Manus Ward, PhD
Scientific Programme Manager
Life Sciences Directorate
Tel: + 353 (0)1 607 3230
Email: manus.ward@sfi.ie
Dr. Manus Ward was appointed to the Lifesciences Directorate as a Scientific Programme Manager in May 2009.
Dr Ward graduated from the University of Ulster with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. He then went on to gain his PhD and carry out a short postdoctoral fellowship in the University of Dundee where his research focused on changes in mitochondrial energetics and calcium signaling during excitotoxic injury. In 2001, Dr Ward accepted a position as a R&D research scientist in MitoKor, a small biotech company based in San Diego that focused on the elucidation of mitochondrial targets for drug development.
In 2003 Dr Ward returned to Ireland and took up a SFI funded postdoctoral position within the RCSI. During this period he worked on elucidating the signaling events that occur during the apoptotic neuronal injury associated with ischemic brain injury and a number of neurodegenerative disorders. Dr Ward became a Lecturer in September 2005 and went on to set up his own group within the department of Physiology and Medical Physics at the RCSI. During this period Dr Ward’s group were instrumental in characterizing rapid changes in mitochondrial bioenergetics and cellular signaling events (glucose transporter expression and AMPK activity) induced by the rapid depletion in neuronal energy levels in response to glutamate receptor over excitation. This research proved to highly successful with Dr Ward publishing a number of keys manuscripts shedding new light on the close association of mitochondrial bioenergetics and cellular metabolism in neurons during periods of energy stress.
Dr Ward’s areas of interest are; mitochondrial energetics, cellular metabolism, neurodegenertaion, apoptotic signaling, confocal and fluorescent microscopy, assay development, high-content and high-throughout screening.
