Nine researchers from one of UCC’s SFI Research Centres, APC Microbiome Ireland, have been named among the most influential researchers in the world.

Dr Gerard Clarke, Professor Paul Cotter, Professor John Cryan, Professor Ted Dinan, Professor Ger Fitzgerald, Professor Colin Hill, Professor Catherine Stanton, Professor Paul O’Toole, and Professor Paul Ross were all named among the most Highly Cited Researchers, according to the 2019 Web of Science List.

The Highly Cited Researchers list, which is compiled annually, recognises researchers whose citation records place them at the highest levels of research influence and impact. This year’s list includes 23 Nobel laureates, while a total of 29 researchers on the list are based in Ireland.

APC's listed researchers are all based in UCC and Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority, while their areas of research are food, microbiome and health. You can find out more through this link.

Dr Gerard Clarke

Dr Clarke’s area of research spans stress and cognition in disorders such as depression and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the impact of the gut microbiome on brain and behaviour across the life span, and microbial regulation of tryptophan metabolism.

Professor Paul Cotter

Professor Cotter’s research focuses on the microbiology and microbiomes of food (especially fermented and other dairy foods), food processing and production environments, and the gastrointestinal tract; in the latter case, the focus is on maintaining/establishing a healthy gut microbiota through dietary interventions, including in athletes.  

Professor Colin Hill

Professor Hill's research interests lie in understanding the role of the microbiome in disease. He is particularly interested in studying individual microbes, bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) and bacteriocins, to understand the forces shaping microbiome composition and to use that information to prevent and limit diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. 

Professor John Cryan

Professor Cryan researches the neurobiological basis of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety and drug dependence. His group is also focused on understanding the interaction between brain, gut and the gut microbiome and how it applies to stress and immune-related disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder.

Professor Ted Dinan

Professor Dinan's area of interest is the role of the gut microbiota in influencing brain function and development. Within this context, he has focused on depression and irritable bowel syndrome.

Professor Catherine Stanton

Professor Stanton's research focuses on nutritional aspects of dairy and functional foods, probiotic cultures, bioactive metabolite production, infant gut microbiota, and healthy proteins and fats that are produced by gut bacteria. She is also very interested in the microbiome during pregnancy and in infancy.

Professor Paul Ross

Professor Ross' research in food and health includes the development of new antibiotics and anti-infectives, bacteriophage (viruses that infect only bacterial cells), human and animal pathogens, and how the gut microbiota influences health.

Professor Ger Fitzgerald

Professor Fitzgerald's research focuses on the fundamental and applied aspects of the industrially important Lactic Acid Bacteria, which are used in the production of fermented foods and probiotics.

Professor Paul O’Toole

Professor O'Toole's research centres upon the genomics of gastrointestinal bacteria in humans, with emphasis on commensal species and host interaction. He is particularly interested in the relationships between the composition and function of the gut microbiota, its interaction with habitual diet, and its relationship to health, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and ageing.