Dr. Alyssa Gilmore is a Research Fellow in the Molecular Rheumatology group. She previously completed her PhD in University College Dublin, investigating cartilage and bone degradation in response to inflammatory factors present in the synovium of RA patients. An ex vivo scaffold model of osteogenesis was generated, which allowed for the study of osteoblast mineralisation in a 3D environment. Her research interest in bone continued with a postdoctoral position in the State University of New York (USA), investigating the function and mechanism of regulators of G-protein signalling on skeletal development.
Alyssa balanced a number of projects in her time in Imperial College London (UK), leading the research and clinical site coordination for a project identifying renal transcriptomic signatures in autoimmune (SLE) patients with Lupus Nephritis, as part of the MASTERPLANS consortium. Optimisation of methodology allowed for RNA isolation from biobanked FFPE biopsy samples and identification of differential gene expression profiles by Nanostring technology, which could have clinical utility in treatment selection for patients. She also executed pre-clinical analysis of novel therapeutic agents from industry partners.
In addition to science, Alyssa has an interest in LGBTQ advocacy, equality and supporting women in STEM, and has actively been involved in obtaining two silver Athena-SWAN awards.
Having recently returned to Ireland and to rheumatology research, Alyssa is excited to undertake this translational research focusing on the metabolic activity of circulating monocytes and their contribution to the pathogenesis observed in rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis.
Email: gilmoral@tcd.ie
Molecular Rheumatology, Trinity College Dublin 