Aiuti, Alessandro, Casari, Giorgio, Lampasona, Vito, Ciceri, Fabio, Barreiros, Lucila A., Dominguez-Garrido, Elena, Vidigal, Mateus, Zatz, Mayana, van de Beek, Diederik, Sahanic, Sabina, Tancevski, Ivan, Stepanovskyy, Yurii, Boyarchuk, Oksana, Nukui, Yoko, Tsumura, Miyuki, Vidaur, Loreto, Tangye, Stuart G., Burrel, Sonia, Duffy, Darragh, Quintana-Murci, Lluis, Klocperk, Adam, Kann, Nelli Y., Shcherbina, Anna, Lau, Yu-Lung, Leung, Daniel, Coulongeat, Matthieu, Marlet, Julien, Koning, Rutger, Reyes, Luis Felipe, Chauvineau-Grenier, Angélique, Venet, Fabienne, Monneret, Guillaume, Nussenzweig, Michel C., Arrestier, Romain, Boudhabhay, Idris, Baris-Feldman, Hagit, Hagin, David, Wauters, Joost, Meyts, Isabelle, Dyer, Adam H., Kennelly, Sean P., Bourke, Nollaig M., Halwani, Rabih, Sharif-Askari, Narjes Saheb, Dorgham, Karim, Sallette, Jérome, Sedkaoui, Souad Mehlal, AlKhater, Suzan, Rigo-Bonnin, Raúl, Morandeira, Francisco, Roussel, Lucie, Vinh, Donald C., Ostrowski, Sisse Rye, Condino-Neto, Antonio, Prando, Carolina, Bonradenko, Anastasiia, Spaan, András N., Gilardin, Laurent, Fellay, Jacques, Lyonnet, Stanislas, Bilguvar, Kaya, Lifton, Richard P., Mane, Shrikant, Anderson, Mark S., Boisson, Bertrand, Béziat, Vivien, Zhang, Shen-Ying, Vandreakos, Evangelos, Hermine, Olivier, Pujol, Aurora, Peterson, Pärt, Mogensen, Trine H., Rowen, Lee, Mond, James, Debette, Stéphanie, de Lamballerie, Xavier, Duval, Xavier, Mentré, France, Zins, Marie, Soler-Palacin, Pere, Colobran, Roger, Gorochov, Guy, Solanich, Xavier, Susen, Sophie, Martinez-Picado, Javier, Raoult, Didier, Vasse, Marc, Gregersen, Peter K., Piemonti, Lorenzo, Rodríguez-Gallego, Carlos, Notarangelo, Luigi D., Su, Helen C., Kisand, Kai, Okada, Satoshi, Puel, Anne, Jouanguy, Emmanuelle, Rice, Charles M., Tiberghien, Pierre, Zhang, Qian, Cobat, Aurélie, Abel, Laurent, Casanova, Jean-Laurent, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs are present in ~4% of uninfected individuals over 70 years old and account for ~20% of COVID-19 deaths, Science Immunology, 6, (62), 2021, peabl4340Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Eile Breslin, Daniel McCartney, Declan Byrne, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, The relationship between vitamin D, biomarkers and clinical outcome in hospitalised Covid-19 patientsJournal Article, DOI
  • Fogarty H, Townsend L, Morrin H, Ahmad A, Comerford C, Karampini E, Englert H, Byrne M, Bergin C, O'Sullivan JM, Martin-Loeches I, Nadarajan P, Irish COVID-19 Vasculopathy Study (iCVS) investigators, Persistent Endotheliopathy in the Pathogenesis of Long COVID Syndrome., Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH, 2021Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Conway R, Byrne D, O"Riordan D, Kent B, Kennedy B, Cheallaigh C, O"Connell B, Akasheh N, Browne J, Silke B, Emergency medical admissions and COVID-19: impact on 30-day mortality and hospital length of stay, Irish journal of medical science, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • Pelleau S, Woudenberg T, Rosado J, Donnadieu F, Garcia L, Obadia T, Gardais S, Elgharbawy Y, Velay A, Gonzalez M, Nizou JY, Khelil N, Zannis K, White M, Kinetics of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody response and serological estimation of time since infection., The Journal of infectious diseases, 2021Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Ward SE, Fogarty H, Karampini E, Lavin M, Schneppenheim S, Dittmer R, Morrin H, Glavey S, Ni Cheallaigh C, Bergin C, Martin-Loeches I, Mallon PW, Irish COVID-19 Vasculopathy Study (iCVS) investigators, ADAMTS13 regulation of VWF multimer distribution in severe COVID-19., Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH, 2021Journal Article, 2021, DOI
