News Archive

NUI Galway’s Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO) programme has been awarded the Apple Distinguished Programme 2016-18’. The award identifies centres of excellence in the use of technology in education. In February 2015, the MGO was the first third-level programme outside the USA to be awarded the Apple Distinguished Programme award. Professor Gerry MacRuairc, the newly appointed Professor of Education and Head of School at NUI Galway said: “The potential of this type of technology to enrich learning for all is extraordinary. The depth of learning and the variety of the learning experiences enabled by the iPad material designed by Seán Ó Grádaigh, the MGO team and most importantly the MGO students themselves in the School of Education is an exemplar for how we need to use technology to enrich the learning of our teacher educators and the student they teach.” The MGO is a two year, full-time programme offered through the medium of Irish, by the School of Education at NUI Galway. The MGO is unique in that it is the only initial teacher education programme that prepares future teachers to teach in second-level Irish medium schools. The programme equips student teachers with the professional knowledge, theoretical and conceptual tools necessary for developing creative, flexible and reflective approaches to teaching. A particular emphasis is placed on teaching through the medium of Irish and on the development of strategies for teaching and learning both content and language (CLIL). Director of the MGO programme, Dr Brendan Mac Mahon said: “We are delighted to receive this award again this year. It is testament to the excellent work of the programme team and student teachers in the ongoing development of educational technology.” -Ends- Gradam Apple do Chlár Iomráiteach bronnta ar Chlár Máistreachta OÉ Gaillimh don dara bliain as a chéile Bronnadh gradam Apple do Chlár Iomráiteach 2016-18 ar an Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas (MGO) in OÉ Gaillimh. Tugann an gradam aitheantas d’ionaid barr feabhais in úsáid na teicneolaíochta san oideachas. I mí Feabhra 2015 ba é an MGO an chéad chlár tríú leibhéal lasmuigh de Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá a ghnóthaigh gradam Apple do Chlár Iomráiteach. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an Ollamh Gerry MacRuairc, an tOllamh nuacheaptha le hOideachas agus Ceann Scoile in OÉ Gaillimh: “Tá cumas iontach sa chineál seo teicneolaíochta chun cur leis an bhfoghlaim do chách. Tá doimhneacht na foghlama agus éagsúlacht na n-eispéireas foghlama a chuirtear ar fáil de thoradh an ábhair iPad atá deartha ag Seán Ó Grádaigh, ag foireann an MGO agus go háirithe ag mic léinn an MGO iad féin i Scoil an Oideachais ina dhea-shampla den chaoi ar cheart dúinn úsáid a bhaint as an teicneolaíocht chun cur le foghlaim na dteagascóirí agus na mic léinn atá á dteagasc acu.” Clár lánaimseartha dhá bhliain é an MGO a chuireann Scoil an Oideachais in OÉ Gaillimh ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá an MGO uathúil mar go bhfuil sé ar an t-aon chlár in oiliúint tosaigh múinteoirí a ullmhaíonn múinteoirí le múineadh i ngaelscoileanna dara leibhéal. Cinntíonn an clár go mbíonn an t-eolas gairmiúil, na huirlisí teoiriciúla agus coincheapúla riachtanacha ag múinteoirí faoi oiliúint chun cur chuige cruthaitheach, solúbtha agus machnamhach teagaisc a fhorbairt. Cuirtear béim ar leith ar theagasc trí mheán na Gaeilge agus ar fhorbairt straitéisí do theagasc agus d’fhoghlaim ábhair agus teanga (CLIL). Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Stiúrthóir an chláir MGO, an Dr Brendan Mac Mahon: “Tá an-ríméad orainn an gradam seo a bhaint amach arís i mbliana. Is cruthúnas é ar an tsárobair a dhéanann foireann an chláir agus na múinteoirí faoi oiliúint i bhforbairt leanúnach theicneolaíocht an oideachais.” -Críoch-

