Biopic: 

Dr. Jim O'Mahony is a senior lecturer since 2015, and has been a full time lecturing staff member at the Department of Biological Sciences since 2005. He graduated in first place from both Cork Institute of Technology and University College Cork, and has also held a number of senior research positons at the Microbiology Dept and the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC.

Currently, he is course director of the Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Degree Programme and a Principal investigator in both BIO-EXPLORE and the Centre for Research in Advanced Therapeutic Engineering (CREATE) at CIT.

Qualifications:

Teaching profile:

Course director - Degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Example of modules delivered:

BIOT 7001  Applied Biotechnology

BIOT 8001 Molecular Biotechnology

BIOT 7007 Molecular Diagnostics

BIOT 6004 Forensic Science

Research profile:

Dr. O'Mahony runs a successful biotechnology based research laboratory. He has acquired over €7 million in research funding over the last 10 years including programme grants, individual awards and capital funding from agencies such as IRCSET, Department of Agriculture, Council of Directors, Enterprise Ireland and the Higher Education Authority. He was the scientific co-ordinator for CIT's 2010 PRTLI proposal which secured a multi million euro capital funding award for a new inter-disciplinary research centre (CREATE).  

The main focus of his research is to investigate new ways to both detect and treat infectious diseases especially those caused by mycobacteria. His research pursuits are supported by a number of strong and active collaborations. Internally at CIT Dr. O'Mahony has strong links with Dr. Aidan Coffey, Dr. Roy Sleator , Dr. Brigid Lucey, Dr Maire Begley and Dr Rosemary Rea. As part of CREATE he has strong research links with both MEDIC and CAPPA also. Externally, Dr. O'Mahony has successfuly worked with many individuals and groups including the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, Teagac Moorepark, the University of Limerick, University College Dublin, national veterinary specialists and many regional scientific industries.

Since joining CIT he has successfully mentored and supervised 8 post-graduate students.

Anne Curtin MSc '09    James Carroll PhD '10     Pierre Douarre PhD '10    Marine Henry PhD '10

His current students include Emma Gabriel, Marcel de Kruijf, Eoghan Nevin, Cliodhna Sargent, Aideen Kennedy, James O' Connor, Niamh McCarthy, David Lynch, Carl Rafferty and Fiona Hennessy.

Key research highlights to date include:

-Developing the first real-time PCR assay for Mycobacterium avium ssp paratuberculosis (MAP) in Ireland (O’Mahony et al 2002)
-Publishing the first genotyping data for MAP in Ireland (Douarre et al 2010)
-Assessing the prevalence of MAP among Irish cattle using an optimised molecular diagnostic assay (Douarre et al 2010) 
-Optimising a rapid, sensitive, quantitative viability assay for MAP (Carroll et al 2009)
-Assessing the efficacy of bio-engineered peptides on the viability of MAP (Carroll et al 2010)
-Isolating and sequencing a novel mycobacteriophage (Henry et al 2010)
-Optimising the conditions for cloning, expressing and purifying a lysin from a well characterised mycobacteriophage (TM4) (Henry et al 2010)
- Developing a novel diagnostic assay for distinguishing between closely related species of MAP (Douarre et al 2011)

Contact details: 00353 -21 4335485 or jim.omahony@cit.ie