Research Scientist
- 2000-date: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University.
- 1996-2000: Ph.D. in Biochemistry, School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University.
- 1992-1996: B.Sc. in Analytical Science, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University.
Ongoing Research
- Effect
of hemodynamic forces on vascular cell apoptosis
Apoptosis or programmed cell death is a process through which multicellular organisms efficiently dispose of unneeded or potentially harmful cells. This cell fate decision is tightly governed by a number of genes, the ratio of which can dictate whether or not apoptosis occurs. In addition to its role in normal development, apoptosis has an important role in the pathogenesis of a variety of threatening vascular diseases including atherosclerosis. The normal adult artery shows very low levels of smooth muscle cell (SMC) death, however, in vascular cells subjected to shear stress (due to increased blood pressure and flow) apoptotic pathways have been identified. We are interested in the repercussions of these hemodynamic forces on vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and SMCs, and are therefore investigating the effect of mechanical forces, at the molecular level, on vascular cell apoptosis in vitro.
Legend: Apoptosis as visualized by acridine orange staining in vascular smooth muscle cell nuclei following hydrogen peroxide treatment. Control cells (below left), treated cells (below right). Dr. Yvonne Birney, unpublished observations.
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Recent Publications
- Birney Y.A., Redmond E.M., Sitzmann J.V. and Cahill P.A. (2001). Prostaglandins and their role in cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Prostaglandins & Other Lipid Mediators, in press.
- Birney Y.A. And O'Connor B.F. (2001). Purification and characterization of a Z-Pro-Prolinal-insensitive Z-Gly-Pro-amino-4-methyl coumarin-hydrolyzing peptidase from bovine serum - a new proline-specific peptidase. Prot Exp Pur 22: 286-298.
Recent Abstracts/Posters
- Von Offenberg Sweeney, N., Birney, Y., Cummins, P.M. and Cahill, P.A. (2002). Cyclic strain Induces pro-MMP2 release from bovine aortic endothelial cells via a Gia protein-independent pathway and via a MAP kinase-dependent pathway. ExBio 2002 FASEB Meeting: 'Translating the Genome', New Orleans, LA.
- Birney Y., Cappadonna C., Sweeney C., Redmond E., Sitzmann J. and Cahill P. (2001). Pulse-pressure induced vascular smooth muscle cell cellular apoptosis susceptibility (CAS) expression. Ir J Med Sci 170 (suppl 2): 193.
- Coyle, S., Birney, Y., Cummins, P., Sweeney, C., Walls, D. and Cahill, P.A. (2001). The role of notch signalling in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells. Ir J Med Sci 170 (suppl 2): 116.
- Birney, Y., Coyle, S., Cummins, P. and Cahill, P.A. (2000). Mechanical forces and vascular cell signalling-how vascular cells respond to stress. 12th Annual Meeting of the Irish Association of Pharmacologists, Dublin, Ireland.
- Birney, Y., Cummins, P. and Cahill, P.A. (2000). Vascular biology/tissue engineering. The Irish Scientist 8: 126.
- Birney Y.A. and O'Connor B. F. (1999). A potentially significant proline-specific peptidase from human and bovine serum. Brain Res 848: A35.
- Birney Y. and O'Connor B. (1999). The study of a potentially significant proline-specific peptidase from bovine serum. IBRO 5th World Congress of Neuroscience, Jerusalem, Israel.
