Paul Buchanan
Dr.
Dr. Paul Buchanan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy, and Community Health at Dublin City University (DCU), specializing in channelopathies and the role of ion channels in disease. He completed his PhD in Molecular Biology at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and held postdoctoral positions at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the Centre for Cancer Research at QUB, focusing on respiratory medicine and cancer biology.
As Principal Investigator at DCU’s Life Sciences Institute, Dr. Buchanan leads a research program on calcium signalling in cancer, particularly prostate cancer and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). He has secured over €1,000,000 in funding from the HRB, IRC, and EU COST Action, and currently supervises four PhD students. His research spans three areas: (1) investigating TP53 mutations in TNBC and their impact on calcium-mediated apoptosis, (2) studying calcium modulation in prostate cancer, particularly in nerve-tumour interactions, and (3) exploring the role of the calcium channel CaV1.3 in prostate cancer and its potential for targeting androgen deprivation therapy resistance.
Dr. Buchanan has published 32 peer-reviewed articles, with over 1,100 citations, and serves on the editorial board of Bioelectricity. He is regularly invited to review grants for prominent bodies such as the Swiss Cancer Institute and Inserm, and reviews for leading journals including Nature Reviews Urology, Cancers, and others. Dr. Buchanan is also frequently invited to speak at international conferences, further establishing his expertise in the field.
In teaching, Dr. Buchanan coordinates core modules such as Anatomy and Physiology, Biological Basis of Disease, and Biochemistry and Health, using technologies like augmented reality to enhance student engagement. He holds a Digital Certificate in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which he integrates into his teaching approach to support diverse learning needs. Dr. Buchanan was awarded Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2024 and was shortlisted for DCU’s President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has also been invited to speak at teaching and learning conferences, sharing his innovative pedagogical approaches.
Dr. Buchanan contributes to DCU’s service activities, having served as Postgraduate Research Coordinator and participated in committees such as Teaching and Learning, Research, and Ethics. He also supports initiatives like Athena SWAN and engages with the public through media outlets, including RTE Brainstorm and Silicon Republic, promoting science communication and outreach.
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rabab, K.E.; Buchanan, P.J.; Colley, G.; White, A.; Murphy, A.; McCormack, C.; Eustace, A.J. (2025) 'TP53 Mutation-Specific Dysregulation of Store-Operated Calcium Entry and Apoptotic Sensitivity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer'. Cancers, 17 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2025 | Redmond, J; Agarwal, S; McCarthy, HO; Buchanan, P; Levingstone, T; Dunne, N (2025) 'Alteration in gene expression patterns and increased drug resistance in MCF7 breast cancer cells cultured on 3D collagen-based scaffolds'. Biomaterials advances, 181 . [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O'Reilly, D.; Downing, T.; Kouba, S.; Potier-Cartereau, M.; McKenna, D.J.; Vandier, C.; Buchanan, P.J. (2022) 'CaV1.3 enhanced store operated calcium promotes resistance to androgen deprivation in prostate cancer'. Cell Calcium, 103 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Eustace, A.J.; Lee, M.J.; Colley, G.; Roban, J.; Downing, T.; Buchanan P (2022) 'Aberrant calcium signalling downstream of mutations in TP53 and the PI3K/AKT pathway genes promotes disease progression and therapy resistance in triple negative breast cancer'. Cancer drug resistance (Alhambra, Calif.), (5):560-576. https://doi.org/10.20517/cdr.2022.41 | |
