Projects per year
Personal profile
Interests
Lorraine Martin is a Professor of Biomolecular Sciences within the School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast. She holds a BSc and PhD in Biochemistry and a Masters in Clinical Laboratory Medicine. Her research interests are focussed on the role of active proteases as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in chronic airway diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where aberrant activities due to a protease-antiprotease imbalance contribute to a vicious cycle of inflammation and impaired innate immunity. In this regard, the Martin Group at Queen’s have led a programme targeting proteases involved in the dysregulation of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), which leads to airways dehydration and mucus obstruction (Reihill et al, 2016, AJRCCM; Douglas et al, 2022 Cell Chem Biol; Douglas et al, 2024 ERJOR). In terms of a therapeutic strategy, inhibition of ENaC has the potential to rehydrate the airways to restore normal mucociliary clearance which would protect the airways from infection and irreversible tissue damage, stalling disease progression (Douglas et al, 2023 Eur Respir Rev).
Other recent achievements include a major interdisciplinary, collaborative, cross-border, €8.9M, 5-year project called BREATH (2017-22), whose goal was to build significant research capacity in COPD. BREATH stands for the Border and REgions Airways Training Hub and was funded by the INTERREG Va programme, managed by SEUPB (Special European Union Programmes Body). BREATH won the NI Healthcare Asthma/COPD Project of the Year Award (2018) and the QUB Vice-Chancellor's Excellence in Research Culture Prize (2020). Lorraine has also published >130 research publications and holds four patents. She has generated over £11M in research grant income to include BBSRC, MRC, Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Trust, the CF Foundation, USA, and Emily’s Entourage, USA and has productive research collaborations with UK industry and global pharma. She also has significant experience in entrepreneurship and innovation and was co-founder/CEO of QUB spin-out, ProAxsis Ltd. for which she won the INVENT competition (Catalyst Inc) (2013) and the Vice Chancellor's Prize for Research Impact (2016). She is a scientific advisor for several Irish and US-based companies, is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lead on the Queen’s Gender Initiative (QGI) Executive Committee, a Catalyst Role Model and sits on the University’s Research Innovation Committee. She also chairs the Post-doctoral Research Oversight Group. Within the School of Pharmacy, she is the Programme Director for the BSc in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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R8874PMY: Inhibition of Furin as a Strategy for Treatment of hronic Airways disease
Martin, L. (PI)
30/10/2019 → …
Project: Research
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R6964PMY: Interreg VA: BREATH - Border and REgions Airways Training Hub (Full Proposal)
Martin, L. (PI), Lundy, F. (CoI), McGarvey, L. (CoI) & Tikhonova, I. (CoI)
02/05/2017 → …
Project: Research
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R5878PMY: The development and commercialisation of active protease immunoassays based on the incorporation of relevant Protease Tags
Martin, L. (PI)
06/01/2015 → …
Project: Research
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R5740PMY: The development of an Advanced Material for Protease Enzyme Capture
Martin, L. (PI) & Walker, B. (CoI)
01/08/2011 → …
Project: Research
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R8875PMY: Investigation of Furin as a Target for Airways Disease
Martin, L. (PI)
01/11/2019 → 04/05/2021
Project: Research
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A low-dimensional cross-attention model for link prediction with applications to drug repurposing
Chen, G.-J., Guo, G.-D., Martin, S. L. & Wang, H., 15 Jun 2025, In: Knowledge-Based Systems. 319, 11 p., 113562.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
BOS-318 treatment enhances elexacaftor–tezacaftor–ivacaftor-mediated improvements in airway hydration and mucociliary transport
Douglas, L. E. J., Reihill, J. A. & Martin, S. L., Jan 2025, In: ERJ Open Research. 11, 1, 8 p., 00445-2024.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile19 Downloads (Pure) -
Airborne indoor allergen serine proteases and their contribution to sensitisation and activation of innate immunity in allergic airway disease
Ouyang, X., Reihill, J. A., Douglas, L. E. J. & Martin, S. L., 30 Apr 2024, In: European Respiratory Review. 33, 172, 29 p., 230126.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Citations (Scopus)32 Downloads (Pure) -
House dust mite allergens induce Ca2+ signalling and alarmin responses in asthma airway epithelial cells
Ouyang, X., Reihill, J. A., Douglas, L. E. J., Dunne, O. M., Sergeant, G. P. & Martin, S. L., Apr 2024, In: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Basis of Disease. 1870, 4, 14 p., 167079.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Citations (Scopus)79 Downloads (Pure) -
Neutrophil-derived peptidyl arginine deiminase activity contributes to pulmonary emphysema by enhancing elastin degradation
Murphy, M. P., Hunt, D., Herron, M., McDonnell, J., Alshuhoumi, R., McGarvey, L. P., Fabre, A., O'Brien, H., McCarthy, C., Martin, S. L., McElvaney, N. G. & Reeves, E. P., 17 May 2024, (Early online date) In: Journal of Immunology. 213, 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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Asthma/COPD Project of the Year, 19th Northern Ireland Healthcare Awards
Martin, L. (Recipient), McGarvey, L. (Recipient), Lundy, F. (Recipient), Thornbury, K. (Recipient), Hollywood, M. (Recipient), Sergeant, G. (Recipient), Lockhart, J. (Recipient), Litherland, G. (Recipient) & Crilly, A. (Recipient), 22 Feb 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
File -
European Cystic Fibrosis Society Conference (2011) Best poster presentation award
Martin, L. (Recipient), Jun 2011
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Overall Winner (INVENT2013) NISP Connect 25K Award 2013: ProAxsis Ltd.
Martin, L. (Recipient), 26 Sept 2013
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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ProAxsis Ltd. - Innovative Business of the Year 2018
Martin, L. (Recipient), 31 May 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Seedcorn Northern Ireland Regional Finalist
Martin, L. (Recipient), May 2015
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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The role of serine proteases in the regulation of airways hydration and mucociliary clearance in chronic airways disease.
Martin, L. (Keynote speaker)
10 Sept 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
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Workshop: Mitigating Bias in Research Assessment
Martin, L. (Participant)
24 Jun 2024Activity: Other activity types › Other
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European Cystic Fibrosis Conference 2024
Martin, L. (Participant)
05 Jun 2024 → 08 Jun 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Judge, NI Healthcare Awards (2024)
Martin, L. (Reviewer)
01 Apr 2024 → 30 May 2024Activity: Consultancy types › Work on advisory panels for social community and cultural engagement
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European Respiratory Review (Journal)
Martin, L. (Peer reviewer)
01 Feb 2024 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Publication peer-review
Press/Media
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Supporting student supervision
Martin, L., Douglas, L. & Montgomery, B.
31/10/2023
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Emily’s Entourage awards grant to Queen’s to support development of treatment for cystic fibrosis
14/02/2023
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
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The Conversation: An increasing number of countries are banning e-cigarettes – here’s why.
Martin, L. & Reihill, J.
23/09/2019
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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QUEEN’S COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WINS ASTHMA / COPD PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Martin, L., McGarvey, L. & Lundy, F.
28/02/2018
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Urgent Call to Tackle Killer Disease on World COPD Day
Martin, L., McGarvey, L. & Lundy, F.
15/11/2017
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research
Impacts
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Improving outcomes for people with cystic fibrosis through evidence based clinical trials
Elborn, S. (Participant), Martin, L. (Participant), Downey, D. (Participant), Brockbank, S. (Participant) & Ennis, M. (Participant)
Impact: Health Impact, Quality of Life Impact