An NUI Galway PhD student, Louise Corcoran, was awarded the Pain Research Medal at the Irish Pain Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting which took place in Dublin at the weekend. Louise, from Tuam, Co. Galway, was awarded the medal for her poster presentation. The research poster presentations were judged by a panel of international experts who commended the high quality of the research. Researchers from the NUI Galway’s Centre for Pain Research and Galway Neuroscience Centre have had an outstanding record of success in this competition over the years, being among the prize winners on every occasion. A third-year PhD candidate in the Discipline of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Louise was awarded the Non-Clinical Pain Research Medal. Louise’s research, supervised by Professor David Finn and Dr Michelle Roche, involves the investigation of mechanisms underlying co-existent mood and pain disorders as well as the identification of future therapeutic targets. Her research is funded jointly by Science Foundation Ireland, NUI Galway, and a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Fellowship from the Irish Research Council. Professor David Finn, Co-Director of NUI Galway’s Centre for Pain Research, said: “We are delighted to see NUI Galway researcher Louise win this prestigious prize for her work. Our pain research aims to advance the understanding and treatment of chronic pain, a major unmet clinical need affecting at least 20% of the population.”  -Ends-

Páraic Ó hOibicín, Sean-nós Dancer in Residence at NUI Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies, will offer a series of five sean-nós dance workshops this Autumn. The workshops will take place in An Taibhdhearc and commence at 7pm, on Wednesday, 21 September. A native of Leitir Mucú, Connemara, Páraic is one of a generation of dancers who led the revival of sean-nós dance in the late twentieth century. Key to Páraic’s style of dancing, is a faithful nod to older dancers and the tradition that he saw in his youth. The workshops are free and open to all. This project is funded by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta and An Chomhairle Ealaíon in association with the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI, Galway. -Ends- Ceardlanna Damhsa ar an Sean-nós Cuirfear tús le sraith ceardlann damhsa ar an sean-nós san Taibhdhearc, ag 7pm Dé Céadaoin, 21 Meán Fómhair. Is é Páraic Ó hOibicín atá ceaptha mar Rinceoir Cónaitheach in Ionad an Léinn Éireannaigh, OÉ Gaillimh i mbliana a bheidh mar stiúrthóir na gceardlann. D'fhás Páraic suas i Leitir Mucú, i gConamara agus is ó Mháirtín Beag Ó Gríofa a fuair sé a chuid damhsa ar dtús. Tá Páraic dílis i gcónaí don seantraidisiún rince agus é ar dhuine desna damhsóirí is tábhachtaí in athbheochaint an tsean-nóis a tharla ag deireadh na haoise seo caite. Tá na ceardlanna saor isteach agus tá fáilte roimh chách. Is iad Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta agus An Chomhairle Ealaíon i bpáirt le hIonad an Léinn Éireannaigh atá ag maoiniú an togra seo. -Críoch-

The public are invited to a fascinating public lecture of a winter expedition with the German icebreaker “Polarstern” to Antarctica. The talk will be delivered by Professor Peter Lemke of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz-Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany on Wednesday, 14 September, at 7.30pm in the Colm O’hEocha Theatre in the Arts Millenium Building at NUI Galway. Professor Lemke has participated in nine polar expeditions with the German research icebreaker “Polarstern”, and has collections of stunning photographs depicting the Antarctic landscape and intriguing experiences to share. He is visiting Galway to participate in the Atlantic Ocean Climate Scholars Programme which is a week-long intensive, accredited workshop examining how climate and oceans interact, with particular examples from the Atlantic Ocean and higher latitudes. The lecture is open to members of the public and is part of a workshop organised by Dr Pauhla McGrane of the Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training (SMART) being held in Galway, from 12-19 September,offered to international postgraduate students of marine, atmosphere and climate-related sciences. “Polar regions play an important role for our climate, but direct observations are difficult to obtain and can only be achieved with greatest effort. This is especially true in wintertime” said Professor Lemke. “Severe blizzards, being trapped between thick ice floes and forced to drift with the ice, the darkness of the polar night and temperatures around minus 30°C. This presentation will take you along on an extraordinary winter expedition into the Antarctic Ocean. It shows the beauty of the frozen ocean, presents some insight into polar and climate research, and demonstrates everyday life on a research icebreaker,” he continued. High latitudes have received attention recently because of significant changes in the atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean, and on land, especially in the Arctic. The surface air temperature in the Arctic has increased about twice as fast as the global air temperature. The Arctic sea-ice extent in summer has decreased by 35% since 1979, and the sea-ice thickness during late summer has declined in the Central Arctic by about 40% since 1958. A warming has also been observed at depth in the Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean. But surprisingly there is no negative trend observed in the Antarctic sea ice. Both, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass, and the sea level is rising. Most of these observed trends are in agreement with warming scenarios performed with coupled climate models, which indicate an amplified response in high latitudes to increased greenhouse gas concentrations. But details of the complex interaction between atmosphere, sea ice and ocean, and the impacts on the ecosystem and the human society are still only marginally understood. Results will be shown from the latest Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and from a winter expedition the speaker has lead into the ice-covered Weddell Sea (Antarctica). Dr Pauhla McGrane, coordinator of SMART said: “We are delighted that Proffessor Lemke has agreed to provide his unique insight into carrying out climate research in hostile polar environments, particulaly when accompanied by such beautiful stark images. This is especially relevant as this year we will run the second North South Atlantic Training Transect on-board the RV Polarstern from Germany to South Africa which will train 24 postgraduate students, including seven Irish students, in researching climate, ocean and atmospheric interactions at sea. These innovative offshore international collaboarations, developed with AWI, the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) and funded by the Nippon foundation are essential in developing excellent climate and ocean scientists to measure and understand our changing planet”. Professor Lemke continues to work on the observation of climate processes in atmosphere, sea ice and ocean and their simulation in numerical models for the polar components of the climate system. On six expeditions on Polarstern he acted as chief scientist.  For more than 30 years he served on many national and international committees on polar and climate research. He was the Coordinating Lead Author for Chapter 4 (Observations: Changes in Snow, Ice and Frozen Ground) of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report published in 2007. The IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with Al Gore in 2007. For the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC published in 2013 Proffessor Lemke worked as Review Editor of Chapter 4 and as Lead Author of the Technical Summary. All members of the public are welcome and refreshments will be served afterwards. The Atlantic Ocean Climate Scholars Programme is a collaboaration between SMART, NUI Galway, AWI and the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) that is funded by the Nippon foundation under NF POGO Regional Training fund.  -ends-