  • Townsend L, Dyer AH, Naughton A, Imangaliyev S, Dunne J, Kiersey R, Holden D, Mooney A, Leavy D, Ridge K, Sugrue J, Aldoseri M, Kelliher JH, Ní Cheallaigh C, Severe COVID-19 is characterised by inflammation and immature myeloid cells early in disease progression, Heliyon, 8, (4), 2022, pe09230 - e09236Journal Article, 2022
  • Laura O'Doherty, Stuart Hendricken Phelan, Nicole Wood, Sorcha O'Brien, Jacklyn Sui, Cian Mangan, Fergal Howley, Siobhan O'Regan, Noor Adeebah Mohamed Razif, Ciara Conlan, Ruth Argue, Samuel Holohan, Adam Dyer, Fara Salleh, Liam Townsend, Gerard Hughes, Colm Kerr, Derval Reidy, Alberto Sanz, Emma Connolly, Andrea Kelly, Emma Leacy, Conor Reddy, Siobhan Gargan, Eamon Breen, Heike Hawerkamp, Jean Dunne, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Anne Marie McLaughlin, Aideen Long, Orla Shiels, Padraic Fallon, Martina Hennessy, Roman Romero-Ortuno, Ciaran Bannan, Anna Rose Prior, Ana Rakovac, William McCormack, Ross McManus, Seamus Donnelly, Colm Bergin, Mark Little, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Niall Conlon, Study protocol for the St James's Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, Trinity College Dublin Allied Researchers' (STTAR) Bioresource for COVID-19, HRB Open Research, 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI
  • Posseme, Celine and Llibre, Alba and Charbit, Bruno and Bondet, Vincent and Rouilly, Vincent and Saint-André, Violaine and Boussier, Jeremy and Bergstedt, Jacob and Smith, Nikaïa and Townsend, Liam and Sugrue, Jamie A and Ní Cheallaigh, Clíona and Conlon, Niall and Rotival, Maxime and Kobor, Michael S and Mottez, Estelle and Pol, Stanislas and Patin, Etienne and Albert, Matthew L and Quintana-Murci, Lluis and Duffy, Darragh and {Milieu Intérieur Consortium, Early IFNβ secretion determines variable downstream IL-12p70 responses upon TLR4 activation, Cell reports, 39, (13), 2022, p110989Journal Article, 2022, DOI , URL
  • Fogarty, H. and Ward, S.E. and Townsend, L. and Karampini, E. and Elliott, S. and Conlon, N. and Dunne, J. and Kiersey, R. and Naughton, A. and Gardiner, M. and Byrne, M. and Bergin, C. and O'Sullivan, J.M. and Martin-Loeches, I. and Nadarajan, P. and Bannan, C. and Mallon, P.W. and Curley, G.F. and Preston, R.J.S. and Rehill, A.M. and Baker, R.I. and Cheallaigh, C.N. and O'Donnell, J.S. and O†Connell, N. and Ryan, K. and Kenny, D. and Fazavana, J., Sustained VWF-ADAMTS-13 axis imbalance and endotheliopathy in long COVID syndrome is related to immune dysfunction, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 20, (10), 2022, p2429-2438Journal Article, 2022, DOI , URL
  • McKenna, E. and Wubben, R. and Isaza-Correa, J.M. and Melo, A.M. and Mhaonaigh, A.U. and Conlon, N. and O†Donnell, J.S. and Ní Cheallaigh, C. and Hurley, T. and Stevenson, N.J. and Little, M.A. and Molloy, E.J., Neutrophils in COVID-19: Not Innocent Bystanders, Frontiers in Immunology, 13, (864387), 2022Journal Article, 2022, DOI , URL
  • Kiernan, S. and Ní Cheallaigh, C. and Murphy, N. and Dowds, J. and Broderick, J., Publisher Correction: Markedly poor physical functioning status of people experiencing homelessness admitted to an acute hospital setting (Scientific Reports, (2021), 11, 1, (9911), 10.1038/s41598-021-88590-0), Scientific Reports, 11, (1), 2021Journal Article, 2021, DOI , URL
