Prof. Adrian Bracken

Principal Investigator at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin

In 2021, Adrian Bracken was elected an EMBO Member for outstanding achievement in the life sciences. His lab has made several seminal discoveries in the field of cancer epigenetics. In particular, they provided key contributions to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of how Polycomb group proteins regulate cell-fate decisions in stem cells and in cancer. In research that forms the basis of this talk, his lab recently studied an incurable childhood cancer called ‘H3-K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma’ and demonstrated that EZH2 inhibitor drugs are a mechanistically anchored treatment strategy, based on modelling the consequences of the H3-K27M cancer causing gene on the underlying biology (Brien et al., Nature Genetics, 2021). His lab is also focused on genetic predisposition to cancer and they are using their expertise in chromatin biology to explore the contribution of regulatory elements in the ‘non-coding genome’. Additionally, several exciting ongoing projects in the lab are studying the roles of chromatin regulators in developmental disorders and other cancer types, including lymphoma.

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3D mammosphere culture of breast epithelial cell line MCF10A.

Courtesy of Dr. Emer Bourke, NUI Galway

Phospho-Akt expression and localisation

Mediated by VEGF in A549 lung cancer cells. Visualised by high content image analysis.

Courtesy of Dr Martin Barr, Clinical Scientist & Adjunct Assistant Professor, St James’s Hospital & Trinity College Dublin

Metaphase chromosome spread of Jurkat T-lymphoma cells

Courtesy of Rebecca Gorry, PhD Student, Mc Gee Lab, UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, UCD

Apoptosis assessment of SKMES-1 lung cancer cells

Using a multiparameter apoptosis staining kit, showing cell nuclei (blue), actin (green) and mitochondrial activity (orange).

Courtesy of Dr Martin Barr, Clinical Scientist & Adjunct Assistant Professor, St James’s Hospital & Trinity College Dublin

HeLa Cells

Courtesy of Rebecca Gorry, PhD Student, Mc Gee Lab, UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, UCD

IACR & EACR Joint Conference 2020

26 — 28 February 2020 at Galway Bay Hotel, Galway

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Mitotic Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia K562 Cells

Courtesy of Rebecca Gorry, PhD Student, Mc Gee Lab, UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, UCD

Cell to Cell Tweeting

Via nanoparticles (red) in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)

Courtesy of Sinéad Lindsay, UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin (UCD) Ireland.

Confocal Microscopy Analysis

Of phospho-Akt expression in H460 lung cancer cells in response to hypoxia (0.5% O2).

Courtesy of Dr Martin Barr, Clinical Scientist & Adjunct Assistant Professor, St James’s Hospital & Trinity College Dublin

EACR Free Membership

The IACR is an affiliated national society and its members benefit from full membership of the EACR.

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Save The Date

IACR 2023 Conference
Venue: Athlone Radisson Blu Hotel
Dates: Wed 22/02/2023 – Fri 24/02/2023

Please check back later in the year for more information.

IACR in the Irish Independent

We supported the Cancer 2022 Campaign from @Mediaplanet

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