Biography
Dr Renwick graduated from Maynooth University (MU) with an Honours Degree in Biology in 2003. From there she was accepted into a PhD program in the National Institute of Cellular Biotechnology in MU where she completed her PhD in medical microbiology investigating the interactions between Aspergillus fumigatus and human and insect immune cells. In 2006 she was appointed as a microbiology and genetics lecturer in the Institute of Technology, Dublin. During her three years in this position she completed a Post-Graduate Higher Diploma in third level education in MU. In 2009 she accepted a research fellowship in the Clinical Microbiology department at the Trinity centre for Health Science in Tallaght hospital. Dr Renwick has established and developed a number of national and international clinical studies and research projects including co-founding the AIrway Microbiome in Cystic Fibrosis (AIM-CF) project. As a principle investigator of the National Children's Research Centre, her research focused on identifying and characterising the microbial communities present in the airways of children with CF and understanding how these microbial communities interact with the host and impact on disease progression. Dr Renwick was appointed Assistant Professor within the clinical microbiology department in Trinity College in 2016 and is currently the Head of Discipline of Clinical Microbiology.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
McDermott, G.; Walsh, A.; Crispie, F.; Frost, S.; Greally, P.; Cotter, P.D.; O"Sullivan, O.; Renwick, J., Insights into the Adolescent Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiome Using Shotgun Metagenomics., International Journal of Molecular Science, 25, (7), 2024, p3893-
N Sarwar, E Reece, J Renwick, Polymicrobial interactions: Implication for virulence in chronic lung disease., ESCMID, Barcelona, Spain, April 2023, 2023
Katie Dunne, Emma Reece, Siobhán McClean, Sean Doyle, Thomas R Rogers, Philip Murphy, Julie Renwick, Aspergillus fumigatus Supernatants Disrupt Bronchial Epithelial Monolayers: Potential Role for Enhanced Invasion in Cystic Fibrosis, Journal of Fungi, 9, (4), 2023
Johanna Rhodes, Alireza Abdolrasouli, Katie Dunne, Thomas R. Sewell, Yuyi Zhang, Eloise Ballard, Amelie P. Brackin, Norman van Rhijn, Alexandra Tsitsopoulou, Raquel B. Posso, Sanjay H Chotirmall, Noel G McElvaney, Philip G Murphy, Alida Fe Talento, Julie Renwick, Paul S. Dyer, Adrien Szekely, Michael J. Bromley, Elizabeth M. Johnson, P. Lewis White, Adilia Warris, Richard C. Barton, Silke Schelenz, Thomas R. Rogers, Darius Armstrong-James, Matthew C. Fisher, Population genomics confirms acquisition of drug-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus infection by humans from the environment, Nature Microbiology, 2022
Karolina Klosinska, Emma Reece, Elaine Kenny, Julie Renwick, Reducing Human DNA Bias in cystic fibrosis airway specimens for microbiome analysis, Journal of Microbiological Methods, 2022
Johanna Rhodes, Alireza Abdolrasouli, Katie Dunne, Thomas R. Sewell, Yuyi Zhang, Eloise Ballard, Amelie P. Brackin, Norman van Rhijn, Alexandra Tsitsopoulou, Raquel B. Posso, Sanjay H Chotirmall, Noel G McElvaney, Philip G Murphy, Alida Fe Talento, Julie Renwick, Paul S. Dyer, Adrien Szekely, Michael J. Bromley, Elizabeth M. Johnson, P. Lewis White, Adilia Warris, Richard C. Barton, Silke Schelenz, Thomas R. Rogers, Darius Armstrong-James, Matthew C. Fisher, Tracing patterns of evolution and acquisition of drug resistant Aspergillus fumigatus infection from the environment using population genomics. , BioRxiv, 2021
Emma Reece, Pedro H Bettio, Julie Renwick, Polymicrobial Interactions in the Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiome Impact the Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Antibiotics, 10, (7), 2021, p827-
Julie Renwick, Emma Reece, Jamie Walsh, Ross Walsh, Thara Persaud, Cathal O'Leary, Seamas C. Donnelly, Peter Greally. , Early Interleukin-22 and neutrophil proteins are correlated to future lung damage in children with cystic fibrosis.., Frontiers in Pediatrics, 31, (9), 2021
Linnane, B.;Walsh, A.M.; Walsh, C.J.; Crispie, F.; O'Sullivan, O.; Cotter, P.D.; McDermott, M.; Renwick, J.; McNally, P., The Lung Microbiome in Young Children with Cystic Fibrosis: A Prospective Cohort Study, Microorganisms, 9, (429), 2021
Microbiology of the Cystic Fibrosis Airway in, Reference Module in Life Sciences, Elsevier, 2019, pphttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978 , [Gillian McDermott, Emma Reece and Julie Renwick]