  • Pelleau, S. and Woudenberg, T. and Rosado, J. and Donnadieu, F. and Garcia, L. and Obadia, T. and Gardais, S. and Elgharbawy, Y. and Velay, A. and Gonzalez, M. and Nizou, J.Y. and Khelil, N. and Zannis, K. and Cockram, C. and Merkling, S.H. and Meola, A. and Kerneis, S. and Terrier, B. and De Seze, J. and Planas, D. and Schwartz, O. and Dejardin, F. and Petres, S. and Von Platen, C. and Pellerin, S.F. and Arowas, L. and De Facci, L.P. and Duffy, D. and Cheallaigh, C.N. and Dunne, J. and Conlon, N. and Townsend, L. and Duong, V. and Auerswald, H. and Pinaud, L. and Tondeur, L. and Backovic, M. and Hoen, B. and Fontanet, A. and Mueller, I. and Fafi-Kremer, S. and Bruel, T. and White, M., Kinetics of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibody Response and Serological Estimation of Time since Infection, Journal of Infectious Diseases, 224, (9), 2021, p1489-1499Journal Article, 2021, DOI , URL
  • F Kennedy, R Romero-Ortuno, C Ní Cheallaigh, S Doyle, J Broderick, A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO EXPLORE THE ROLE OF EXERCISE AND PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION TO TARGET FRAILTY IN PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, Age and Ageing, 69th Annual & Scientific Meeting of the Irish Gerontological Society 2022, Cavan, 2022Conference Paper, 2022, DOI
  • F Kennedy, R Romero-Ortuno, C Ní Cheallaigh, S Doyle, J Broderick, Protocol of an Intervention to Evaluate the Effects of an Optimised Exercise Programme with Protein Supplementation to Target Physical Functioning Deficits and Frailty in people Experiencing Addiction Issues and Homelessness, National Drugs Forum, Dublin , 03 November , 2022Poster, 2022
  • Smith N, Possémé C, Bondet V, Sugrue J, Townsend L, Charbit B, Rouilly V, Saint-André V, Dott T, Pozo AR, Yatim N, Schwartz O, Cervantes-Gonzalez M, Ghosn J, Bastard P, Casanova JL, Szwebel TA, Terrier B, Conlon N, O'Farrelly C, Cheallaigh CN, Bourke NM, Duffy D., Defective activation and regulation of type I interferon immunity is associated with increasing COVID-19 severity., Nature communications, 13, (1), 2022, p7254Journal Article, 2022, DOI
  • Heike C. Hawerkamp, Adam H. Dyer, Neha D. Patil, Matt McElheron, Niamh O'dowd, Laura O'doherty, Aisling Ui Mhaonaigh, Angel M. George, Aisling M. O'halloran, Conor Reddy, Rose Anne Kenny, Mark A. Little, Ignacio Martin-Loeches, Colm J. Bergin, Sean Kennelly, Seamas C. Donnelly, Nollaig Bourke, Aideen Long, Jacklyn Sui, Derek G. Doherty, Niall Conlon, Cliona Ni Cheallaigh and Padraic Fallon, Characterisation of the Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Signature in Severe COVID-19, Frontiers in Immunology , 2023Journal Article, 2023
  • Kennedy, F, Romero-Ortuno R, Ní Cheallaigh C, Doyle S, Broderick J, `"It"s like a free drug"" Low Threshold Exercise & Nutritional Programmes for People with Severe & Multiple Disadvantage Accessing Services for Addiction Challenges & Homelessness, International Conference of the Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health , London, UK, March 16-17, 2023Poster, 2023
  • Ryan, T.A.J. and Hooftman, A. and Rehill, A.M. and Johansen, M.D. and O†Brien, E.C. and Toller-Kawahisa, J.E. and Wilk, M.M. and Day, E.A. and Weiss, H.J. and Sarvari, P. and Vozza, E.G. and Schramm, F. and Peace, C.G. and Zotta, A. and Miemczyk, S. and Nalkurthi, C. and Hansbro, N.G. and McManus, G. and O†Doherty, L. and Gargan, S. and Long, A. and Dunne, J. and Cheallaigh, C.N. and Conlon, N. and Carty, M. and Fallon, P.G. and Mills, K.H.G. and Creagh, E.M. and O†Donnell, J.S. and Hertzog, P.J. and Hansbro, P.M. and McLoughlin, R.M. and Wygrecka, M. and Preston, R.J.S. and ZasÅ'ona, Z. and O†Neill, L.A.J., Publisher Correction: Dimethyl fumarate and 4-octyl itaconate are anticoagulants that suppress Tissue Factor in macrophages via inhibition of Type I Interferon (Nature