Overview
Background
Megan O’Mara is a Professor and Group Leader at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), UQ. Her group uses multiscale modelling techniques to understand how changes in the biochemical environment of the cell membranes alters membrane properties and modulates the function of membrane proteins. She has research interests in multidrug resistance, computational drug design and delivery, biopolymers, and personalized medicine. Megan completed her PhD in biophysics at the Australian National University in 2005 before moving to the University of Calgary, Canada, to take up a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship. In 2009, she returned to Australia to join University of Queensland’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences as a UQ Postdoctoral Fellow, before commencing an ARC DECRA in 2012 where she continued her computational work on membrane protein dynamics. In 2015, Megan joined the Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University in 2015 as Rita Cornforth Fellow and Senior Lecturer. In 2019 she was promoted to Associate Professor and was Associate Director (Education) of the Research School of Chemistry ANU in 2019-2021. In April 2022 she relocated to AIBN.
Availability
- Professor Megan O'Mara is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor, University of Canberra
- Bachelor of Physical Sciences, Australian National University
- Doctor of Philosophy of Physical Sciences, Australian National University
- Associate Fellow, Australian National University, Australian National University
Research interests
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computational drug design
computational drug design, structure based drug design, structure activity relationships, computational fragment based drug design
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membrane biophysics
computational cell membrane biophysics, computational lipidomics, cell membrane properties in health, disease and senescence
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multudrug resistance
antimicrobial resistance, cancer chemotherapy resistance
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polymer simulations
biopolymers, self assembly, polymer properties
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lipid delivery systems
targeted lipid delivery systems, computational analysis, lipid formulations, LNP loading, computational simulations
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computational structural biology
membrane protein structure-function, computational biology, protein structure prediction
Research impacts
My research uses computational techniques and simulations to understand how the chemistry of biological and bioinspired systems influence their physical properties. My goal is to understand how biomolecules self-assemble and self-regulate in living cells. My work allows the rational design of new pharmaceuticals, drug and vaccine delivery systems and biocompatable materials, as well as understanding fundamental problems such as antibiotic resistance. My students gain skills in data science, computational chemistry, computational biology, high performance computing, rational drug design and research data management that are directly transferable to industry, government and policy development, as well as research. I collaborate broadly across UQ, Australia and internationally with researchers and industry.
Works
Search Professor Megan O'Mara’s works on UQ eSpace
2004
Journal Article
Conduction mechanisms of chloride ions in ClC-type channels
Corry, Ben, O’Mara, Megan and Chung, Shin-Ho (2004). Conduction mechanisms of chloride ions in ClC-type channels. Biophysical Journal, 86 (2), 846-860. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(04)74160-0
2004
Journal Article
Conduction mechanisms of chloride ions in ClC-type channels
Corry, B, O'Mara, M and Chung, SH (2004). Conduction mechanisms of chloride ions in ClC-type channels. Biophysical Journal, 86 (2), 846-860.
2004
Conference Publication
Mechanisms of chloride conduction in ClC channels
Corry, B, O'Mara, M, Bisset, D and Chung, SH (2004). Mechanisms of chloride conduction in ClC channels. 48th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Baltimore Md, Feb 14-18, 2004. BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY.
2004
Conference Publication
Mechanisms of chloride conduction in ClC channels
Corry, B., O'Mara, M., Bisset, D. and Chung, S. H. (2004). Mechanisms of chloride conduction in ClC channels. 48th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 14-18 February 2004. Bethesda, MD: Pubmed Central.
2003
Journal Article
A model of the glycine receptor deduced from Brownian dynamics studies
O'Mara, Megan, Barry, Peter H. and Chung, Shin-Ho (2003). A model of the glycine receptor deduced from Brownian dynamics studies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100 (7), 4310-4315. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0630652100
2003
Conference Publication
Mechanism of ion permeation in the glycine receptor and its cation-selective mutations
O'Mara, Megan, Keramidas, Angelo, Barry, Peter H. and Chung, Shin-Ho (2003). Mechanism of ion permeation in the glycine receptor and its cation-selective mutations. 47th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society, San Antonio, Texas, 1-5 March 2003. Bethesda, MD, U.S.A.: Cell Press for the Biophysical Society.
