Dr. david p. Finn

Background

Dr Finn graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Biotechnology from NUI, Galway in 1997 and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Bristol in 2001.  From 2001 to 2004, Dr Finn worked as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Neuroscience, University of Nottingham.  In 2004, he was appointed to a Lectureship in the Department of Physiology, NUI, Galway and took up his current position as Lecturer in Pharmacology in January 2007. 

Dr Finn is a recipient of the President of Ireland Young Researcher Award from Science Foundation Ireland, the Wyeth Award for research in Preclinical Psychopharmacology from the British Association for Psychopharmacology and the Pain Research Medal from the Irish Pain Society. 

The overall aim of Dr Finn’s research is to increase our understanding of the neurobiology of pain and psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression.  Dr Finn sits on the Council of the Biomedical Sciences Section of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, the Council of Neuroscience Ireland and is a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, the Society for Neuroscience, the International Association for the Study of Pain and the British Association for Psychopharmacology.  He is Co-Director of the Centre for Pain Research at NUI, Galway ( http://www.nuigalway.ie/centre_pain_research/) and sits on the Committee of the Neuroscience Cluster at the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science (NCBES).  In addition to directing his research programme, Dr Finn teaches a range of Pharmacology topics to science, medical and nursing students.

Summary of Research Interests

The overall objective of Dr Finn’s research is to increase understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the development and treatment of pain, inflammation, mood disorders and impaired cognition.  This work is concerned with elucidating the role of a number of different receptor types (cannabinoid, opioid, adrenoceptor, imidazoline, serotonin, vanilloid, N-type Ca ² channels) in mediating and modulating behavioural, neurochemical and neuroendocrine responses relevant to pain, anxiety, depression and cognition. An integrative, whole systems neuroscience approach is employed, combining behavioural models with in vivo and ex vivo measurement of neurochemical release or cytokines in discrete brain regions and assessment of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis function.  Studies at the molecular level focus on autoradiographical assessment of G-protein coupling as well as protein and mRNA expression in the brain.  This research, which is funded from a number of competitive sources including Science Foundation Ireland, the Irish Health Research Board, the Higher Education Authority and IRCSET, aims to make a significant contribution to the knowledge-base on pain and stress-related psychiatric disorders and support the development of novel therapeutic agents for their treatment.

Research Techniques

Behavioural models of pain, inflammation, aversion and cognition; Systemic and central administration of drugs; In vivo microdialysis; HPLC; In vitro receptor autoradiography and [ ³⁵S]GTPyS autoradiography; ELISA; Western blotting; Radioimmunoassay; In situ hybridisation; c-Fos immunohistochemistry.

Link To Recent Publications

CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

Post-doctoral researchers:                                                                                                                                           
Dr. Gemma Ford (2006-present)
Dr. Kieran Rea (2006-present)

Post-graduate students:
Karen Smith (2006-present)
Orla Moriarty (2007-present)
Yvonne Lang (2008-present)
Weredeselam Olango (2008-present)

PREVIOUS LAB MEMBERS
Dr. Michelle Roche (2005-2008)
Dr. Ryan Butler (2006-2009)

Contact details
Dr. David Finn
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Natiional University of Ireland, Galway
University Road
Galway
Ireland

Phone:             353-91-495280
Fax:                 353-91-495586
E-mail:             david.finnnuigalway.ie