麻豆传媒

Research Career

Principal Research Associate (2024-onwards)

MRC Career Development Fellow (2023-2028)

Faculty of Medical Sciences Research Fellow (2019-2023)

Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Glasgow (2015-2019)

Doctoral research, University of Glasgow (2011-2015)

Education

PhD in Bacteriology, University of Glasgow (2011-2015)

MRes in Medical and Veterinary Microbiology, University of Glasgow (2010-2011)

BSc in Microbiology, University College Dublin (2005-2009)

Honours and Awards

MRC Career Development Award (2023-2028)

Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard Award (2020-2023)

Funding

Welcome Trust Discovery Award (2026-2034)

BBSRC-DFG Lead Agency Pilot grant (2025-2028)

MRC Career Development Award (2023-2028)

Royal Society Research Grant (2020-2021)

Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard Award (2020-2023)

Wellcome Trust/麻豆传媒 ISSF grant (2019)

Research interests

Bacterial pathogens

Gene regulation

Mechanisms of disease

My lab studies bacterial pathogenesis using Escherichia coli and Citrobacter rodentium as model organisms. These species are comprised of both harmless commensals and distinct 'pathotypes' that are associated with infection of discreet host sites - including the gut, the urinary tract, the bloodstream and the brain. The ability to infect such distinct host sites is driven by a combination of virulence factor repertoires, gene regulation in response to the environment and lifestyle adaptations that permit growth. Our research is focused on deciphering how these processes are controlled at the host-pathogen interface. There are 3 key questions underlying our research:

1) How is gene expression regulated in response to different host-niches?

2) What are the underlying mechanisms driving regulatory adaptation?

3) How do these regulatory adaptations impact on the virulence and evolution of distinct bacterial pathogens?

We use transcriptomic techniques such as RNA-seq and ChIP-seq to study global gene regulatory networks. These approaches are combined with classical bacterial physiology, biochemistry, genetics and cell biology to study how individual regulatory mechanisms manifest as infection-relevant phenotypes. We also employ several murine models of infection allowing us to investigate gene expression directly at the host-interface and the contribution of individual genes to host colonisation. The overarching aim is to deepen our fundamental understanding of how bacterial pathogens function and interact with the host, which could potentially lead to the design of novel therapeutic strategies against these pathogens. 

Current lab members

Dr Curtis Cottam (Postdoctoral research associate)

Dr Kieran Bowran (Postdoctoral research associate)

Chloe Ellison (PhD student)

I am always keen to hear from prospective Masters students, PhD candidates and post-docs. I encourage those interested in our research to get in touch about potential opportunities.