2003
Conference Publication
Mechanism of ion permeation in the glycine receptor and its cation-selective mutations
O'Mara, M., Keramidas, A., Barry, P. H. and Chung, S. H. (2003). Mechanism of ion permeation in the glycine receptor and its cation-selective mutations. 47th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Antonio Texas, 1-5 March 2003. Bethesda, MD United States: Biophysical Society.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Megan O'Mara is:
- Available for supervision
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Available projects
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Computational design of biocompatable delivery systems
Biocompatible delivery systems allow enhanced delivery of pharmaceuticals, vaccines and other biological payload molecules, with varied effects including extending the pharmaceutical half-life of drugs, increasing adsorption and decreasing immunogenicity. While these agents have increased the efficacy of many biological therapies, very little work has been done on improving the targeting of these agents to the specific cell or receptor of interest. This project will examine strategies to increase the selectivity of biopolymer delivery systems to enhance the ability to target specific cell types or receptors, thereby reducing off target effects. This project will identify the chemical composition and biophysical characteristics of different cell membranes, and how this impacts their interaction with biopolymer delivery systems. The project requires good collaboration skills, an broad understanding of chemistry and biochemistry, and strong skills in multiscale modelling techniques, from QMMM to coarse grained molecular dynamics.
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The impact of lipid modifications on cell membrane function
Membrane lipid composition influences the localisation of membrane proteins and regulates their activity. The hundreds of chemically distinct lipids within cell membranes phase-separate to form microdomains that impact the localisation and interactions of membrane proteins. The composition of the cell membrane is tightly controlled in normal cellular function. There is now considerable evidence that altered cell homeostasis, ranging from inflammatory processes to cancer, cause alterations in metabolic pathways which impact membrane lipid distributions, cell biophysical properties and membrane protein function. This may have downstream impacts on the uptake and efficacy of a range of pharmaceuticals used to treat dysfunction. Using data derived from mass spectrometry and other experimental approaches, this project will use multiscale simulation techniques to examine how changes in lipid membrane composition in cancer and other disease states impacts drug uptake. This knowledge will provide a means to specifically target a given cell type through the drug delivery systems and targeted therapeutics.
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Membrane mediated antimicrobial resistance
Bacterial multidrug efflux pumps are the bacteria’s first line of defence against the action of antimicrobials. However, very little is currently known about the function and substrate range of these efflux pumps. This project will examine different multidrug efflux pumps to uncover the structural basis of substrate specificity and transport. It will examine the impact of bacterial membrane modifications on bacterial multidrug efflux pump function, and how peptide- and/or polymer-based antimicrobials inhibit multidrug efflux pumps and disrupt membrane integrity. Other avenues of investigation include characterising the effect of lipid modifications in antimicrobial resistance, and computational drug design of lead new candidates for antimicrobial design. This project uses a range of computational techniques, primarily multiscale molecular dynamics simulations.
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Allosteric modulation of synaptic transmission by neurosteroids and oxysterols
The development of effective therapeutics that target chronic pain in neurological diseases would significantly improve the quality of life for millions of people living with chronic pain. The glycinergic neuronal transport proteins are a promising target for the treatment of chronic pain. In neurons and other cells, the membrane lipid composition influences the localisation of membrane proteins and regulates their activity. The hundreds of chemically distinct lipids within cell membranes phase-separate to form microdomains that impact the localisation and interactions of membrane proteins. Oxidative stress is an early hallmark of inflammation and disease that causes chemical modifications to membrane lipids, proteins, and other biomolecules. This impacts their function and influences their biophysical properties. This project will examine the effect of oxysterols and neurosteroids on the inhibition of glycernergic synaptic membrane proteins for the development of targeted therapeutics for the treatment of chronic pain in specific disease states. This is a computational project. The direction of the project can be tailored to the interests of the student.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Targeting alterations in cell membrane biophysics for disease intervention
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Evelyne Deplazes
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Doctor Philosophy
The effect of membrane composition on protein-ligand interactions in drug design and delivery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Debra Bernhardt
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigation of the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and design of novel antimicrobials
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Evelyne Deplazes
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Doctor Philosophy
Targeting alterations in cell membrane biophysics for disease intervention
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Evelyne Deplazes
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Doctor Philosophy
Unravelling the Physicochemical Drivers of Biomolecular Self-Assembly though Multiscale Simulations
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Ascher, Dr Evelyne Deplazes
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Doctor Philosophy
Computational design of targeted lipid technologies
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Ascher
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Doctor Philosophy
Cause-and-effect relationships influencing the MRI derived brain age gap
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lena Oestreich
Completed supervision
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
Targeting the membrane: molecular dynamics studies of protein-membrane interactions.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alan Mark
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding multidrug resistance: Molecular Dynamics studies of ligand recognition by P-glycoprotein
Joint Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alan Mark
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Megan O'Mara directly for media enquiries about:
- biophysics
- computational chemistry
- drug design
- supercomputers - applications
- women in STEM
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