B Linnane, A Walsh, O O"Sullivan, P Cotter, F Crispie, S Kennedy, P Greally, P McNally and J Renwick, Early Development of the Lower Airway Microbiome in Children with Cystic Fibrosis., International Human Microbiome Conference, Ireland, Jun 2018, 2018
B Linnane, O O'Sullivan, J Renwick, P Cotter, A Walsh, F Crispie, PG McNally, Diversity Increases In The Lower Airway Microbiome For The First Four Years Of Life In Preschool Children With CF, Pediatric Pulmonology, 53, 2018, pp288 - 288
E Reece, S Doyle, J Renwick, P Greally, S Mc Clean, Mutual antagonism: a complex coexistence of Aspergillus fumigatus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the cystic fibrosis airway, Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, European Cystic Fibrosis Society conference, 17, Elsevier, 2018, ppS44 - S45
B Linnane, P Cotter, O O'Sullivan, F Crispie, A Walsh, PG McNally, J Renwick, ANTIBIOTIC EXPOSURE HAS LITTLE EFFECT ON THE LOWER AIRWAY MICROBIOME OF YOUNG CHILDREN WITH CF WHEN ASSESSED USING BAL AT A TIME OF CLINICAL STABILITY, PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Irish Thoracic Society, 53, Wiley, 2018, pp299 - 299
Emma Reece, Sean Doyle, Peter Greally, Julie Renwick, Siobhán McClean, Aspergillus fumigatus Inhibits Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Co-culture: Implications of a Mutually Antagonistic Relationship on Virulence and Inflammation in the CF Airway, Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, (1205), 2018
E Reece, J Renwick, R Segurado, SM Clean, P Greally, Co-colonisation of the cystic fibrosis airways with A. fumigatus and P. aeruginosa is associated with poorer health: an Irish registry analysis, Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, European Cystic Fibrosis Society , 30/06/17, 16, Elsevier, 2017, ppS101 - S101
Reece E., McClean S., Segurado R., Renwick J. and Greally P., Co-colonisation of the airways with A. fumigatus and P. aeruginosa is associated with poorer health in patients with CF: An Irish registry analysis. , BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 17, (1), 2017, p70 - 78
E. Reece, S. McClean, P. Greally and J. Renwick, A Short-Term Longitudinal Study of the Paediatric Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiome , Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, European Cystic Fibrosis Society , Seville, Spain, 08/06/17, 2017
Julie Renwick, Jenny Lennon, Rebecca Reilly, Philip Murphy, Orla O'Sullivan, Paul Cotter, Barry Linnane, Paul G McNally, TEMPORAL EVOLUTION OF THE LOWER AIRWAY MICROBIAL COMMUNITY IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH CF, Pediatric Pulmonology , North America CF conference, Indianapolis, 2nd - 4th Nov 2017, 52, (S194-S195), Wiley, 2017, ppS194-S195
Emma Reece, Julie Renwick, Siobhán McClean, Peter Greally, Determining the true incidence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus in a paediatric cystic fibrosis cohort, European Cystic Fibrosis Society , Basel, Switzerland, 2016, 15, elsevier, 2016, ppS65 - S65
E Reece, J Renwick, R Segurado, S McClean, P Greally, Co-Colonisation of The Cystic Fibrosis Airways with A. fumigatus and P. aeruginosa is Associated with Health Outcomes Similar to that of Patients Persistently Colonised with P. aeruginosa: an Irish Registry Analysis, Irish Journal of Medical Science, Irish Journal of Medical Science, 2016, 185, SPRINGER LONDON LTD, 2016, ppS474 - S474
Gillian M Lavelle, Bojana Mirkovic, Ahmed A Azim, Kristine Helma, Fatma Gargoum, Kevin Molloy, Yael Gernez, Katie Dunne, Julie Renwick, Philip Murphy, Catherine M Greene, Richard B Moss, Cedric Gunaratnam, Sanjay H Chotirmall, Noel Gerry McElvaney, Use Of The Basophil Surface Marker CD203c In The Identification Of Aspergillus fumigatus Sensitisation In Cystic Fibrosis, American Thoracic Society, San Francisco, CA, May 2016, A37, 2016, ppA1416 - A1416
MirkoviÄ B, Lavelle G.M, Azim A.A, Helma K, Gargoum F.S, Molloy K, Gernez Y, Dunne K, Renwick J, Murphy P, Moss R.B, Greene C.M, Gunaratnam C, Chotirmall S.H, McElvaney N.G, The basophil surface marker CD203c identifies Aspergillus species sensitization in patients with cystic fibrosis, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 137, (2), 2016, p436 - 443
GM Lavelle, B Mirkovic, AA Azim, K Helma, FS Gargoum, K Molloy, Y Gernez, K Dunne, J Renwick, P Murphy, RB Moss, CM Greene, C Gunaratnam, SH Chotirmall, NG Mcelvaney, The Basophil Surface Marker Cd203c Identifies Aspergillus fumigatus sensitisation In Cystic Fibrosis, Pediatric Pulmonology , 50, 2015, p227 - 228
