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Dr. Brenda Mc Manus
Experimental Officer, Dental Science

Biography

Dr. Brenda McManus is an Experimental Officer in Microbiology and Principal Investigator in the School of Dental Science. She completed her doctoral research in 2009 which investigated the population structure and clade-specific antifungal resistance of the pathogenic yeast, Candida dubliniensis. Her postdoctoral research predominantly investigated the association of microbial organisms with oral disease in specific patient cohorts and antimicrobial drug resistance. Brenda's current role involves monitoring of water network disinfection processes, providing clinical diagnostic support and development of whole genome sequence-based research in Dublin Dental University Hospital. In 2019 she was awarded an Emerging Investigator Award for Health from the Health Research Board to investigate the role of microbial organisms in the oral cavity in diabetic foot disease and to evaluate the potential of electrochemically activated solutions for foot ulcer disinfection.

Her other research interests include the use of whole genome sequencing to investigate potential sources of infection, microbial population biology and antimicrobial drug resistance. Brenda's current research primarily investigates the population biology of pathogenic organisms Staphylococcus, Candida and Enterococcus.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications

GREALY L, WILSON P, GILLEN C, DUFFY E, HEALY M-L, DALY B, POLYZOIS I, VAN HARTEN M, DIUGALL A, BRENNAN GI, COLEMAN DC, McMANUS BA, IMMERSION OF DEBRIDED DIABETIC FOOT ULCER (DFU) TISSUE IN ELECTROCHEMICALLY GENERATED PH NEUTRAL HYPOCHLOROUS ACID SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE MICROBIAL BIOBURDEN: WHOLE-GENOME SEQUENCING OF Staphylococcus aureus, THE MOST PREVALENT SPECIES RECOVERED, JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION, 138, (August), 2023, p42 - 51 Journal Article, 2023 DOI TARA - Full Text URL

Aloba BK, Kinnevey PM, Monecke S, Brennan GI, O'Connell B, Blomfeldt A, McManus BA, Schneider-Brachert W, Tkadlec J, Ehricht R, Senok A, Bartels MD, Coleman DC., An emerging Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive CC5-meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-IVc clone recovered from hospital and community settings over a 17-year period from 12 countries investigated by whole-genome sequencing., The Journal of hospital infection, 132, 2023, p8-19 Journal Article, 2023 DOI

Egan SA, Kavanagh NL, Shore AC, Mollerup S, Samaniego Castruita JA, O'Connell B, McManus BA, Brennan GI, Pinholt M, Westh H, Coleman DC., Genomic analysis of 600 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium reveals a high prevalence of ST80 and spread of similar vanA regions via IS1216E and plasmid transfer in diverse genetic lineages in Ireland., The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 77, (2), 2022, p320-330 Journal Article, 2022 DOI

McMANUS BA, ALOBA BK, EARLS MR, BRENNAN GI, O'CONNELL B, MONECKE S, EHRICHT R, SHORE AC, COLEMAN DC, MULTIPLE DISTINCT OUTBREAKS OF PANTON-VALENTINE LEUKOCIDIN (PVL)-POSITIVE COMMUNITY-ASSOCIATED METHICILLIN-RESISTANT Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) IN IRELAND INVESTIGATED BY WHOLE-GENOME SEQUENCING, JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION, 108, (February 2021), 2021, p72 - 80 Journal Article, 2021 DOI URL TARA - Full Text

McMANUS BA, DALY B, POLYZOIS I, WILSON P, BRENNAN GA, FLEMING TE, GREALY LD, HEALY M-L, COLEMAN DC, COMPARATIVE MICROBIOLOGICAL AND WHOLE-GENOME ANALYSIS OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS POPULATIONS IN THE ORO-NASAL CAVITIES, SKIN AND FIABETIC FOOT ULCERS OF PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES REVEALS A POSSIBLE ORO-NASAL RESERVOIR FOR ULCER INFECTION, FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, 11, (748), 2020, p1-10 Journal Article, 2020 URL DOI URL

McMANUS BA, O'CONNOR AM, EGAN SA, FLANAGAN PR, COLEMAN DC, FIRST DESCRIPTION OF ARGININE CATABOLIC MOVILE ELEMENT (ACME) TYPE VI HARBORING THE kdp OPERON ONLY IN Staphylococcus epidermidis USING SHORT AND LONG READ WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING: FURTHER EVIDENCE OF ACME DIVERSITY, INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION, 71, (July), 2019, p51 - 53 Journal Article, 2019 DOI Other TARA - Full Text URL

O'CONNOR AM, McMANUS BA, COLEMAN DC, FIRST DESCRIPTION OF NOVEL ARGININE CATABOLIC MOBILE ELEMENTS (ACMEs) TYPES IV AND V HARBORING A kdp OPERON IN Staphylococcus epidermidis CHARACTERIZED BY WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING, INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION, 61, (July), 2018, p60 - 66 Journal Article, 2018 URL DOI TARA - Full Text Other