Communications, (2023), 14, 1, (3513), 10.1038/s41467-023-39174-1), Nature Communications, 14, (1), 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Ryan, T.A.J. and Hooftman, A. and Rehill, A.M. and Johansen, M.D. and Brien, E.C.O. and Toller-Kawahisa, J.E. and Wilk, M.M. and Day, E.A. and Weiss, H.J. and Sarvari, P. and Vozza, E.G. and Schramm, F. and Peace, C.G. and Zotta, A. and Miemczyk, S. and Nalkurthi, C. and Hansbro, N.G. and McManus, G. and O†Doherty, L. and Gargan, S. and Long, A. and Dunne, J. and Cheallaigh, C.N. and Conlon, N. and Carty, M. and Fallon, P.G. and Mills, K.H.G. and Creagh, E.M. and Donnell, J.S.O. and Hertzog, P.J. and Hansbro, P.M. and McLoughlin, R.M. and Wygrecka, M. and Preston, R.J.S. and ZasÅ'ona, Z. and Neill, L.A.J.O., Dimethyl fumarate and 4-octyl itaconate are anticoagulants that suppress Tissue Factor in macrophages via inhibition of Type I Interferon, Nature Communications, 14, (1), 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text
  • Siersbaek Rikke, Ford John, Ní­ Cheallaigh Cliona, Thomas Steve, Burke Sara, How do health system factors (funding and performance) impact on access to healthcare for populations experiencing homelessness: a realist evaluation, International Journal for Equity in Health, 22, (1), 2023, p218-Journal Article, 2023, DOI
  • Parker Sarah, Siersbaek Rikke, Mac Conghail Luisn, Burke Sara, Public Health Responses to Homelessness During COVID-19 in Ireland: Implications for Health Reform, International Journal for Equity in Health, 22, (1), 2023, p36-52-Journal Article, 2023, DOI
  • Carpenter, C. and O'Farrell, A. and Ní à inle, F. and Ní Cheallaigh, C. and Kevane, B., Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of concurrent VTE diagnosis in hospitalised socially excluded individuals in Ireland, BMJ Open, 14, (1), 2024Journal Article, 2024, DOI , URL
  • Karampini, E. and Fogarty, H. and Elliott, S. and Morrin, H. and Bergin, C. and O'Sullivan, J.M. and Byrne, M. and Martin-Loeches, I. and Mallon, P.W. and Curley, G.F. and Glavey, S. and Baker, R.I. and Lavin, M. and Preston, R.J.S. and Cheallaigh, C.N. and Ward, S.E. and O'Donnell, J.S., Endothelial cell activation, Weibel-Palade body secretion, and enhanced angiogenesis in severe COVID-19, Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 7, (2), 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI , URL
  • Kennedy F, Ní Cheallaigh C, Romero-Ortuno R, Doyle SL, Broderick J, Outcomes of the LEAP feasibility trial - a low-threshold, exercise programme with protein supplementation to target frailty and poor physical functioning in people experiencing homelessness and addiction issues, PLOS ONE, 2024Journal Article, 2024, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Greene C, Connolly R, Brennan D, Laffan A, O'Keeffe E, Zaporojan L, O'Callaghan J, Thomson B, Connolly E, Argue R, Meaney JFM, Martin-Loeches I, Long A, Cheallaigh CN, Conlon N, Doherty CP, Campbell M., Blood-brain barrier disruption and sustained systemic inflammation in individuals with long COVID-associated cognitive impairment., Nature neuroscience, 27, (3), 2024, p421-432Journal Article, 2024, DOI
  • Greene C., Connolly R., Brennan D., Laffan A., O'Keeffe E., Zaporojan L., O'Callaghan J., Thomson B., Connolly E., Argue R., Meaney J.F.M., Martin-Loeches I., Long A., Cheallaigh C.N., Conlon N., Doherty C.P., Campbell M., Correction to: Blood"brain barrier disruption and sustained systemic inflammation in individuals with long COVID-associated cognitive impairment (Nature Neuroscience, (2024), 27, 3, (421-432), 10.1038/s41593-024-01576-9), Nature Neuroscience, 27, (5), 2024, p1019-Journal Article, 2024, DOI
