Orla L Howe, PhD
Lecturer & Research Scientist, School of Biological Sciences

Brief Biography

PhD with Trinity College Dublin in 2000-2004, in conjunction with the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia (2002-2004).  Obtained two student awards with the Radiation Research Society during this time (2001 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2002 in Reno, Nevada)).  Worked as a postdoctoral research scientist in the Radiation and Environmental Science Centre (RESC) from 2004-2005.  Awarded a DIT Arnold Graves fellowship in 2005 to conduct research until 2008 in the RESC. Received a scholar in Training (SIT) award with the Radiation Research Society in Sept 2008 for the research work conducted during this fellowship. Currently working as a research scientist in RESC and a lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences in DIT Kevin St.

International presentations

• 54th annual meeting of the Radiation Research Society, Boston, Sept 21st -24th, 2008
• Annual NOTE European meeting, Galway, September 13th-18th, 2008
• Annual NOTE European meeting, Crete, September 17th-20th, 2007
• International congress of Radiation Research, San Francisco, July 9th-12th, 2007
• Association of Radiation Research annual meeting, Belfast, April 3rd-5th, 2007
• Joint meeting in Radiation Biology for the Netherlands Radiobiological Society, the Association for Radiation Research in the UK and the Swedish radiobiological Society, Marstrand, Sweden, April 25-29, 2006.
• 52nd annual meeting of the Radiation Research Society, Denver, Colorado, Oct 16th – 19th, 2005.
• 29th annual symposium of the Microscopical Society of Ireland, Focus, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, September 7-9, 2005.
• The annual scientific meeting of the Association of Radiation research and the 34th annual meeting of the Eurpoean Society for Radiation Biology, Leicester, UK, September 5-8, 2005.
• Ataxia Telangectasia meeting, Fraiser Island, Australia, Oct 2003
• International congress of radiation Research, Brisbane, Australia, Sept, 2003.
• 2nd International conference on translational research and pre-clinical strategies in radiation oncology, Lugano, Switzerland, March 16-19, 2003.
• 49th annual meeting of the Radiation Research Society, Reno, Nevada, April 20-25, 2002. (Recipient of student travel award)
• Technical workshop on the G2 assay, St.Andrews University, Scotland, Sept 20-23, 2001
• 2nd International conference of world council of nuclear workers (WONUC), Dublin Institute of Techology, Dublin, June 27-29, 2001.
• 48th annual meeting of the Radiation Research Society, San Juan, Peurto Rico.  April 21-25, 2001.  (Recipient of student travel award)
Recent Publications
• Gorman S, Tosetto M, Dunlop A, Lyng F, Howe O, Sheahan K, O’Donoghue D, Hyland J, Mulcahy H, O’Sullivan J.  Radiation and chemotherapy bystander effects induce early genomic instability events: telomere shortening and bridge formation coupled with mitochondrial dysfunction.  2009.  Mutation Research  669(1-2):131-8.
• Howe O, O’ Sullivan J, Nolan B, Vaughan J, McClean B, Clarke C, Lyng FM.  Do radiation-induced bystander effects correlate to the intrinsic radiosensitivity of individuals and have clinical significance? 2009, Radiation Research 171(5):521-9
• Gueven N, Becherel OJ, Howe O, Chen P, Haince JF, Ouellet ME, Poirier GG, Waterhouse N, Fusser M, Epe B, de Murcia JM, de Murcia G, McGowan CH, Parton R, Mothersill C, Grattan-Smith P, Lavin MF. A novel form of ataxia oculomotor apraxia characterized by oxidative stress and apoptosis resistance. 2007. Cell Death Differ. 14(6):1149-61.
• Howe O, O’Malley K, Lavin M, Gardiner F, Seymour C, Quinlan D, Mulvin D, Mothersill C.Cell death mechanisms associated with G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity:  A cohort study in patients with prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia, 2005.  Radiation Research, 164(5):627-634.
• Howe O, Daly P, Seymour C, Ormiston W, Nolan C, Mothersill C. Elevated G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity in irish breast cancer patients:  A comparison with other studies, 2005.  International Journal of Radiation Biology, 81:  373-378.
• Gueven N, Becherel O.J, Kijas A, Chen P, Howe O, Rudolph J.H, Gatti R, Date H, Onodera O, Taucher-Scholz G, Lavin M. Aprataxin, a novel protein that protects against genotoxic stress, 2004. Human Molecular Genetics, 13 (10):  1081-1093.
• Bryant P.E, Gray L, Riches C, Steel C.M, Finnon P, Howe O, Kesterton I, Vral A, Curwen G.B, Smart V, Tawn E.J, Whitehouse C.A. Technical report:  The G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity assay, 2002. International Journal of Radiation Biology, 78:  863-866.

Contact Details:

Phone  + 353 1 4027976  
Fax  + 353 1 4027904    
Email  orla.howe@dit.ie