Fergal O'Farrell

Fergal O'Farrell is an Associate Professor and research group leader at the University of Bergen's Department of Biological Sciences. His work focuses on modeling human cancer progression using Drosophila melanogaster with particular emphasis on Ret proto-oncogene signaling and epithelial integrity mechanisms. He received his Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Karolinska Institute (2008) following research on Drosophila peripheral nervous system development.

• Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute (2008)
• Postdoctoral work at Wenner Gren Institute/Stockholm University
• Subsequent research at Oslo Cancer Institute

Dr. O'Farrell's research investigates:

• Metastatic mechanisms in Drosophila Ret-tumor models
• LKB1's contextual oncogene behavior through vesicle trafficking
• Host autophagy's role in tumor growth and organ wasting
• Non-autonomous signaling between tumor cells and surrounding tissue
• Development of cancer prevention strategies through microenvironment manipulation
• Functional orthology between fly and human disease genes

His research trends indicate strong focus on:

• Autophagy's dual role in tumor progression
• Receptor Tyrosine Kinase signaling pathways
• Genetic and pharmacological interventions in cancer models
• Translational applications of Drosophila research

Scientific support includes:

• Norwegian Cancer Society personal funding
• CanCell SFF Center of Excellence resources
• Norwegian Research Council grant (2021)

Teaching responsibilities at BIO include MOL200 Biochemistry and MOL213 Developmental Genetics. His lab maintains active collaborations through RDMM-Europe for Peutz-Jeghers syndrome research.