From Victoria to Queensland, read more about Molly-rose’s postdoctoral research journey
For CCRG Postdoctoral Research Fellow Molly-rose McInerney, it was her time studying cellular biology and bioinformatics at Federation University of Mt Helen in Victoria that solidified her interest in cardiovascular genomics and research.
“My PhD focuses on non-coding RNAs derived from the Y-chromosome and how they might regulate the molecular mechanisms that govern the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease,” explains Molly-rose who moved from regional Victoria to join the Critical Care Research Group in late-2023.
“I recently moved to Queensland from the town of Lal Lal, a small town with a population of less than 650 people! The lifestyle change has been vast but has enabled many opportunities for friendship, connections, and professional growth.”
In her role at CCRG, she brings a new skill set and perspective to progress phase two of CCRG’s Living Heart Project by investigating the Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) pathway.
In Australia someone dies from end-stage heart failure every three hours due to the lack of available donor organs eligible for transplantation, and the vast distances these organs have to travel to cover a country the size of Australia,” said Molly-rose.
“It is hoped that the innovative use of Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion (HOPE) technology, previously referred to as Hypothermic Ex-Vivo Perfusion (HEVP), can help expand the donor pool by ‘re-booting’ DCD hearts and reconditioning them to make them eligible for transplantation.
“Our prior work demonstrated that with HOPE donor hearts can be sustained outside the body for almost double the amount of time that has been used clinically for the last 50 years, marking a major milestone and changing the practice of heart transplantation globally.”
“So, building on the success of The Living Heart Project, we are now looking into preclinical trials using HOPE for DCD hearts. These organs, until now an untapped resource, have the potential to expand the donor pool significantly and therefore save the lives of many more patients each year.”
Away from the lab, Molly-rose is a Mum. “You’ll often find us exploring the Australian bush, admiring the new flora and fauna.”