Dr Darragh O’Brien

Darragh O’Brien is a Research Fellow of Green Templeton College and Group Leader in Translational Proteomics at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford. He utilises biological mass spectrometry approaches to characterise and decipher mechanisms of human disease.

His interests lie in how protein structural disorder and modification contribute to protein function and disease. His research focuses on neurodegeneration and dementia, specifically the tauopathies Alzheimer’s Disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Before joining Oxford, Dr O’Brien spent several years as a researcher at Institut Pasteur in Paris. PhD studies in Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, and supervised by Professor Sir Simon Lovestone, cemented his expertise. For this, he explored neuroproteomic strategies to characterise biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease in human biofluids. Dr O’Brien’s scientific journey began with an Honours Degree in Biochemistry from University College Dublin, where his undergraduate thesis explored mechanisms of amyloid processing in Alzheimer’s Disease, under the guidance of Professor Dominic Walsh.

Dr O’Brien sits on the Organising Committee of the Alzheimer’s Research UK Thames Valley Network Centre, the Executive Committee of the Human Brain Proteome Project (HBPP), and the Marketing and Outreach Committee of the International Human Proteomics Organisation (HUPO). HUPO aims to advance the field of proteomics to enhance our understanding of biology, improve global health, and promote overall wellness.

Darragh is a champion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Research Integrity, and is keen to play an active role in these pursuits at Green Templeton.