Dr Catherine McDermott

Research interests

I completed my Bachelor of Science (Physiology) and PhD at University College in Cork, Ireland, before moving to Australia in 2008.

I have conducted extensive research, with a particular focus on sub-chronic toxicity of organic solvent mixtures in vitro, and also the effects of chemotherapeutic agents on normal bladder function.

As a university lecturer/researcher, I combine a clear understanding of the teaching and learning process with in-depth subject knowledge informed by my own studies and research.

Many bladder cancer patients experience local side-effects following chemotherapy which greatly affect patient quality of life and ability to tolerate treatment. One of my main research interests is to try to understand why these side-effects occur by investigating the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on normal bladder function. To do this we use in vitro models of the human urothelium. Through these studies we also aim to assess the ability of the urothelium to recover following treatment and determine if there are other drugs that could be used to treat bladder cancer that would be more effective and more tolerable.