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Wednesday September 04, 2024

Congratulations to Katie Daly
2022 ASI Career Advancement Awardee

We warmly congratulate
Katie Daly
winner of the 2022 ASI Career Advancement Award

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My name is Katie Daly and I received this award during my final year of PhD studies being supervised by Dr Jemma Mayall and Professor Jay Horvat of the University of Newcastle. The research performed by our lab group focuses on identifying the underlying immunological mechanisms of disease in chronic respiratory conditions and infections which may be modulated therapeutically to develop novel treatments. My PhD research has focused on identifying and unravelling key innate immune factors which drive either protection or pathogenesis in influenza A viral infections and modulating these with novel therapeutics.

Katie Daly at BSI congress 2023

Inflammasomes have been implicated in aberrant inflammatory responses in multiple respiratory diseases and infections and there are limited therapeutic options for modulating their activity. Through a collaborative project with Prof Avril Robertson of the University Queensland and Dr Rebecca Coll, we have identified a novel small molecule inhibitor of inflammasome activation that blocks inflammatory responses downstream of multiple inflammasomes. The investigations performed as part of my PhD studies have identified great therapeutic potential for this compound in the treatment of Influenza infections, however the underlying mechanisms of action still needed to be identified.

The funding from this award was utilised to facilitate my travel to the Wellcome-Wolfson institute of experimental medicine to work with inflammasome expert, Dr Rebecca Coll. Dr Coll was pivotal in the biological characterization of MCC950, a therapeutic inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome and utilising her expertise, we aimed to identify interaction partners and functional mechanisms of our novel compound.

During my visit, I had the privilege of being trained by Dr. Coll and her group in the advanced techniques crucial to progress this research. These included photoaffinity assays, which allow for the isolation and identification of proteins that interact with our novel compounds, and in vitro inflammasome activation methods and activity assays.

The knowledge and skills acquired during this collaboration are now being implemented in my home laboratory. This has allowed us to expand our research platform to identify drug binding interactions and examine the effects of various interventions and stimulations on inflammasome pathway activation. This not only enhances our understanding of the compound's mechanism of action but also helps to identify other potential applications for its therapeutic use.

This transformative experience supported by ASI has significantly enriched my personal and professional growth. I have expanded my repertoire of laboratory skills, particularly honing my expertise in understanding the intricate inflammasome signalling pathways. The collaborative nature of the trip not only strengthened institutional ties but also provided a unique platform for networking with esteemed experts in my field, allowing me to establish my own professional relationships, creating a valuable and diverse network of colleagues that transcends geographical boundaries. Through navigating the challenges of working in a new team and diverse environments, my confidence as a researcher has also grown exponentially.

 This journey also provided a remarkable chance to present my PhD work at the British Society of Immunology 2023 congress which was fortuitously occurring in Belfast during the period of my lab visit.

This provided a platform to engage with and receive feedback from experts across Europe and the UK. This multifaceted experience has not only enhanced my research capabilities but has also laid a robust foundation for continued success in my scientific career. I am grateful for the invaluable support from ASI, which has played an instrumental role in shaping my development as a researcher.

Dr Colls team hard at work in the lab (Ryan Knight, Frederica, Emma McKay, Gavin McKearney, Thea Mawhinney, Katie Daly)

Dr Coll and Katie Daly analysing protein gels following photo-affinity assay
 

Author: Katie Daly

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ASI