O'CONNOR AM, McMANUS BA, KINNEVEY PM, BRENNAN GI, FLEMING TE, CASHIN PJ, O'SULLIVAN M, POLYZOIS I, COLEMAN DC, SIGNIFICANT ENRICHMENT AND DIVERSITY OF THE STAPHYLOCOCCAL ARGININE CATABOLIC MOBILE ELEMENT ACME IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIDIS ISOLATES FROM SUBGINGIVAL PERI-IMPLANTITIS SITES AND PERIODONTAL POCKETS, FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, 9, (1558), 2018, p1 - 15 Journal Article, 2018 DOI URL TARA - Full Text

McMANUS BA, O'CONNOR AM, KINNEVEY PM, O'SULIVAN M, POLYZOIS I, COLEMAN DC, FIRST DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION OF THE STRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF TYPE III ARGININE CATABOLIC MOBILE ELEMENTS (ACMEs) HARBORED BY STAPHYLOCOCCIS EPIDERMIDIS BY WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY, 61, (10), 2017, p1-5:e01216-17 Journal Article, 2017 DOI TARA - Full Text URL

BRENNAN GI, ABBOTT Y, BURNS A, LEONARD F, McMANUS B, O'CONNELL B, COLEMAN DC, SHORE AC, THE EMERGENCE AND SPREAD OF MULTIPLE LIVESTOCK-ASSOCIATED CLONAL COMPLEX 398 METHICILLIN-RESISTANT AND METHICILLIN-SUSCEPTIBLE Staphylococcus aureus STRAINS AMONG ANIMALS AND HUMANS IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND, 2010-2014, PLOS ONE, 11, (2), 2016, p1-11: e0149396 Journal Article, 2016 DOI URL

MCMANUS BA, COLEMAN DC, DEASY EC, BRENNAN GI, O'CONNELL B, MONECKE S, EHRICHT R, LEGGETT B, LEONARD N, SHORE AC., COMPARATIVE GENOTYPES, STAPHYLOCOCCAL CASSETTE CHROMOSOME mec (SCCmec) GENES AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AMONGST STAPHYLOCOCCUS EPIDERMIDIS AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS HAEMOLYTICUS ISOLATES FROM INFECTIONS IN HUMANS AND COMPANION ANIMALS, PLOS ONE, 10, (9), 2015, p1-18: e0138079 Journal Article, 2015 DOI URL TARA - Full Text

McMANUS BA, COLEMAN DC, MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY. PHYLOGENY AND EVOLUTION OF Candida albicans, INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION, 21, (January 2014), 2014, p166 - 178 Journal Article, 2014 TARA - Full Text DOI URL

ABDULRAHIM MH, McMANUS BA, FLINT SR, COLEMAN DC, GENOTYPING Candida albicans FROM CANDIDA LEUKOPLAKIA AND NON-CANDIDA LEUKOPLAKIA SHOWS NO ENRICHMENT OF MULTILOCUS SEQUENCE TYPING CLADES BUT ENRICHMENT OF ABC GENOTYPE C IN CANDIDA LEUKOPLAKIA, PLOS ONE, 8, (9), 2013, p1-11:e73738 Journal Article, 2013 TARA - Full Text URL DOI

Agwu E, Ihongbe JC, McManus BA, Moran GP, Coleman DC, Sullivan DJ, Distribution of yeast species associated with oral lesions in HIV-infected patients in Southwest Uganda., Medical Mycology, 50, 2012, p276 - 280 Journal Article, 2012 DOI

McMANUS BA, MAGUIRE, R., CASHIN, PJ, CLAFFEY N, FLINT, S, ABDULRAHIM MA AND COLEMAN, DC, ENRICHMENT OF MULTILOCUS SEQUENCE TYPING CLADE 1 WITH ORAL CANDIDA ALBICANS ISOLATES IN PATIENTS WITH UNTREATED PERIODONTITIS, JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY , 50, (10), 2012, p3335-3344 Journal Article, 2012 TARA - Full Text DOI URL

McManus BA, McGovern E, Moran GP, Healy CM, Nunn J, Fleming P, Costigan C, Sullivan DJ, Coleman DC, Microbioloigcal screening of Irish autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) patients shows persistence of Candida albicans strains, gradual reduction in susceptibility to azoles and incidences of clinical signs of oral candidiasis without culture evidence, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 49, (5), 2011, p1879 - 1889 Journal Article, 2011 TARA - Full Text

COLEMAN DC, MORAN GP, McMANUS BA, SULLIVAN DJ, MECHANISMS OF ANTIFUNGAL DRUG RESISTANCE IN CANDIDA DUBLINIENSIS, FUTURE MICROBIOLOGY, 5, (6), 2010, p935-949 Review, 2010 DOI URL

