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Medicine

Dr Liam Burke

B.Sc., PhD

 
researcher
 

Biography

I completed my BSc in NUI Galway in 2009 and my PhD in 2013 in the Clinical Microbiology Department at RCSI, under the supervision of Prof Hilary Humphreys and Dr Deirdre Fitzgerlad-Hughes. I am a Lecturer in the Discipline of Bacteriology and a member of the Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology (ARME) Research Group and the Centre for One Health. I teach students in the College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences on topics including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), healthcare associated infection, device related infection, molecular diagnostics and genetics. My current research focuses on bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family that cause infections in humans, including virulent pathogens and antibiotic resistant strains. I am interested in identifying their virulence and resistance mechanisms and tracking the spread of antimicrobial resistant strains and genes between humans, animals and the environment. I hope to use this information to design new diagnostics, therapeutics and interventions to stop these "superbugs". I am also interested in developing smart drug delivery systems for the prevention and treatment of AMR infections.

Research Interests

My current research focuses on bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family that cause infections in humans, including virulent pathogens and antibiotic resistant strains. I am interested in identifying their virulence and resistance mechanisms and tracking the spread of antimicrobial resistant strains and genes between humans, animals and the environment. I hope to use this information to design new diagnostics, therapeutics and interventions to stop these "superbugs". I am also interested in developing smart bio-compatible drug delivery systems to prevent and treat antimicrobial resistant infections.

Research Projects

  Project Start Date End Date
PIER - Public health Impact of Exposure to antimicrobial Resistance in coastal waters 01-APR-19 31-MAR-23
DESIGN - Detection of Environmental Sources of Infectious diseases in Groundwater Networks 01-MAR-19 30-APR-20

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2019) 'Evaluation of the Immunomodulatory Effects of All-Trans Retinoic Acid Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in an A549 Epithelial Cell Line Model'
Payne, CM,Burke, LP,Cavanagh, B,O'Toole, D,Cryan, SA,Kelly, HM (2019) 'Evaluation of the Immunomodulatory Effects of All-Trans Retinoic Acid Solid Lipid Nanoparticles and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in an A549 Epithelial Cell Line Model'. Pharmaceutical Research, 36 [DOI] [Details]
(2016) 'The Molecular Epidemiology of Resistance in Cefotaximase-Producing Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates from Dublin, Ireland'
Burke, LP; Humphreys, H; Fitzgerald-Hughes, D (2016) 'The Molecular Epidemiology of Resistance in Cefotaximase-Producing Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates from Dublin, Ireland'. Microbial Drug Resistance, 22 (7):552-558 [Details]
(2014) 'Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in human non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica isolates from England and Wales, 2010-2012'
Burke, L; Hopkins, KL; Meunier, D; de Pinna, E; Fitzgerald-Hughes, D; Humphreys, H; Woodford, N. (2014) 'Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in human non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica isolates from England and Wales, 2010-2012'. Journal Of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 69 (4):977-981 [Details]
(2014) 'The susceptibility of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli to commercial and laboratory bacteriophages'
Fitzgerald-Hughes, D; Bolkvadze, D; Balarjishivi, N; Leshkasheli, L; Ryan, M; Burke, L; Stevens, N; Humphreys, H; Kutateladze, M. (2014) 'The susceptibility of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli to commercial and laboratory bacteriophages'. Journal Of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 69 (4):1148-1150 [Details]
(2013) 'The clinical features and molecular epidemiology of extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae - the hidden messages'
Russell-Goldman, E; Burke, L; Humphreys, H; Gilleece, A; Fitzgerald-Hughes, D; O’Neill, E. (2013) 'The clinical features and molecular epidemiology of extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae - the hidden messages'. Journal Of Medical Microbiology, 62 (11):1768-1771 [Details]
(2013) 'Search and you will find: detecting extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae from a patient's immediate environment'
Judge, C; Galvin, S; Burke, L; Thomas, T; Humphreys, H; Fitzgerald-Hughes, D: (2013) 'Search and you will find: detecting extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae from a patient's immediate environment'. Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America, 34 (5):534-536 [Details]
(2012) 'The revolving door between hospital and community: extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in Dublin'
Burke, L; Humphreys, H; and Fitzgerald-Hughes, D. (2012) 'The revolving door between hospital and community: extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in Dublin'. Journal Of Hospital Infection, 81 (3):192-198 [Details]
(2012) 'β-Lactam-host defence peptide conjugates as antibiotic prodrug candidates targeting resistant bacteria'
Desgranges, S; Ruddle, CC; Burke, LP; McFadden, TM; O’Brien, JE; Fitzgerald-Hughes, D; Humphreys, H; Smythe, TP; Devocelle, M. (2012) 'β-Lactam-host defence peptide conjugates as antibiotic prodrug candidates targeting resistant bacteria'. Rsc Advances, 2 :2480-2492 [Details]

