Home » Staff Profiles » Coughlan, Karen

Dr Karen Coughlan

Jt Assistant Lecturer

Contact Details

Jt Assistant Lecturer
Address

E: coughlan.karen@itsligo.ie
 
researcher

Biography

Karen Coughlan received her undergraduate degree in Science, specialising in Human Physiology from Trinity College Dublin in 2010. Following this, she moved to the Royal College of Surgeons and undertook a PhD investigating energy imbalance in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), testing AMPK as a novel therapeutic target in mouse models of the disease. In 2014, she began her postdoctoral research fellowship in RCSI to explore Angiogenin as a potential treatment for ALS.

During her time in RCSI she was involved in various teaching activities (laboratory demonstrator, tutorial faciliator and occasional lecturer) and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Education for Health Professionals. Additionally, she was involved in STEM outreach education in primary schools in Dublin.

From 2016 - 2020 she worked as a Medical Science Liaison in the pharmaceutical industry. Karen joined IT Sligo as an Assistant Lecturer in 2020.

Research Interests

Brain health and ageing, neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment, chronic diseases, disease pathology, preventative lifestyle strategies, pharmacological interventions in disease, mechanisms of action of therapeutic interventions, molecular and cellular actions in health and disease, energy metabolism, inflammation, autophagy.

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2018) 'Pleiotropic activity of systemically delivered angiogenin in the SOD1G93A mouse model'
Crivello M, O'Riordan SL, Woods I, Cannon S, Halang L, Coughlan KS, Hogg MC, Lewandowski SA, Prehn JHM (2018) 'Pleiotropic activity of systemically delivered angiogenin in the SOD1G93A mouse model'. Neuropharmacology, [Details]
(2018) 'Riluzole does not improve lifespan or motor function in three ALS mouse models'
Hogg MC, Halang L, Woods I, Coughlan KS, Prehn JHM. (2018) 'Riluzole does not improve lifespan or motor function in three ALS mouse models'. Amyotroph Lateral Scler, [Details]
(2016) 'A high-fat jelly diet restores bioenergetic balance and extends lifespan in the presence of motor dysfunction and lumbar spinal cord motor neuron loss in TDP-43A315T mutant C57BL6/J mice'
Coughlan KS, Halang L, Woods I, Prehn JH (2016) 'A high-fat jelly diet restores bioenergetic balance and extends lifespan in the presence of motor dysfunction and lumbar spinal cord motor neuron loss in TDP-43A315T mutant C57BL6/J mice'. Neurobiology of Disease, [Details]
(2015) 'Preconditioning with latrepirdine, an adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase activator, delays amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression in SOD1(G93A) mice'
Coughlan KS, Mitchem MR, Hogg MC, Prehn JH (2015) 'Preconditioning with latrepirdine, an adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase activator, delays amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression in SOD1(G93A) mice'. Neurobiology of Aging, [Details]
(2014) 'The BCL-2 family protein Bid is critical for pro-inflammatory signaling in astrocytes'
König HG, Coughlan KS, Kinsella S, Breen BA, Prehn JH (2014) 'The BCL-2 family protein Bid is critical for pro-inflammatory signaling in astrocytes'. Neurobiology of Disease, [Details]
(2012) 'Motoneurons secrete angiogenin to induce RNA cleavage in astroglia'
Skorupa A, King MA, Aparicio IM, Dussmann H, Coughlan K, Breen B, Kieran D, Concannon CG, Marin P, Prehn JH (2012) 'Motoneurons secrete angiogenin to induce RNA cleavage in astroglia'. Journal of Neuroscience, [Details]

Conference Contributions

  Year Publication
(2015) MNDA (Motor Neuron Disease Association),
Coughlan KS, Hogg MC, Halang L, Woods I, Prehn JHM. (2015) Systemic Angiogenin delivery reverses defects in capillary density in SOD1G93A mice and extends lifespan in FUS(1-359) mice. [Poster Presentation], MNDA (Motor Neuron Disease Association), Orlando Florida . [Details]
(2015) MNDA (Motor Neuron Disease Association),
Coughlan KS, Mitchem MR, Hogg MC, Prehn JH (2015) A high fat diet restores bioenergetic balance, extends lifespan and reveals motor dysfunction and lumbar spinal cord motor neuron loss in TDP- 43A315T mice. [Poster Presentation], MNDA (Motor Neuron Disease Association), Orlando Florida . [Details]
(2015) ENCALS (European Network for the Cure of ALS),
Coughlan KS, Mitchem MR, Hogg MC, Prehn JH (2015) Latrepirdine, delays disease progression in SOD1G93A mice’. [Poster Presentation], ENCALS (European Network for the Cure of ALS), Dublin . [Details]
(2012) MNDA (Motor Neuron Disease Association),,
Coughlan KS, König HG, Kinsella S, Breen BA, Prehn JH (2012) Deletion of the BH3 Only Protein BID Inhibits Astrocyte and Microglia Activation and Delays Disease Progression in ALS Mice’. [Poster Presentation], MNDA (Motor Neuron Disease Association),, Chicago . [Details]
(2012) ENCALS (European Network for the Cure of ALS),
Coughlan KS, Mitchem MR, Hogg MC, Prehn JH (2012) Systemic delivery of angiogenin protein for the treatment of ALS. [Oral Presentation], ENCALS (European Network for the Cure of ALS), Dublin . [Details]
(2012) Neurons Under Stress,
Coughlan KS, König HG, Kinsella S, Breen BA, Prehn JH (2012) Deletion of the BH3 Only Protein BID Inhibits Astrocyte and Microglia Activation and Delays Disease Progression in ALS Mice’. [Poster Presentation], Neurons Under Stress, Dublin . [Details]

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2021 Digital Badge for Universal Design in Teaching & Learning AHEAD and UCD

Committees

  Committee Function From / To
ATU University Women’s Network – Sligo Branch Member /

Employment

  Employer Position From / To
Bayer Medical Science Liaison 13-NOV-17 / 24-FEB-20
Grunenthal Medical Science Liaison 01-SEP-16 / 10-NOV-17
Royal College of Surgeons Postdoctoral Fellow 02-OCT-14 / 25-AUG-16

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
2014 Royal College of Surgeons PhD Physiology
2016 Royal College of Surgeons Post Graduate Diploma Health Professions Education
2010 Trinity College Dublin BA (Mod) Physiology

Outreach Activities

  Description

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths) primary school educator 2015 -2016.

Modules Taught

  Term (ID)) Title Link Subject
202100 Essential Skills in Health Sci 44486Essential Skills in Health Sci
202100 RESEARCH METHODS 1 32787RESEARCH METHODS 1
202100 Settings based approach to Phy 40639Settings based approach to Phy
202100 Human Nutrition and Exercise P 44748Human Nutrition and Exercise P
202100 Human Anatomy And Physiology 44516Human Anatomy And Physiology