McMANUS BA, SULLIVAN DJ, MORAN GP, D'ENFERT C, BOUGNOUX M-E, NUNN MA, AND COLEMAN DC, AVIAN-ASSOCIATED AND HUMAN ISOLATES OF Candida dubliniensis ARE GENETICALLY DISTINCT, EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 15, (9), 2009, p1467-70 Journal Article, 2009 DOI URL TARA - Full Text

McManus BA, Moran GP, Higgins JA, Sullivan DJ, Coleman DC, A Ser29Leu substitution in the cytosine deaminase Fca1p is responsible for clade-specific flucytosine resistance in Candida dubliniensis., Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 53, (11), 2009, p4678-85 Journal Article, 2009 DOI

McManus BA, Coleman DC, Moran G, Pinjon E, Diogo D, Bougnoux ME, Borecká-Melkusova S, Bujdákova H, Murphy P, d'Enfert C, Sullivan DJ., Multilocus sequence typing reveals that the population structure of Candida dubliniensis is significantly less divergent than that of Candida albicans., Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 46, (2), 2008, p652 - 664 Journal Article, 2008 TARA - Full Text

Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications

Aoife O'Connor, Characterisation of Staphylococcal and Candida Populations from Healthy and Diseased Oral and Subgingival Sites in Healthy and Diseased Individuals With and Without Implants and in Patients with Periodontal Disease Reveals a High Prevalence and Diversity of the Arginine Catabolic Mobile Element ACME in Oral Staphylococcus epidermidis, 2017 Thesis, 2017

Molecular Epidemiology of Candida species. in, editor(s)Ashbee, HR. & Bignell, EM. , Handbook of Pathogenic Yeasts., Berlin Heidelberg, Springer Verlag, 2010, pp19 - 39, [Moran, G.P., McManus, B.A., Coleman, D.C. & D.J. Sullivan] Book Chapter, 2010

Aoife O'Connor, Brenda McManus, Michael O'Sullivan, Ioannis Polyzois, David C. Coleman, Characterisation of Candida and staphylococcal populations recovered from subgingival sites of healthy and diseased teeth and dental implants, European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, Holland, Arpil, 2016 Poster,

Peter M Kinnevey, Aoife M O'Connor, Phillipa Cashin, Peter Slickers, Ioannis N Polyzois, Michael O'Sullivan, Brenda A McManus, David C Coleman, Characterization of arginine catabolic mobile elements (ACME) in Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates from patients with healthy and diseased subgingival sites, periodontal pockets and dental implants, International Symposium on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections, South Korea, August 2016 Poster,

BA MCMANUS, E MCGOVERN, G MORAN, D SULLIVAN, J NUNN, P COSTIGAN, P FLEMING, C HEALY, DC COLEMAN., Retrospective Candida albicans population analysis in Irish APECED patients. , International Association of Dental Research-Irish Division, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Dublin, October 2010 Oral Presentation,

Brenda A. McManus, David C. Coleman, Emily C. Deasy, Gráinne I. Brennan, Brian O' Connell, Stefan Monecke, Ralf Ehricht, Bernadette Leggett, Anna C. Shore, Comparison of SCCmec, antimicrobial resistance genes and clonal lineages of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus from humans and companion animals, International Symposium on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections, Chicago, IL, USA, 26th-29th August 201 Poster,

Research Expertise

Description

Brenda's interests mainly lie in clinically-based translational research, with particular regard to epidemiology, infection prevention and control, and antimicrobial resistance. Brenda is focused on identifying potential endogenous sources of infection such as periodontal tissues, the oro-nasal cavity or gastrointestinal tract. She is particularly interested in the application of whole genome sequence-based tools to such research, which primarily focuses on the microbial organisms Staphylococcus, Enterococcus and Candida.

Projects

  • Title
    • Comparison of staphylococci from the oro-nasal cavity, periodontal pockets and foot ulcers of patients with type II diabetes: a potential oro-nasal microbial reservoir for foot ulcer infections
  • Summary
    • In 2019 Brenda received an Emerging Investigator Award from the Health Research Board to lead research investigating the oral and nasal cavities as a potential source for foot ulcer infection in patients with type II diabetes. The project also investigates the use of superoxidised solutions as a potential method for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer infections. This investigation is being carried out in collaboration with a diverse multidisciplinary team composed of research and clinical teams from Dublin Dental University and St. James's Hospital.
  • Funding Agency
    • Health Research Board
  • Date From
    • 2019
  • Date To
    • 2024

Keywords

DNA; Drug Resistance; Epidemiology; Gene Cloning; Gene Expression; Genetic/Molecular epidemiology; Genomics; Molecular Cloning; Molecular population genetics; Nucleic Acids; Oral diseases and Oral medicine; Oral microbiology; Population structure and dynamics