First award under Irish partnership examines links between obesity, diet and heart disease

1 February 2012

Dr Fiona McGillicuddy from University College Dublin has become the first recipient of funding under the Science Foundation Ireland-Health Research Board-Wellcome Trust Biomedical Partnership. She will investigate the links between obesity, ‘good cholesterol’, diet and coronary artery disease.

The research project will examine how obesity affects the function of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often referred to as 'good cholesterol'. HDL plays an important part in removing cholesterol from the body, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack brought on by cardiovascular disease.

Dr McGillicuddy, from the Nutrigenomics Research Group at the University College Dublin Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, will aim to determine whether being obese affects HDL's ability to eliminate cholesterol. She will also examine whether our diet affects HDL function and, consequently, the risk of coronary disease; for example, whether it is possible to be obese from eating a high-carbohydrate diet or from eating a diet high in saturated fat.

During obesity, as the fat mass (adipose tissue) expands, it becomes inflamed. Dr McGillicuddy will investigate whether this inflammation results in a reduced ability of HDL to remove cholesterol from the body. She will examine whether new therapies that reduce fat inflammation can also improve HDL function and reduce the risk of coronary disease despite obesity.

Sir Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, says: "As levels of obesity reach record proportions worldwide, it is essential that we improve our understanding of the potential impact that this will have on our cardiovascular health. We hope that Dr McGillicuddy's work will provide an essential key to help us understand this relationship. Her award illustrates the excellent research that will be funded under our Biomedical Partnership with Science Foundation Ireland and the Health Research Board."

Enda Connolly, Chief Executive of the Health Research Board, adds: "We are delighted to announce that the first award under this partnership is for a Research Career Development Fellowship. It is a significant award: Fiona will receive approximately €750 000 euros over five years to conduct this research. We hope that her success will encourage more Irish researchers to apply for funding through the many schemes in this partnership."

Image: Dr Fiona McGillicuddy. Credit: University College Dublin.