Dr Adrian O'Hara
Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Faculty of Science
Email: A.W.OHara@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 1165
I joined LJMU in September 2022 as a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science and Genomics. My research interests focus on the role inflammation plays in diseases such as obesity and cancer, using molecular, cellular and genomic techniques to examine how inflammation influences the role adipokines play in health and disease. I also have interests in how adipocytes and preadipocytes in the cancer microenvironment impact inflammation in cancer cells. Throughout my research career I have published both research articles and reviews and contributed to a physiology textbook.
Prior to joining LJMU, I was a Lecturer in Physiology at UCLAN, teaching a range of subjects on the Biomedical Sciences, Physiology & Pharmacology, Pharmacology and Pharmacy undergraduate degree courses, and on the taught MSc course Cancer Biology and Therapy.
My initial degree was in Biochemistry, followed by an MSc in Molecular Life Sciences Research at King's College London, after which I returned to the University of Liverpool to undertake a PhD in Obesity Biology, supervised by Prof. Paul Trayhurn. My thesis was titled “Crosstalk between Adipocytes, Pre-adipocytes and Macrophages in Adipose Tissue”, and focused on the inflammatory response observed between these cell types within adipose tissue. Following on from my PhD, I started a postdoctoral research position investigating the role of the proteasome subunit PSMB1 as a novel transcription factor involved in regulating transcription of gastrin responsive genes in a gastric cancer cell line. My second postdoctoral position involved examining the role of the non-canonical NFkB pathway in helicobacter-induced gastric carcinogenesis. In 2017 I took up a position as Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow a Liverpool Hope University, teaching on their Human Biology and Biological Sciences courses.
Degrees
2010, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, PhD, Obesity Biology
2005, King's College London, United Kingdom, MSc, Molecular Life Sciences Research
2004, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, BSc (Hons.), Biochemistry
Academic appointments
Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science and Genomics, Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, 2022 - present
Lecturer in Physiology, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, 2018 - 2022
Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, School of Health and Sport Sciences, Liverpool Hope University, 2017 - 2018
Poster
O'Hara A, Trayhurn P. 2024. Preadipocytes as drivers of inflammation in white adipose tissue - A pilot study Physiology In Focus 2024
Journal article
Boston C, Kurup R, Hadi S, Cummings E, O'Hara A. 2021. Assessment of Self-care Knowledge on Diabetes and Long-term Complications among Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Guyana Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research, 13 :15-25 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Lloyd KA, Moore AR, Parsons BN, O'Hara A, Boyce M, Dockray GJ, Varro A, Pritchard DM. 2016. Gastrin-induced miR-222 promotes gastric tumor development by suppressing p27kip1 Oncotarget, 7 :45462-45478 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Merga YJ, O’Hara A, Burkitt MD, Duckworth CA, Probert CS, Campbell BJ, Pritchard DM. 2016. Importance of the alternative NF-κB activation pathway in inflammation-associated gastrointestinal carcinogenesis American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, 310 :G1081-G1090 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Lloyd KA, Moore AR, O'Hara A, Boyce MJ, Varro A, Pritchard DM. 2015. Sa1821 Gastrin Increases miR-222 Expression in AGSGR Cells In Vitro and in the Stomachs of Hypergastrinemic INS-GAS Mice and Humans In Vivo via Activation of the CCK2 Receptor Gastroenterology, 148 :S-341 DOI Publisher Url
O'Hara A, Burkitt MD, Carr DF, Alfirevic A, Moore AR, Murugesan SV, Steele I, Varro A, Pritchard DM. 2015. Su1978 Polymorphisms in the RELB Gene Identify a Haplotype Associated With Reduced Risk of Pangastric Atrophy Gastroenterology, 148 :S-566 DOI Publisher Url
Burkitt MD, Williams JM, Duckworth CA, O'Hara A, Hanedi A, Varro A, Caamaño JH, Pritchard DM. 2013. Signaling mediated by the NF-κB sub-units NF-κB1, NF-κB2 and c-Rel differentially regulate Helicobacter felis-induced gastric carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice Oncogene, 32 :5563-5573 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
O'Hara A, Howarth AE, Varro A, Dimaline R. 2013. Sa1735 Proteasome Beta Subunits Interact With the PAI-2 and Regi Promoters and Are Required for Gastrin-Stimulated Transcription Gastroenterology, 144 :S-295 DOI Publisher Url
O'Hara A, Howarth A, Varro A, Dimaline R. 2013. The Role of Proteasome Beta Subunits in Gastrin-Mediated Transcription of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-2 and Regenerating Protein1 PLoS ONE, 8 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Mazzatti D, Lim FL, O'Hara A, Wood IS, Trayhurn P. 2012. A microarray analysis of the hypoxia-induced modulation of gene expression in human adipocytes Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 118 :112-120 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
O'Hara A, Lim FL, Mazzatti DJ, Trayhurn P. 2012. Stimulation of inflammatory gene expression in human preadipocytes by macrophage-conditioned medium: Upregulation of IL-6 production by macrophage-derived IL-1β Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 349 :239-247 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
O'Hara A, Lim FL, Mazzatti DJ, Trayhurn P. 2009. Microarray analysis identifies matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as key genes whose expression is up-regulated in human adipocytes by macrophage-conditioned medium Pflugers Archiv European Journal of Physiology, 458 :1103-1114 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
O'Hara A, Lim F-L, Mazzatti D, Trayhurn P. 2009. Microarrays identify matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) as key genes whose expression is up regulated in human adipocytes by macrophage-conditioned media Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 68 DOI Publisher Url
Trayhurn P, O'Hara A, Bing C. Interrogation of microarray datasets indicates that macrophage-secreted factors stimulate the expression of genes associated with vitamin D metabolism (VDR and CYP27B1) in human adipocytes Adipobiology, 3 :31-31 DOI Publisher Url
Chapters
O'Hara A. 2016. Digestive System Physiology: A Student's Self-Test Colouring Book :111-122 9780857624628
Editorial boards:
Cancer Biomarkers. 2023
External PGR Supervision - completed students:
University of Central Lancashire, MSc by Research, Assessment of self-care knowledge on diabetes and long-term complications among Type 2 Diabetes patients in Guyana. 2022
Conference organisation:
Physiology in Focus 2024, Co-Organiser & Co-Chair for Symposium on "Adipose tissue in health and disease: physiology and inter-organ crosstalk".