Curriculum Vitae
Name
Richard O’Kennedy
B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D., Dip.F.S., Dip.C.S., Dip.C.Simul., C.Biol., F.I.Biol., F.I.Biol.I.
Biography
Richard O’Kennedy, Professor of Biological Sciences, has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry (1975), a Ph.D. in Tumour Biochemistry/ Immunology (1979) and was awarded the Bayley Butler Cup by UCD. He has a Diploma in Food Science (Distinction and 1st Place) from the Dublin Institute of Technology; Diplomas in Computing and in Computer Simulation (Trinity College Dublin); Certificate in French for Applied Scientists (Trinity College Dublin) and a Certificate in Finance and Management for Scientists (University College Dublin). He was awarded research fellowships and bursaries by the Biochemical Society, FEBS, British Society for Cell Biology, the Irish Cancer Society, the UICC, the British Council and the CNRS(France).
In 1980 he joined Dublin City University (DCU, then NIHED) as a Lecturer in Biochemistry and became Senior Lecturer in 1987. In 1988, he was awarded a Fogarty International Fellowship and worked on tumour biology and imaging, novel immunoassay development and sensors in MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, part of the University of Texas and one of the world’s leading Research Centres in cancer biology. This resulted in patented technology that was nominated as ‘Invention of the Year’ by the University of Texas.
He became Head of School of Biological Sciences (now School of Biotechnology) at DCU (1989) and Professor of Biological Sciences (1993). He has played a key role in the development of courses in Biotechnology, Analytical Science, Science Communication, Medical Mechanical Engineering, Nursing, Sports Science and Health, Bioinformatics and associated areas. He is a Member of the Governing Authority of DCU.
Currently, he is Vice President of the London International Youth Science Forum, Organiser of the Irish Biology Olympiad, Member of the Science Committee, Royal Dublin Society (RDS), Chairman of the Centre for Talented Youth, Member of the Irish Medicines Board Pre-Clinical Sub-Committee and a Member of the National Committee for Biochemistry, Royal Irish Academy. He was Secretary of this committee for six years and was responsible for the organisation of meetings, workshops, new initiatives for supporting research visits and represented the Academy at the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
He is internationally recognised for his contributions in relation to antibody production and applications including antibody-based sensors and immunoanalysis, and has developed novel strategies for antibody generation including the use of antibody-derived fragments produced by genetic methods.. Ongoing research is focusing on the use of antibodies in cancer diagnosis, the detection of cardiovascular disease, drugs of abuse and antibiotics and new methods for environmental analysis and. He is an acknowledged world expert in the analysis, mode of action and effects of coumarins and coumarin-derived drugs including aflatoxins and warfarins. These compounds have major significance in relation to drug metabolism, toxicity, and as clinical agents.
He leads a group of 20 researchers with collaborators in Ireland, Northern Ireland, UK (Imperial College, IFRC , Norwich, Leeds), Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Greece, and the US. He has authored over 130 peer-reviewed papers, 125 presentations at conferences, plus book chapters, books and reviews. A number of ideas arising from his research are now commercialised, he has many industrial collaborations and has acted as a consultant to industry. He is a referee for over 20 international journals and is a grant assessor for national, UK, US and EU bodies, is on the editorial board of two journals, and has acted as an external examiner throughout Ireland and in Europe. He has secured major research funding from Irish, European and US agencies and significant additional funding for buildings, equipment and infrastructure (> Euro 40 million). He was a leader in the development of sensor research at DCU and played a major role in the the National Centre for Sensor Research which received major PRTLI funding in1999. He is a member of the Management Committee and Leader of the Biosensors Cluster in this Centre. He has graduated over 50 M.Sc./Ph.D. students and has given invited presentations on his research at meetings throughout the world. In 2001 he was awarded the Biochemistry Medal of the Royal Irish Academy and a Fellowship by the Institute of Biology of Ireland.
He has also played a major role in Science Communication and the development of Science Awareness amongst primary , secondary and third level students and the public both in Ireland and abroad.This has involved the London International Youth Science Forum( representing Ireland and as a staff member, leader and lecturer continuously since 1972), as a founder member of the Irish Youth Science and Arts week, as Secretary and lecturer for the Institute of Biology of Ireland, as Chairman and founder of the biology-based courses of the Centre for Talented Youth, as leader of the Irish Biology Olympiad since it’s inception ( 10 medals won over 5 years), as a founder member of the European Science Olympiad inaugurated in Ireland in April, 2003, and as lecturer for the RDS, Irish Times, Science Week, extramural courses and DCU.
He was an organiser and contributor in several recent conferences including ‘Science Education in Crisis’ (1999) and ‘Science and the Media’ (2002). He also lectures on the M.Sc. Course in Science Communication at DCU. He initiated the development of grants for Lecture/Demonstrations by the RDS in 2001.
In 2002, he presented the Irish Times/RDS Science Lecture, received the President’s Award for Teaching in Science at DCU and also presented a lecture/ demonstration at the Royal Institution in London.
In 2003 he was part of the Irish Government Group that visited EMBO to evaluate the potential for Ireland’s membership of that organization. He was appointed by the Royal Irish Academy to their new Life Sciences Committee and as Ireland’s representative on the European Academies Science Advisory Council on Biotechnology and awarded Fellowship status by the Institute of Biology (U.K.).