We are delighted to announce Dr Debbie O’Reilly as a new fellow of The Caroline Foundation for the next two years. Dr. Debbie O’Reilly achieved a first-class honors degree in Biopharmaceutical Science from DKIT in 2016. Subsequently, she pursued a Ph.D. at DCU, supported by the Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme. Her doctoral research focused on investigating calcium channels and their role in the development of castrate-resistant prostate cancer. During her Ph.D., Dr. O’Reilly secured funding through a COST Action, enabling a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) and a placement in the Nutrition, Growth, and Cancer team at INSERM (L’Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale) at the University of Tours.

In 2020, Dr. O’Reilly assumed the role of postdoctoral researcher within the Cancer Biotherapeutics group at DCU. This position was an integral part of the ACORN project (trAnslational Cancer research On pan-HER inhibitioN), funded through a Science Foundation Ireland Strategic Partnerships Award, co-funded by Puma Biotechnology. The primary aim of the ACORN project was to identify biomarkers indicative of response to HER2-targeted therapies.

As The Caroline Foundation Research Fellow, Dr. O’Reilly continues her research in HER2-targeted therapies within the Cancer Biotherapeutics group at DCU. Her specific focus lies in identifying biomarkers associated with treatment resistance.