Gillian McHugo

University College Dublin

PhD in Infection Biology, University College Dublin, 2018 - 2025
Thesis: Integrative population and functional genomics of trypanotolerance in hybrid African cattle, published in Evolutionary Applications, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, and Heredity.

MSc in Evolutionary Biology, University College Dublin, 2015 - 2016
Thesis: A population genomics analysis of the endangered Galway sheep breed, published in Frontiers in Genetics.

BA (Mod) in Natural Sciences (Zoology), Trinity College Dublin, 2011 - 2015

Publications

All publications

Gillian P. McHugo, James A. Ward, Said Ismael Ng'ang'a, Laurent A. F. Frantz, John A. Browne, Michael Salter-Townshend, Grace M. O'Gorman, Kieran G. Meade, Emmeline W. Hill, Thomas J. Hall, David E. MacHugh (2026). Integrative genomics identifies candidate genes underlying trypanotolerance in hybrid African cattle. Evolutionary Applications, 19(6), e70274.

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Said I. Ng'ang'a, James A. Ward, Stephen J. Rossiter, Chris G. Faulkes, Katia Bougiouri, Gillian P. McHugo, Fenton P. D. Cotterill, Atunga Nyachieo, Olaf Thalmann, Ivica Medugorac, Stefan Krebs, Tad S. Sonstegard, Olivier Hanotte, Daniel G. Bradley, Gary Vaughan-Smith, David E. MacHugh, Laurent A. F. Frantz (2026). Accurate imputation of African cattle genomes using a diverse reference panel. BMC Genomics, 27(1), 452.

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Gillian P. McHugo, James A. Ward, John A. Browne, Grace M. O'Gorman, Kieran G. Meade, Emmeline W. Hill, Thomas J. Hall, David E. MacHugh (2025). Functional genomics of trypanotolerant and trypanosusceptible cattle infected with 𝘛𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 across multiple time points and tissues. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19(8), e0012882.

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John F. O'Grady, Gillian P. McHugo, James A. Ward, Thomas J. Hall, Sarah L. Faherty O'Donnell, Carolina N. Correia, John A. Browne, Michael McDonald, Eamonn Gormley, Valentina Riggio, James G. D. Prendergast, Emily L. Clark, Hubert Pausch, Kieran G. Meade, Isobel C. Gormley, Stephen V. Gordon, David E. MacHugh (2025). Integrative genomics sheds light on the immunogenetics of tuberculosis in cattle. Communications Biology, 8(1), 479.

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Gillian P. McHugo, James A. Ward, Said Ismael Ng'ang'a, Laurent A. F. Frantz, Michael Salter-Townshend, Emmeline W. Hill, Grace M. O'Gorman, Kieran G. Meade, Thomas J. Hall, David E. MacHugh (2025). Genome-wide local ancestry and the functional consequences of admixture in African and European cattle populations. Heredity, 134(1), 49–63.

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Thomas J. Hall, Gillian P. McHugo, Michael P. Mullen, James A. Ward, Kate E. Killick, John A. Browne, Stephen V. Gordon, David E. MacHugh (2024). Integrative and comparative genomic analyses of mammalian macrophage responses to intracellular mycobacterial pathogens. Tuberculosis, 147, 102453.

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Pamela A. Kelly, Gillian P. McHugo, Caitriona Scaife, Susan Peters, M. Lynn Stevenson, Jennifer S. McKay, David E. MacHugh, Irene Lara-Saez, Rory Breathnach (2024). Unveiling the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways in canine demodicosis. Parasite Immunology, 46(4), e13033.

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James A. Ward, Said I. Ng'ang'a, Imtiaz A. S. Randhawa, Gillian P. McHugo, John F. O'Grady, Julio M. Flórez, John A. Browne, Ana M. Pérez O'Brien, Antonio J. Landaeta-Hernández, José F. Garcia, Tad S. Sonstegard, Laurent A. F. Frantz, Michael Salter-Townshend, David E. MacHugh (2024). Genomic insights into the population history and adaptive traits of Latin American Criollo cattle. Royal Society Open Science, 11(3), 231388.

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Sajad A. Bhat, Mahmoud Elnaggar, Thomas J. Hall, Gillian P. McHugo, Cian Reid, David E. MacHugh, Kieran G. Meade (2023). Preferential differential gene expression within the WC1.1⁺ γδ T cell compartment in cattle naturally infected with 𝘔𝘺𝘤𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴. Frontiers in Immunology, 14, 1265038.

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Carolina N. Correia, Gillian P. McHugo, John A. Browne, Kirsten E. McLoughlin, Nicolas C. Nalpas, David A. Magee, Adam O. Whelan, Bernardo Villarreal-Ramos, H. Martin Vordermeier, Eamonn Gormley, Stephen V. Gordon, David E. MacHugh (2022). High-resolution transcriptomics of bovine purified protein derivative-stimulated peripheral blood from cattle infected with 𝘔𝘺𝘤𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴 across an experimental time course. Tuberculosis, 136, 102235.

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James A. Ward, Gillian P. McHugo, Michael J. Dover, Thomas J. Hall, Said Ismael Ng'ang'a, Tad S. Sonstegard, Daniel G. Bradley, Laurent A.F. Frantz, Michael Salter-Townshend, David E. MacHugh (2022). Genome-wide local ancestry and evidence for mitonuclear coadaptation in African hybrid cattle populations. iScience, 25(7), 104672.

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Thomas J. Hall, Michael P. Mullen, Gillian P. McHugo, Kate E. Killick, Siobhán C. Ring, Donagh P. Berry, Carolina N. Correia, John A. Browne, Stephen V. Gordon, David E. MacHugh (2021). Integrative genomics of the mammalian alveolar macrophage response to intracellular mycobacteria. BMC Genomics, 22, 343.

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Gillian P. McHugo, Michael J. Dover, David E. MacHugh (2019). Unlocking the origins and biology of domestic animals using ancient DNA and paleogenomics. BMC Biology, 17, 98.

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Gillian P. McHugo, Sam Browett, Imtiaz A. S. Randhawa, Dawn J. Howard, Michael P. Mullen, Ian W. Richardson, Stephen D. E. Park, David A. Magee, Erik Scraggs, Michael J. Dover, Carolina N. Correia, James P. Hanrahan, David E. MacHugh (2019). A population genomics analysis of the native Irish Galway sheep breed. Frontiers in Genetics, 10, 927.

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Sam Browett, Gillian McHugo, Ian W. Richardson, David A. Magee, Stephen D. E. Park, Alan G. Fahey, John F. Kearney, Carolina N. Correia, Imtiaz A. S. Randhawa, David E. MacHugh (2018). Genomic characterisation of the indigenous Irish Kerry cattle breed. Frontiers in Genetics, 9, 51.

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