  • Dwivedi, A. and Mhaonaigh, A.U. and Carroll, M. and Khosravi, B. and Batten, I. and Ballantine, R.S. and Phelan, S.H. and O†Doherty, L. and George, A.M. and Sui, J. and Hawerkamp, H.C. and Fallon, P.G. and Noppe, E. and Mason, S. and Conlon, N. and Cheallaigh, C.N. and Finlay, C.M. and Little, M.A., Emergence of dysfunctional neutrophils with a defect in arginase-1 release in severe COVID-19, JCI Insight, 9, (17), 2024Journal Article, 2024, DOI , URL
  • Siersbaek, R. and O'Donnell, C. and Parker, S. and Ford, J. and Burke, S. and Ní Cheallaigh, C., Social exclusion and its impact on health over the life course: A realist review protocol, HRB Open Research, 6, (34), 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI , URL
  • Sopp P, Coad M, Hewinson G, Howard CJ, Cheallaigh CN, Keane J, Harris J, Hope JC., Development of a simple, sensitive, rapid test which discriminates BCG vaccinated from Mycobacterium bovis-infected cattle, Vaccine, 26, (43), 2008, p5470-5476Journal Article, 2008, DOI
  • Keane J, Ní Cheallaigh C., Making tumor necrosis factor blockers safer: a prescriber's consumptive challenge, Journal of Rheumatology, 35, (7), 2008, p1238 - 1239Journal Article, 2008, URL
  • Ní Cheallaigh C, Keane J, Lavelle EC, Hope JC, Harris J., Autophagy in the immune response to tuberculosis: clinical perspectives., Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 164, (3), 2011, p291 - 300Journal Article, 2011, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Peral de Castro C, Jones SA, Ní Cheallaigh C, Hearnden CA, Williams L, Winter J, Lavelle EC, Mills KH, Harris J, Autophagy Regulates IL-23 Secretion and Innate T Cell Responses through Effects on IL-1 Secretion., Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 189, (8), 2012, p4144-4153Journal Article, 2012, DOI
  • Ní Cheallaigh C, Fitzgerald I, Grace J, Jagjit Singh G, El-Eraki N, Gibbons N, Keane J, Rogers TR, Clarke S, Bergin C, Interferon Gamma Release Assays for the Diagnosis of Latent TB Infection in HIV-Infected Individuals in a Low TB Burden Country., PloS one, 8, (1), 2013, pe53330Journal Article, 2013, DOI , TARA - Full Text
  • Killick, K.E., Ní Cheallaigh, C., O'Farrelly, C., (...), Machugh, D.E., Harris, J., Receptor-mediated recognition of mycobacterial pathogens, Cellular Microbiology, 15, (9), 2013, p1484-1495Journal Article, 2013, DOI
  • Ms Niamh Murphy, Surveillance Scientist, HPSCDr Lelia Thornton (Chair), Specialist in Public Health Medicine, HPSCDr Kate O'Donnell, Surveillance Scientist, HPSCDr Derval Igoe, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, HPSCProfessor Joe Barry, HSE/CTL/Trinity College DublinDr Margaret Bourke, GP Co-ordinator HSE Addiction Services Dublin Mid-LeinsterMr Emmett Conroy, Irish Prison ServiceDr Des Crowley, Assistant National Director Substance Misuse Programme, ICGPDr Cillian de Gascun, Director NVRLDr Margaret Fitzgerald, Public Health Lead National Social Inclusion, HSE Mr Brian Galvin, Head of Ireland's Focal Point for European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, HRB Evidence Cent Aidan Horan, Caroline Hurley, Shay Keating, Eamon Keenan, Suzi Lyons, Seán Millar, Cliona Ni Cheallaigh, Sinead Woods, , Drug-related bloodborne viruses in Ireland, 2018, Dublin, September, 2018Report
  • Pelleau, St{\'e, Serological reconstruction of COVID-19 epidemics through analysis of antibody kinetics to SARS-CoV-2 proteins, medRxiv, 2021Journal Article
  • McGarry, S., Swords, M., Vallières, F., Ward, M., Shields, D., Geary, U., Gardner, C., Ní Cheallaigh, C. and Lotty, M., The Transformational Simulation for Trauma-Informed Care (TS4TIC) Implementation Toolkit, June, 2024Report, DOI , URL , TARA - Full Text

