Dearbhaile is an Irish trained Consultant Medical Oncologist with speciality interest in lung cancer and gynaecological malignancies but also treats a variety of other cancers. She has both a PhD in translational oncology and MA in Medical Ethics and Law. She has extensive experience in both surgical and medical oncology with numerous publications, presentations, grants and awards. She is a recipient of the Irish Cancer Society Clinician Research Leadership Award 2020 that ring fences protected academic time for her to pursue her translational research interests. 

Research

Dearbhaile spent two years as part of fellowship training at the Drug Development Unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London under the mentorship of the Regius Professor Johann de Bono. This experience, in addition to her grounding in laboratory-based molecular research gained during her PhD, has supported her research expertise in translational oncology. She has a particular interest in resistance mechanisms to targeted anticancer treatments and immunotherapy and she hopes to uncover novel biomarkers to improve treatment options and overall survival for patients with cancer.

Current studies:

(1) Targeting CD38 expression & regulatory B cells for novel biomarkers & immune-based treatments for poorly prognostic cancers; CREC approval ECM4 (ss) 12/2/2019

(2) Serum identification of MYC amplification in SCLC using ddPCR to determine prognosis & treatment response; CREC approval ECM4 (tt) 12/2/2019 & 05/19

(3) Temporal evolution of oncogenic driver mutations & biomarkers of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in serum & tumour tissue (Lung Cadet); CREC approval: ECM 4 (f) 12/01/2021

Funders

Irish Cancer Society

HRB

The Institute of Cancer Research

APC Microbiome Ireland

Fiver for the Fight Dermot Costello Immunology Fund

Breakthrough Cancer Research

Pharmaceutical Industry (Pfizer, Roche)