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The enteric pathogens research group comprises of a group of UCD scientists working at the Children's Research Centre, Our Lady's Hospital on clinical and laboratory based aspects of intestinal infection.  The main researchers in this research group are Principal Investigators at the Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin and have established track records in the area of microbial pathogenesis.  The Enteric Pathogens Research Group has forged strong national and international collaboration with other groups in the field and have been highly successful in competing for grants and awards from major funding agencies.  In addition to funding from the Children's Medical and Research Foundation this group has been supported by the Wellcome Trust (U.K.), Health Research Board of Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, amongst others.

Our current research interest focuses on the study of host-parasite interactions from the gastrointestinal tract in order to better understand microbial pathogenesis and develop novel strategies to detect, treat and prevent common enteric infections.  Existing projects and collaborations in this area include:
 
1.  Pathogenesis of H. pylori infection adherence to the gastric mucosa and the interaction of the organism with gastric mucin.
2.  The molecular and cellular pathogenesis of the emerging enteropathogen, Campylobacter upsalensis.
3.  Study of the interaction of C. jejuni with primary epithelial cells of human and animal origin.
4.  Helicobacter mustelae infection of the ferret as an animal model H. pylori infection in humans.
5.  Host cell interactions of human and bovine isolates of Cryptosporidium parvum. 6.  The role and regulation of bacterial capsular polysaccharide in the pathogenesis of Campylobacter infection. 
7.  Transmission of the pelpic ulcer causing organism Helicobacter pylori among children.       
8. To investigate further the mechanisms of development of cystic fibrosis (CF) liver disease and therapeutic agents to prevent and reverse the development of hepatobiliary disease in CF mice.