Research Expertise

  • Title
    COVID-19 Immunology Research Partnership
    Summary
    Funding Agency
    SFI
  • Title
    DIRECTS: Determining Innate pRotECTion to SARS-CoV2:
    Summary
    Solution: We want find out how the immune systems of people who are innately resistant to CoVID19 infection mediate resistance. We aim to recruit partners of SARSCoV2 infected HealthCare workers, who did not become infected even though they shared living arrangements with an infected person. We will interrogate the innate and adaptive immune systems of these resistant people in order to identify mechanisms of resistance; we also aim to define a biomarker signature of resistance that will be used to identify COVID19-resistant people in the population.
    Funding Agency
    Science Foundation Ireland
  • Title
    Disrupting Premature Ageing Trajectories in Non-Communicable Disease; Feasibility of a frailty-focussed intervention in a Population Experiencing Homelessness,
    Summary
    Funding Agency
    TCD
  • Title
    IMPRINT: Defining pathogen-specific IMmune PRedictors of bloodstream INfecTion outcomes
    Summary
    Funding Agency
    Health Research Board, Ireland
  • Title
    Irish COVID-19 Vasculopathy Study (iCVS)
    Summary
    Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia is associated with significant mortalitypredominantly attributable to a progressive bilateral pneumonia, that ultimately progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which is refractory to standard therapies. Previous multivariate regression analysis studies performed in Wuhan have shown that elevated plasma levels of fibrin degradation D-dimers constitute a key independent biomarker of poor prognosis in COVID-19. Interestinglyhowever, despite this prognostic increase in D-dimers, COVID-19 patients do not typically develop systemic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Nonetheless, post-mortem studies in COVID-19 infected patients have highlighted marked pathological changes restricted to within the lung microvasculature. These include disseminated micro-thrombi and haemorraghic necrosis. Cumulatively, these findings suggest that the refractory ARDS phenotype observed in COVID-19 is due in part to a novel pulmonary-specific vasculopathy. Critically however, pathobiological mechanisms underpinning this unique vasculopathy remain completely undefined.Although D-dimer levels are being used globally as prognostic marker in patients with COVID-19, no studies have sought to investigate why coagulation D-dimers areelevated, nor why D-dimer levels and coagulation activation correlate so strongly with clinical outcomes. In this cross-disciplinary IrishCOVID-19VasculopathyStudy (iCVS), we will systematically investigate the biological pathways that ultimately lead to elevated plasma D-dimer levels. These include (i) EC activation (ii) procoagulant cascade activation (iii) down-regulation of normal anticoagulant pathways (iv) fibrinolytic pathways (v) platelet activation respectively. The plan of investigation will define novel vascular biomarkers beyond crude D-dimers that can be used to betterdefine prognosis for COVID-19 patients and thereby prioritise ICU resources. In addition, elucidating the biology underlying the unique pulmonary vasculopathy involved in severe COVID-19 sepsis will identify subsets of patients likely to benefitfrom specific anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet therapies respectively. Consequently, the proposed studies are not only of scientific interest,but directly address an important clinical unmet need.