Dunne K, Prior AR, Murphy K, Wall N, Leen G, Rogers TR, Elnazir B, Greally P, Renwick J, Murphy P, Emergence of persistent Aspergillus terreus colonisation in a child with cystic fibrosis., Medical mycology case reports, 9, 2015, p26-30
E. Reece, J. Renwick, S. McClean and P. Greally, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus co-infection reduced the pro-inflammatory response in CF epithelial cells., Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, European Cystic Fibrosis Society conference, 14, (1), 2015
K Molloy, N Fettes, J Renwick, E Reece, P Murphy, A Niland, M Keogan, M Greene, SJ O'Neill, The Burden of Aspergillus fumigatus Related Respiratory Disease in Non-CF Bronchiectasis, Irish Journal of Medical Science, Irish Journal of Medical Science, 01/11/15, 184, 2015, ppS522 - S522
Renwick J, McNally P, John B, DeSantis T, Linnane B, Murphy P, The microbial community of the cystic fibrosis airway is disrupted in early life., PloS one, 9, (12), 2014, pe109798
Chotirmall SH, Renwick J, Hassan TM, Low TB, Bergsson G, Bennett K, Eshwika A, Dunne K, Coughlan CCA. , Itraconazole Up-Regulates The Vitamin D Receptor And Reduces T-Helper 2 Responses In Aspergillus Fumigatus Colonised Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis., Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, European Cystic Fibrosis Society conference, San Francisco, California, 2012, 11, 2012
Coughlan CA, Chotirmall SH, Renwick J, Hassan T, Low TB, Bergsson G, Eshwika A, Bennett K, Dunne K, Greene CM, Gunaratnam C, Kavanagh K, Logan PM, Murphy P, Reeves EP, McElvaney NG, The effect of Aspergillus fumigatus infection on vitamin D receptor expression in cystic fibrosis., American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 186, (10), 2012, p999 - 1007
Renwick, J.*, McNally P., Linnane B., Greally P., Elnazir B., Lynch S., Murphy P. , The Airway Microbiome in Children with Cystic Fibrosis. , Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, European Cystic Fibrosis Society conference, Dublin, 2012, WS20.5, (S46), 2012
Katie Dunne, Julie Renwick, Gerard McElvaney, Sanjay Chotirmall, Jacques F, Meis, Corné Klaassen, Philip Murphy and Thomas Rogers. , Epidemiology and Antifungal Susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus in an Irish Cystic Fibrosis Patient Cohort. , Ulster Medical Journal, Irish Fungal Society, 2012, 81, (3), 2012, pp158 - 162
18. M Murphy, J Collins, J Renwick, P. Murphy, Molecular investigation of Herbaspirillum as a novel pathogen in cystic fibrosis sputae and it"s in vivo virulence in the Galleria mellonella model, European Cystic Fibrosis Society conference, Dublin, 2011
Mowlds P, Coates C, Renwick J, Kavanagh K, Dose-dependent cellular and humoral responses in Galleria mellonella larvae following β-glucan inoculation, Microbes and Infection, 12, (2), 2010, p146 - 153
Insects as Models for Studying the Virulence of Fungal Pathogens of Humans in, editor(s)Kevin Kavanagh , New Insights in Medical Mycology, Springer, Springer, 2007, pp45 - 67, [Julie Renwick]
Renwick J, Reeves E.P, Wientjes F.B, Kavanagh K, Translocation of proteins homologous to human neutrophil p47phox and p67phox to the cell membrane in activated hemocytes of Galleria mellonella, Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 31, (4), 2007, p347 - 359
Renwick J, Daly P, Reeves E.P, Kavanagh K, Susceptibility of larvae of Galleria mellonella to infection by Aspergillus fumigatus is dependent upon stage of conidial germination, Mycopathologia, 161, (6), 2006, p377 - 384
Bergin D, Reeves E.P, Renwick J, Wientjes F.B, Kavanagh K, Superoxide production in Galleria mellonella hemocytes: Identification of proteins homologous to the NADPH oxidase complex of human neutrophils, Infection and Immunity, 73, (7), 2005, p4161 - 4170
Research Expertise
Description
My research focuses on chronic respiratory infections, with a particular interest in Cystic Fibrosis (CF). In recent years the airways of people with CF have been found to harbour a diverse community of microorganisms. These finding are forcing a paradigm shift in how we view airway infections. To date the clinical significance of the presence of these microbial communities in the CF airways is still poorly understood. I currently have numerous basic science and clinical studies underway exploring the microbial communities present in the airway and how they contribute to chronic airway disease progression. I co-founded the Airway Microbiome in CF (AIM CF) project which is an arm of the larger Study of Host Immunity and Early Lung Disease in CF (SHIELD CF) longitudinal project. I also have an interest in advancing diagnostic techniques and improving detection of common airway pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus. My research is multidisciplinary and relies on a high level of communication between clinicians and scientists to apply the most advanced, cutting-edge sequencing and molecular techniques to the clinical setting.Projects