Teaching and Supervision

CMB1003 - Microbiology and Immunology

CMB3000 - Undergraduate research project supervision

4828F - MRes Molecular Microbiology research project supervision

B900 - MSci Biomedical Sciences research project supervision

• Articles

  • Chapman JA, Masi AC, Beck LC, Watson H, Young GR, Browne HP, Shao Y, Kiu R, Nelson A, Doyle JA, Palmowski P, Lengyel M, Connolly JPR, Lamb CA, Porter A, Lawley TD, Hall LJ, Embleton ND, Perry JD, Berrington JE, Stewart CJ. . Nature Microbiology 2026, Epub ahead of print.
  • Cottam C, Bowran K, White RT, Basle A, Josts I, Connolly JPR. . Nature Communications 2025, 16(1), 6976.
  • Cottam C, White RT, Beck LC, Stewart CJ, Beatson SA, Lowe EC, Grinter R, Connolly JPR. . Nature Communications 2024, 15, 4462.
  • Helena-Bueno K, Rybak MY, Ekemezie CL, Sullivan R, Brown CR, Dingwall C, Basle A, Schneider C, Connolly JP, Blaza JN, Csorgo B, Moynihan PJ, Gagnon MG, Hill CH, Melnikov SV. . Nature 2024, 626, 1125-1132.
  • Wale KR, Boyle NO, McHugh R, Serrano E, Mark D, Douce GR, Connolly JPR, Roe AJ. . PLoS Pathogens 2024, 20(10), e1012451.
  • Macdonald E, Wright R, Connolly JPR, Strahl H, Brockhurst M, van Houte S, Blower TR, Palmer T, Mariano G. . PLoS Genetics 2023, 19(6), e1010784.
  • Macdonald E, Wright R, Connolly JPR, Strahl H, Brockhurst M, van Houte S, Blower TR, Palmer T, Mariano G. . PLOS Genetics 2023, 19(6), e1010784.
  • O'Boyle N, Douce GR, Farrell G, Rattray NJW, Schembri MA, Roe AJ, Connolly JPR. . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2023, 120(1), e2212175120.
  • Connolly JPR, Turner NCA, Serrano E, Rimbi PT, Browning DF, O'Boyle N, Roe AJ. . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2022, 119(45), e2210299119.
  • An S-Q, Lopes BS, Connolly JPR, Sharp C, Nguyen TKL, Kirkpatrick CL. . Microbiology 2021, 167(3), 001024.
  • Connolly JPR, Turner NCA, Hallam JC, Rimbi PT, Flett T, McCormack MJ, Roe AJ, O'Boyle N. . Microbiology 2021, 167(10).
  • Connolly JPR, O'boyle N, Roe AJ. . mBio 2020, 11(3), 1-6.
  • Ormsby MJ, Johnson SA, Carpena N, Meikle LM, Goldstone RJ, McIntosh A, Wessel HM, Hulme HE, McConnachie CC, Connolly JPR, Roe AJ, Hasson C, Boyd J, Fitzgerald E, Gerasimidis K, Morrison D, Hold GL, Hansen R, Walker D, Smith DGE, Wall DM. . Cell Reports 2020, 30(7), 2297-2305.e5.
  • O'Boyle N, Connolly JPR, Tucker NP, Roe AJ. . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2020, 117(36), 22484-22493.
  • Irvine S, Bunk B, Bayes HK, Sproer C, Connolly JPR, Six A, Evans TJ, Roe AJ, Overmann J, Walker D. . Microbial Genomics 2019, 5(4), 1-11.
  • Connolly JPR, O'Boyle N, Turner NCA, Browning DF, Roe AJ. . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2019, 116(39), 19695-19704.
  • McHugh RE, O'Boyle N, Connolly JPR, Hoskisson PA, Roe AJ. . Infection and Immunity 2019, 87(2), e00595-18.
  • Blum SE, Goldstone RJ, Connolly JPR, Reperant-Ferter M, Germon P, Inglis NF, Krifucks O, Mathur S, Manson E, Mclean K, Rainard P, Roe AJ, Leitner G, Smith DGE. . mBio 2018, 9(2), e00423-18.
  • Connolly JPR, Slater SL, O'Boyle N, Goldstone RJ, Crepin VF, Ruano-Gallego D, Herzyk P, Smith DGE, Douce GR, Frankel G, Roe AJ. . Nature Communications 2018, 9(1), 4187.
  • Scott NA, Andrusaite A, Andersen P, Lawson M, Alcon-Giner C, Leclaire C, Caim S, Le Gall G, Shaw T, Connolly JPR, Roe AJ, Wessel H, Bravo-Blas A, Thomson CA, Kastele V, Wang P, Peterson DA, Bancroft A, Li X, Grencis R, McI Mowat A, Hall LJ, Travis MA, Milling SWF, Mann ER. . Science Translational Medicine 2018, 10(464), eaao4755.
  • Zambelloni R, Connolly JPR, Huerta Uribe A, Burgess K, Marquez R, Roe AJ. . Molecular Microbiology 2017, 105(4), 606-619.
  • Palevsky N, Shemer B, Connolly JPR, Belkin S. . Frontiers in Microbiology 2016, 7, 1490.
  • Connolly JPR, Roe AJ. . Journal of Bacteriology 2016, 198(24), 3318-3328.
  • Huerta-Uribe A, Marjenberg ZR, Yamaguchi N, Fitzgerald S, Connolly JPR, Carpena N, Uvell H, Douce G, Elofsson M, Byron O, Marquez R, Gally DL, Roe AJ. . Frontiers in Microbiology 2016, 7, 1930.
  • Connolly JPR, Gabrielsen M, Goldstone RJ, Grinter R, Wang D, Cogdell RJ, Walker D, Smith DGE, Roe AJ. . PLoS Pathogens 2016, 12(1), e1005359.
  • Connolly JPR, Goldstone RJ, Burgess K, Cogdell RJ, Beatson SA, Vollmer W, Smith DGE, Roe AJ. . The ISME Journal 2015, 9(4), 1039-1051.
  • Beckham KSH, Connolly JPR, Ritchie JM, Wang D, Gawthorne JA, Tahoun A, Gally DL, Burgess K, Burchmore RJ, Smith BO, Beatson SA, Byron O, Wolfe AJ, Douce GR, Roe AJ. . Molecular Microbiology 2014, 93(1), 199-211.

• Notes

  • Connolly JPR, Slater SL, O'Boyle N, Goldstone RJ, Crepin VF, Ruano-Gallego D, Herzyk P, Smith DGE, Douce GR, Frankel G, Roe AJ. . Nature Communications 2018, 9(1), 5148.
  • Connolly JPR, Goldstone RJ, Burgess K, Cogdell RJ, Beatson SA, Vollmer W, Smith DGE, Roe AJ. . The ISME Journal 2015, 9, 1052-1052.

• Reviews

  • Connolly JPR, Roe AJ, O'Boyle N. . Critical Reviews in Microbiology 2021, 47(1), 126-140.
  • O'Boyle N, Turner NCA, Roe AJ, Connolly JPR. . Trends in Microbiology 2020, 28(5), 360-371.
  • O'Boyle N, Connolly JPR, Roe AJ. . Cellular Microbiology 2018, 20(1), e12797.
  • Turner NCA, Connolly JPR, Roe AJ. . Biochemical Society Transactions 2018, 47(1), 229-238.
  • Connolly JPR, Roe AJ. . Microbial Cell 2016, 3(4), 181-184.
  • Connolly JPR, Brett Finlay B, Roe AJ. . Frontiers in Microbiology 2015, 6, 658.