Conference Publications

  Year Publication
(2015) IPITA-IXA-CTS 2015 Joint Conference
Duffy, G; Burke, L. (2015) DRIVE: Diabetes reversing implants with enhanced viability and long-term efficacy IPITA-IXA-CTS 2015 Joint Conference Melbourne, Australia, , 15-NOV-15 - 19-NOV-15 , pp.S102-S102 [DOI] [Details]
(2012) 22nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Judge,C; Burke, L; Galvin, S; fitzgerald-Hughes, D; Humphreys, H. (2012) Recovery of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria from the hospital environment 22nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases London, United Kingdom, , 31-MAR-12 - 02-APR-13 [Details]
(2012) 22nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Burke, L; Fitzgerald-Hughes, D; Humphreys, H. (2012) The open door: ESBL producing Escherichia coli in the acute hospital and the community 22nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases London, United Kingdom, , 31-MAR-12 - 03-APR-12 [Details]
(2011) 51st International Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
Burke, LP; Desgranges, S; Devocelle, M; Fitzgerald-Hughes, D; Humphreys, H. (2011) Evaluation of in vitro Activity of a Beta-Lactam-Host Defence Peptide Prodrug Therapeutic Against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria of Clinical Importance 51st International Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Chicago, USA, , 17-SEP-11 - 20-SEP-11 [Details]

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2019 Med-Vet-Net Association Travel Grant Award Med-Vet-Net Association
2011 Terry Hennessy Microbiology Fellowship British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
2009 Prof Kieran L Dunican Memorial Medal NUI Galway Microbiology Dept
2009 HRB PhD Scholarship in Diagnostics and Therapeutics for Human Disease Health Research Board
2008 Society for General Microbiology Undergraduate Prize Society for General Microbiology
2008 Infectious Disease UREKA Scholarship SFI

Professional Associations

  Association Function From / To
European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Member /
Med-Vet-Net Association Scientific Committee Member /

Committees

  Committee Function From / To
Med-Vet-Net Scientific Committee Member 01-MAY-18 /

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
2019 National University of Ireland Galway Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education Teaching & Learning in Higher Education
2009 NUI Galway BSc (Hons) Microbiology
2013 Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland PhD Microbiology

Languages

  Language
Portuguese

Community Engagement

  Title Type From / To
Outreach ARME Schools Workshop - A world we cannot see, the secret life of microbes /
Outreach HRB-TMRN START programme 01-MAY-18 /

Other Activities

  Description

Thesis Examiner - Dr Meera Tandan

Teaching Interests

I teach School of Medicine students on the topics of microbiology, antimicrobial resistance, healthcare associated infection, molecular diagnostics and human genetics. I am interested in using interactive methods that engage the student such as technology enhanced learning - podcasts, video and mobile web learning tools. I believe that multidisciplinary teaching and interdisciplinary teaching is especially important for School of Medicine students, who will work as part of a large interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals in their future careers.

Modules Taught

  Term/Year Module Title Module Code Subject / Desc
2nd Medicine Genes Gametes and Embryos MD210 Human Genetics

Internal Collaborators

  Name Description of Collaboration
Garry Duffy
Garry and I collaborate on tissue engineering and drug delivery projects
Dearbháile Morris
Dearbháile and I collaborate on "one health" projects involving antimicrobial resistance
Martin Cormican
One health projects on antimicrobial resistance