| 2022 | O'Reilly, Debbie; Buchanan, Paul J. (2022) 'Hypoxic Signaling Is Modulated by Calcium Channel, CaV1.3, in Androgen-Resistant Prostate Cancer'. BIOELECTRICITY, 4 (2). [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O'Reilly, Debbie; Downing, Tim; Kouba, Sana; Potier-Cartereau, Marie; McKenna, Declan J.; Vandier, Christophe; Buchanan, Paul (2022) 'Data pertaining to aberrant intracellular calcium handling during androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer'. Data In Brief, 42 . [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Redmond, J.; McCarthy, H.O.; Buchanan, P.; Levingstone, T.J.; Dunne, N.J. (2022) 'Development and characterisation of 3D collagen-gelatin based scaffolds for breast cancer research'. Biomaterials advances, 142 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Redmond, J.; McCarthy, H.; Buchanan, P.; Levingstone, T.J.; Dunne, N.J. (2021) 'Advances in biofabrication techniques for collagen-based 3D in vitro culture models for breast cancer research'. Materials Science and Engineering C, 122 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Dara Bracken-Clarke 1 , Dhruv Kapoor 2 , Anne Marie Baird 3 , Paul James Buchanan 4 , Kathy Gately 5 , Sinead Cuffe 2 , Stephen P Finn 6 (2021) 'Vaping and lung cancer - A review of current data and recommendations'. Lung Cancer, . [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Buchanan, P.J.; Vandier, C. (2021) 'Bioelectricity of the Tumor Microenvironment'. BIOELECTRICITY, 3 (3). https://doi.org/10.1089/bioe.2021.29027.cfp | |
| 2020 | Barrett, M.; Uí Dhuibhir, P.; Njoroge, C.; Wickham, S.; Buchanan, P.; Aktas, A.; Wash, D. (2020) 'Diet and nutrition information on nine national cancer organisation websites: A critical review'. European Journal of Cancer Care, 29 (5). [Link] https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13280 | |
| 2019 | O'Reilly, D.; Buchanan, P. (2019) 'Calcium channels and cancer stem cells'. Cell Calcium, 81 :21-28. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceca.2019.05.006 | |
| 2019 | O'Reilly, D.; Johnson, P.; Buchanan, P.J (2019) 'Hypoxia induced cancer stem cell enrichment promotes resistance to androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer'. Steroids, 152 . [Link] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.steroids.2019.108497 | |
| 2018 | McDonnell BM; Buchanan PJ; Prise KM; McCloskey KD; (2018) 'Acute radiation impacts contractility of guinea-pig bladder strips affecting mucosal-detrusor interactions'. PLoS ONE, 13 (3). [DOI] | |
| 2018 | Loughran, S.T.; Power, P.A.; Maguire, P.T.; McQuaid, S.L.; Buchanan, P.J.; Jonsdottir, I.; Newman, R.W.; Harvey, R.; Johnson, P.A. (2018) 'Influenza infection directly alters innate IL-23 and IL-12p70 and subsequent IL-17A and IFN-γ responses to pneumococcus in vitro in human monocytes'. PLoS ONE, 13 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2017 | Redmond, J.; Buchanan, P. (2017) 'Role of ion channels in natural killer cell function towards cancer'. Discovery medicine, 23 . [Link] | |
| 2017 | Haggag YA, Matchett KB, Dakir El-H, Buchanan P, Osman MA, Elgizawy SA, El-Tanani M, Faheem AM, McCarron PA (2017) 'Nano-encapsulation of a novel anti-Ran-GTPase peptide for blockade of regulator of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1) function in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells'. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 521 (1-2):40-53. [DOI] | |
| 2016 | Buchanan, Paul J.; McCloskey, Karen D. (2016) 'CaV channels and cancer: canonical functions indicate benefits of repurposed drugs as cancer therapeutics'. European Biophysics Journal With Biophysics Letters, 45 (7). [DOI] | |
| 2015 | Higgins G; Ringholz F; Buchanan P; McNally P; Urbach V; (2015) 'Physiological impact of abnormal lipoxin A₄ production on cystic fibrosis airway epithelium and therapeutic potential'. BioMed Research International, 2015 . [DOI] | |
| 2014 | Ringholz FC; Buchanan PJ; Clarke DT; Millar RG; McDermott M; Linnane B; Harvey BJ; McNally P; Urbach V; (2014) 'Reduced 15-lipoxygenase 2 and lipoxin A4/leukotriene B4 ratio in children with cystic fibrosis'. European Respiratory Journal, 44 (2). [DOI] | |
| 2014 | Higgins, G.; Buchanan, P.; Perriere, M.; Al-Alawi, M.; Costello, R.W.; Verriere, V.; McNally, P.; Harvey, B.J.; Urbach, V.R. (2014) 'Activation of P2RY11 and ATP release by lipoxin A4 restores the airway surface liquid layer and epithelial repair in cystic fibrosis'. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, 51 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2014 | Al-Alawi, M.; Buchanan, P.; Verriere, V.; Higgins, G.; McCabe, O.; Costello, R.W.; McNally, P.; Urbach, V.; Harvey, B.J. (2014) 'Physiological levels of lipoxin A4 inhibit ENaC and restore airway surface liquid height in cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelium'. Physiological Reports, 2 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2013 | Urbach V; Higgins G; Buchanan P; Ringholz F; (2013) 'The role of Lipoxin A4 in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease'. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 6 . [DOI] | |
