Dr. Nicola Fletcher is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor (Ad Astra fellow) at the School of Veterinary Medicine and a Fellow of the Conway Institute, UCD. She holds a BSc from the University of Limerick and initially worked in viral diagnostics at the Irish Equine Centre. For her PhD at UCD, she developed an in vitro blood-brain barrier to study feline immunodeficiency virus neuropathology. She continued this research as a Science Foundation Ireland postdoctoral researcher until 2009.
Nicola then joined the University of Birmingham as a postdoctoral research fellow, where she researched hepatitis C's ability to infect the brain and the role of the host immune system. While at Birmingham, she worked at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Europe's largest liver transplant centre. There, she researched how viruses behave in human tissues compared to laboratory cultured cells, and supported a study that developed techniques to increase liver viability using perfusion. Liver perfusion was subsequently used in a clinical trial to recover donated human livers unsuitable for human transplant, successfully recovering 7 out of 10 such livers for transplant.
Inspired by the integration of clinical work and research, Nicola pursued a veterinary degree at UCD, completing the four-year graduate programme in 2018. She then joined the Animal and Plant Health Agency in the UK, conducting high-containment infectious disease research on animals with diseases like rabies, mad cow disease, and swine flu, combining her virology and veterinary medicine expertise.
Eager to return to academia, she secured a highly competitive Ad Astra fellowship at UCD in January 2020. Her focus is now on One Health, studying the interface between animal, human and environmental health.
See below for Research Challenges
Current Research Challenges
Nicola’s research on hepatitis E is crucial due to its increasing importance as a virus transmitted from animals to humans, particularly through pig populations. With a high prevalence in domestic pigs, there is increasing concern of the impact of hepatitis E infection, especially in developed countries. The virus presents itself in humans with a range of symptoms, from mild hepatitis to severe outcomes such as chronic liver disease and even brain disease, especially in immuno suppressed individuals.
The research aims to answer critical questions regarding hepatitis E, including its impact on the brain and the role of other animal species in its transmission to humans. Overcoming the challenge of growing the virus in the lab is a major breakthrough, enabling further studies on potential treatments and vaccines. By developing a model to grow the virus and understand its behaviour within cells, researchers can now explore its replication mechanisms, cell targets, and transmission pathways. Additionally, identifying hepatitis E reservoirs in different animal species is essential for effective management and prevention strategies.
Overall, this research not only advances our understanding of hepatitis E but also contributes to public health efforts in controlling and preventing its spread, ultimately safeguarding human and animal health.
Throughout her career, Nicola emphasises the importance of understanding the ecosystem's role in disease transmission and advocates for public education and rapid dissemination of research findings to inform behaviour and policy.
The Researcher
Nicola Fletcher's key achievements include groundbreaking research on hepatitis C's impact on the brain, demonstrating its ability to infect organs beyond the liver. This discovery challenged conventional understanding, marking a significant milestone.
Her subsequent work on hepatitis E, particularly on understanding its transmission from animals to humans, highlighted its potential as a public health threat. Nicola developed a novel method to grow hepatitis E virus in the lab, facilitating further research on treatments and vaccines.
Nicola's ongoing research, supported by significant funding, includes studying structural changes in virus-infected cells using cutting-edge imaging techniques. She also established wastewater surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic with Professors Wim Meijer from the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and John O’Sullivan from the School of Civil Engineering. This led to the establishment of the National Wastewater Surveillance Programme providing surveillance of viral outbreaks in Ireland.
Further research work during the COVID-19 pandemic sought to understand the transmission of COVID-19 from humans to the fallow deer population in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, and the potential consequences for the ecosystem. Her research sought to highlight the importance of continuous inquiry into virology and public health to comprehend how viruses exploit different situations.
The research emphasised the need for public education and awareness, while also advocating for the need to share the impact of the research quickly and in an informed way. Ultimately, she suggested that changes in human behaviour may be necessary to prevent future virus outbreaks and mitigate their impact on the environment.
Nicola describes herself as ‘’a driven and curious individual, always seeking to understand and discover new fields’’. She is obsessive about excellence and driven by a desire to make a real-world impact, particularly in addressing pressing needs and promoting planetary health. Growing up on a farm in County Wicklow, she maintains a strong connection to agriculture, currently sharing a flock of pedigree Jacob sheep with her mother and actively participating in breeding and showing them. She is also actively involved in the Jacob Sheep Society, serving as its secretary and judging Jacob sheep at shows across the UK and Ireland.
An avid animal lover with a variety of animals in her care, she also enjoys hobbies such as travelling, astronomy (owning five telescopes), and is an avid learner, constantly seeking to expand her knowledge and skills. Never satisfied with a need to keep asking questions, each question building on her journey towards delivering on One Health.
Future Research Aspirations
Dr Nicola Fletcher is deeply invested in ongoing research supported by substantial funding of over 5.4 million Euro from sources like SFI and an EU Horizon 2020 grant. The research team focuses on employing soft X-ray microscopy to comprehend how viruses affect cell structures during infection, a cutting-edge technique recently installed at the Conway Institute.
This includes a project with five partners studying structural changes in cells infected by viruses such as hepatitis C, E, herpes, and SARS-CoV-2. Together with industrial partner SiriusXT Ltd, they utilise a novel tabletop soft x-ray microscope to characterise changes in infected cells and reversal of these changes following antiviral treatment. Nicola’s research also extends to environmental sampling, highlighted by the establishment of the National Wastewater Surveillance Programme during the COVID-19 pandemic, which acts as an early warning system for virus outbreaks.
This comprehensive approach reflects her commitment to understanding the interconnectedness of ecosystems and emphasises the importance of public education and awareness. Through her work, she aims to drive behavioural changes to create environments less conducive to virus transmission, contributing significantly to public health and policy.
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