    Funding Agency
    HRB
  • Title
    Premature Ageing in Long-Term Homeless Adults (PATH)
    Summary
    Funding Agency
    HRB
  • Title
    Immune genes, protective immunity and improved vaccine design
    Summary
    As Sars-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 is a newly evolved virus, little is known about what factors underly the range of outcomes experienced by patients. However, we know that the host immune response will be critical. Indeed, knowing what kind of immune response results from infection, how long it lasts and if it is protective are all critical questions for which we currently have no answers, and that are required for effective vaccine development. Our previous work in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and HCV vaccine research allow us to address these questions for Sars-CoV-2. This collaboration with the National Blood Centre (IBTS), St. James's Hospital and Trinity College, will test the prediction that immune gene variability will predict patient responses for Covid-19. We will investigate the IL28B associated SNP (rs2970860), HLA class I and class II genes and KIR genes for their impact on the immune response to Covid-19, as previously successfully done by members of this group for HCV. .
    Funding Agency
    SFI
  • Title
    VIRCOA-TILDA
    Summary
    In this study, a comprehensive assessment of how past exposure to viruses impacts risk of COVID-19 in older people will be carried out and how it is linked to inflammageing and anti-viral immunity. A well-established longitudinal ageing cohort, TILDA, which has the detailed demographic, clinical and biomarker information - rich phenotyping data will be combined with a state-of-the-art approach, VirScanTM, to determine a person's complete viral exposure history.
    Funding Agency
    SFI
    Date From
    01/12/2020
    Date To
    30/11/2021
  • Title
    Identifying Protective Immunity in Frontline Healthcare Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    Summary
    A key issue during the ongoing SARS-CoV2 pandemic is to determine the proportion of the population possessing effective antibodies for virus clearance and long-term immunity. Screening post-infection immunity will identify key/frontline healthcare workers that can work without risk of re-infection. This assay will also be crucial to monitor the true scale of the pandemic as many infections will be mild/ asymptomatic without testing. Furthermore, with ongoing plasmapheresis trials using anti-SARS-CoV2 antibody-containing sera for critical COVID-19 patients, identifying donors with high levels of anti-viral antibody will be a valuable factor to assess. RNA-based qPCR diagnostic tests currently used in Ireland to detect SARS-COV2 viral RNA in a nose/throat swabs can sensitively detect active infection at an early stage of infection but cannot detect immunity to the virus after clearance. This can only be achieved using Immunoglobulin(Ig)-based tests for antibodies against key SARS-COV2 antigens (predominantly virion 'Spike' or S protein). While serological tests are in development for SARS-COV2 antibodies, few are approved for use and will likely be expensive with substantial delays in global distribution. A recent pre-print (Amanat et al., published 18 March 2020) described a novel assay for SARS-COV2 antibodies. The aim of this project is to establish this assay in Ireland, screen SARS-COV2 positive serum samples from Irish patients and determine its accuracy using a larger cohort of SARS-COV2 positive sera. If the method can be replicated, a non-accredited test could be developed to screen the Irish population for post-infection immunity in a rapid and cost-effective manner.
    Funding Agency
    SFI

Immunology, Public health,

Recognition

  • Infectious Diseases Society of Ireland