Patrick C Hurley

I studied Biomedical Science at the University of Galway in Ireland, specialising in pharmacology and graduating in 2020. I continued my studies, earning my Master's in Regenerative Medicine at the same university in 2021. I completed my PhD in 2025 from CÚRAM, a Research Ireland (RI) centre for Research Excellence. My project was part of lifETIME CDT, a centre for doctoral training co-funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UK (EPSRC) and RI. My doctoral research focused on the development of microfluidic and advanced in vitro models to study the formation of lymphoid-like follicles in Multiple Sclerosis. Wherein, I used magnetic resonance imaging and patient data in order to inform microfluidic device design and investigate the interaction of meningeal cells and immune cells in vitro. During my PhD research, I had the opportunity to gain international research experience as a visiting researcher at both the University of Glasgow (Edgar Group) and the University of Oxford (Holloway Group). In May of 2026, I joined the Salman group as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. My research is supported by an ERC Advanced Grant led by Professor Roslyn Bill, from Aston University, Birmingham, UK. Our aim in this project is to develop and validate a microfluidic model of the gliovascular interface to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying brain waste clearance and to explore how their dysfunction may contribute to disease.