Linda Howard is a lecturer in cellular therapies at the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at NUI Galway.Linda graduated from the University of Warwick, Coventry UK with a degree in Microbiology and Microbial Technology. She completed a Ph.D. with the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit in the UK on cloning and characterising a novel proteolytic enzyme. Based on her interest in proteolytic enzymes she moved to the laboratory of Professor Wen-Tien Chen as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in theLombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA where she conducted research onthe role of proteolytic enzymes in tumour cell invasion and metastasis. Following this she undertook aPost-doctoral Research Fellowship with Professor BlobelatMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA where she worked on cloning, characterising and analysing the function of cell surface proteolytic enzymes.Following her postdoctoral work Linda worked for 4 years as a Scientist at Osiris Therapeutics in Baltimore MD USA. This company was developing therapies based on adult stem cells and obtained the first approval of an ex vivo expanded stem cell therapy.Linda moved from the USA to REMEDI at NUI Galway to participate inthe development of a stem cell research program In 2007 Linda started the M.Sc. in Regenerative Medicine which she now directs. To date nearly 300students have graduated from this course and have gone onto careers all over the world.Her research interests include:- Stem cell biology, in particular regulation of stem cell differentiation; stem cell deficits associated with disease and aging; genetic modification to enhance stem cell function and to study stem cell biology.-Development of release assays and preclinical assays of biodistribution in support of clinical trials and translation of cell and gene therapies to the clinic. -Gene therapy (using RNA interference and lentiviral systems) to modify gene expression to enhance regeneration after spinal cord injury and to reduce the production of the glial scar. -Biomaterial scaffolds for delivery of cells or viral vectors to the central nervous system.

Adult stem cells, Regulation of Stem Cell Differentiation, micro RNA regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation, Gene Therapy, RNA interference, Lentiviral vectors, Spinal Cord Injury, Glial Scar, Biomaterials.

I am the course director for the taught M.Sc in Regenerative medicine at NUI Galway. I am involved with teaching Ph.D. students, M.Sc students as well as undergraduate science and medicine students. My topics of interest are stem cells, regenerative medicine, gene therapy, molecular biology and biomedical research techniques. I am also interested in the process of moving a research finding from the laboratory into the clinic. I am a great believer in problem based learning and in hands on research training.