| 2013 | Kelly C; Canning P; Buchanan PJ; Williams MT; Brown V; Gruenert DC; Elborn JS; Ennis M; Schock BC; (2013) 'Toll-like receptor 4 is not targeted to the lysosome in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells'. American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, 304 (5). [DOI] | |
| 2013 | Buchanan PJ; McNally P; Harvey BJ; Urbach V; (2013) 'Lipoxin A₄-mediated KATP potassium channel activation results in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial repair'. American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, 305 (2). [DOI] | |
| 2011 | Scott A; Weldon S; Buchanan PJ; Schock B; Ernst RK; McAuley DF; Tunney MM; Irwin CR; Elborn JS; Taggart CC; (2011) 'Evaluation of the ability of LL-37 to neutralise LPS in vitro and ex vivo'. PLoS ONE, 6 (10). [DOI] | |
| 2009 | Buchanan PJ; Ernst RK; Elborn JS; Schock B; (2009) 'Role of CFTR, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Toll-like receptors in cystic fibrosis lung inflammation'. Biochemical Society Transactions, 37 (Pt 4). [DOI] |
Conference Publication
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Buchanan, P.J. (2026) Pedagogy for Higher Education Large Class (PHELC) Supporting Diverse Learners in Large First-Year Classes through Adaptive Digital Tools: Integrating McGraw Hill Connect in Anatomy and Physiology [DOI] | |
| 2019 | Redmond J.; Buchanan, P.; Levingstone T.J.; Dunne N. (2019) 25th Annual Conference of the Section of Bioengineering of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland . In: Walsh, M.; deBarra, E eds. Collagen-based scaffolds for ex vivo culture of breast cancer tissue Limerick, Ireland, | |
| 2018 | Redmond, J.; Buchanan, P.; Levingstone T.J.; Dunne N. (2018) 29th Annual meeting of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB) Development of advanced biomimetic 3D culture models for breast cancer research Maastricht, The Netherlands, | |
| 2018 | Redmond, J.; Buchanan, P.; Levingstone, T.J.; Dunne N. (2018) 24th Annual Conference of the Section of Bioengineering of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland . In: Levingstone, T.J.; Dunne, N eds. Development of advanced biomimetic 3D culture models for breast cancer research Dublin, Ireland, | |
| 2016 | Buchanan, P.J., McNally, P. and Urbach, V. (2016) Lipoxin Stimulated Epithelial Repair is Mediated Through Potassium Currents | |
| 2012 | Buchanan, P.J., Harvey, B.J. and Urbach, V. (2012) Potassium channel currents induced by lipoxin stimulate airway epithelial repair | |
| 2012 | Mitchell, K., Buchanan, P.J., deCourcey, F., Elborn, J., Kelly, C., Wang, S., Ennis, M. and Schock, B.C (2012) NHIBITOR OF APOPTOSIS (IAP) IN CF AIRWAY INFLAMMATION-MODIFICATION BY SMAC MIMETICS | |
| 2012 | (2012) Toll like receptor 4 is not targeted to the lysosome in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells | |
| 2010 | Buchanan, P.J., Ernst, R.K., Kelly, C., Elborn, S. and Schock, B.C., (2010) TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR EXPRESSION AND ITS REGULATION BY CFTR | |
| 2010 | Kelly, C., Buchanan, P.J., Bingham, A., Elborn, J.S. and Schock, B.C (2010) THE ROLE OF ENDO-LYSOSOMAL DEGRADATION IN TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR DRIVEN INFLAMMATION IN THE CF EPITHELIUM | |
| 2009 | Buchanan, P.J., Ernst, R.K., Elborn, J.S. and Shock, B.C., (2009) Comparison of Inflammatory responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lipopolysaccharide isolates compared to Staphylococcus aureus Peptidoglycan | |
| 2009 | C Kelly, P Buchanan, A Bingham, S Elborn, B Schock, A Bingham, B Schock, C Kelly, P Buchanan, S Elborn (2009) Conference Abstract Inhibition of A20 signalling in cystic fibrosis epithelium | |
| 2008 | Buchanan, P.J., Ernst, R.K., Elborn, J.S. and Schock, B., (2008) Ir. J. Med. Sci Response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis depends on lipid A structure of LPS |
Editorial
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Buchanan, Paul J.; Vandier, Christophe (2022) Bioelectricity of the Tumor Microenvironment. ED [DOI] |
Honors and Awards
Research Interests
Cancer
Channelopathies
Cell and Molecular Physiology