Jennifer Dowling

Dr. Jennifer Dowling is a Lecturer in Immunology and Biotherapeutics at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), affiliated with the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences and the Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics department. She leads the Brain inflammation Group Ireland (BIGie), focusing on neuroinflammation and macrophage biology in neurological diseases and injury. Dr. Dowling holds a BSc in Biotechnology and a PhD in Immunology from Dublin City University, followed by postdoctoral research at Trinity College Dublin and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in Australia. Key roles include Council Member of Neuroscience Ireland and Guest Editor for a neuroimmunology research topic.

Her research focuses on macrophage function in neuroinflammation, including hypoxic brain injury mechanisms and inflammatory pathways in diseases like multiple sclerosis. Notable achievements include securing a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellowship for the 'OxyBaby' project (2020–2022) and receiving RCSI awards for Innovation and Early Career Research. Over 30 peer-reviewed publications span immunology, neurobiology, and biomaterials, with emphasis on inflammasomes, arginase-2 modulation, and neuroimmune interactions.

Teaching contributions include health professions education certifications and supervision of PhD students in projects involving arginase-2 in cancer metastasis, miR-155 in neonatal seizures, and ulcerative colitis pathogenesis. Active grants include funding from Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, and Horizon 2020 for projects targeting chronic inflammation and CNS repair strategies.