معرفی
Dr. Rachel D Moloney is a Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics at University College Cork (UCC). Her research focuses on stress neurobiology, the gut microbiome, and their roles in psychiatric disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. She holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Biochemistry from UCC, an M.Sc. in Neuropharmacology from NUI Galway, and a Ph.D. in Psychiatry from UCC. She has conducted postdoctoral research in APC Microbiome Ireland and held fellowships at U.S. institutions, culminating in her current faculty position since 2019.
Her lab employs advanced techniques like chemogenetics to study brain circuits involved in stress-related behaviors and the bidirectional microbiome-gut-brain axis. Key areas include traumatic stress effects on empathy, sex-specific stress responses, and microbiota-mediated therapies for stress-related illnesses. She has been recognized with a NARSAD Young Investigator Award for her work.
Research interests also encompass epigenetic mechanisms, visceral pain, and translational preclinical models. Her studies highlight the interplay between environmental stressors, neurochemical pathways, and microbiota composition in shaping behavioral and physiological outcomes.
- Education:
- B.Sc. (Hons) Biochemistry, UCC (2009)
- M.Sc. Neuropharmacology, NUI Galway (2010)
- Ph.D. Psychiatry, UCC (2014) - Awards:
- NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2019)
Her work bridges basic neuroscience with clinical relevance, aiming to identify novel therapeutic targets for stress-related disorders through multidisciplinary approaches.