- Title
- RESIST-AMR
- Summary
- Antimicrobials are critical resources for human, animal and plant health. With emergence of antimicrobial resistance and lack of new antimicrobials, we face an unprecedented global environmental, food security and human health threat. Applying a multidisciplinary approach, the team including 4 PhD projects and expertise from plant scientists, clinical and environmental microbiologists, geneticists, antimicrobial resistance specialists, computer scientists/statisticians, bioengineers and sociologists, will study environmental and human 'resistomes' from agricultural and clinical settings and analyse agricultural stakeholders' practices and policies to identify institutional reform implications.
- Funding Agency
- Prendergast challenge based award
- Date From
- 2022
- Date To
- 2027
- Title
- SPIN-CF: Study of Polymicrobial INteractions in CF
- Summary
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the leading cause of infection in people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Colonisation with P. aeruginosa occurs early in life and once established is very difficult to eradicate. Up to 95% of morbidity and mortality in CF occurs as a result of chronic airway infections. In people with CF, airway damage begins early in life and the course of infection and inflammation in childhood can influence future prognosis. P. aeruginosa is independently linked to worsened prognosis for CF patients and has the ability to rapidly develop resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics including Penicillin, Cephalosporin, Aminoglycosides, Quinolones, Polymyxins and Carbapenems which are the leading antibiotics used to treat P. aeruginosa infections currently. P. aeruginosa acquires resistance genes and specific mutations that enhance its survival in the presence of antibiotics. New therapeutic avenues for treatment of P. aeruginosa infections in CF are imminent and early eradication is vital to prevent establishment of chronic infection. We have identified a molecule produced by Aspergillus fumigatus (a fungus that commonly co-colonises the CF airways with P. aeruginosa) that can inhibit P. aeruginosa growth in planktonic and biofilm forms. We aim to explore the therapeutic potential of this molecule.
- Funding Agency
- Irish Research Council & ESCMID
- Title
- AIM-CF: The Airway Microbiome in Cystic Fibrosis
- Summary
- AIM CF is a branch of the larger Study of Host Immunity and Early Lung Disease in Cystic Fibrosis (SHIELD CF) biobanking project established by Prof Paul McNally and Dr Barry Linnane. I am co-PI on the AIM CF project where we have developed protocols for isolating DNA and RNA from CF patient BAL samples and optimised an assay for detected viable bacteria using molecular methods. We have employed a 16S rRNA microarray, 454 pyrosequencing and Illumina MiSeq to characterise the upper and lower CF airway microbiome and compare it to healthy controls. This is an ongoing longitudinal study.
- Funding Agency
- The National Children's Hospital & The National Children's Research Centre
- Date From
- 2011
- Date To
- 2017
- Title
- ACRE: Antimicrobial Coating pRojEct
- Summary
- Incorporating a new antimicrobial technology into the hospital setting to reduce bacterial bioburden and thus prevalence of resistance in the hospital environment. Internationally collaborative project lead by scientists and clinicians in Kastus, Trinity College and Tallaght hospital.
- Date From
- Jan 2018
Recognition
Representations
Member of organisation committee of the Focus on Infection meeting 2017
Internal examiner for PhD continuation
Awards and Honours
Prendergast Challenge based award
Irish Research Council
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Provost PhD award
Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund Start up funding
Wellcome Trust travel award
Memberships
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)
European Respiratory Society
Irish Thoracic Society