Academic biography

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.