NUI Galway has continued its rise in the QS World University Ranking 2016/2017, climbing 22 places to 249 in the world. This is the fourth consecutive year in which NUI Galway has risen in the popular annual league table. From over 4,300 institutions considered for inclusion, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the table, followed by Harvard. The President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne, commented on the success: “Our continued rise in world university rankings reflects the ambition, hard work and creativity of our staff and students.  This year marks the conclusion of the major 10-year capital development programme which has transformed the NUI Galway campus, almost doubling the amount of teaching and research space. “The high calibre of our research and teaching is facilitating collaboration with the likes of Mayo Clinic, Tsinghua University and an array of industry partners, while advancing the international reach of our university.  Meanwhile, international student numbers are increasing, numbering over 3,000 for the first time ever, while overall student numbers are now over 18,000. “While no ranking system can truly measure the worth of a university, as students return to campus this week we begin the academic year pleased to know that our strengths are being acknowledged in this way.”  NUI Galway Highlights of the 2015/2016 academic year: Research Impact In 2015 NUI Galway outperformed other Irish universities by securing the highest amount of funding during the first nine months of the EU’s Horizon 2020 funding programme. Major Horizon 2020 projects include the €4.8 million ROCSAFE project which will develop robotics and intelligent reasoning to gather forensic evidence. In May 2016, NUI Galway and the Gate Theatre announced a partnership to digitise the Gates’s archive, a major resource of theatre scholars and artists internationally. In June 2016 a team of biomedical researchers at NUI Galway developed synchronised beating heart cells from skin cells, with the aim of tackling inherited cardiac conditions in young people. Teaching Four NUI Galway Professors were ranked among the ‘World’s Influential Scientific Minds:2015’ compiled by Thompson Reuters. In November 2015, the official incorporation of Shannon College of Hotel Management with NUI Galway was marked. A major investment by NUI Galway in clinical training across the West/North West region saw new Medical Academies coming on stream in Mayo, Sligo and Donegal. Dr Michel Dugon, Zoology, and Dr Karen Doyle, Physiology, were presented with national Teaching Awards from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Campus Developments In September 2015, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD officially launched the €25 million HRB Clinical Research Facility and Lambe Institute for Translational Research. Situated on the grounds of University Hospital Galway, the €25 million facility represents the nexus of research and its translation into the clinical setting. In November 2015, the Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS) for the applied social sciences was launched. It is the largest of its kind in Europe with 150 staff.  -ends- Ardú Suntasach déanta ag OÉ Gaillimh sa 250 Ollscoil is fearr i Ranguithe an Domhain Tá OÉ Gaillimh fós ag dul ó neart go neart i Ranguithe Ollscoileanna Bliantúla an Domhain QS 2016/2017. D'éirigh leis an Ollscoil dreapadh 22 áit chuig an 249ú háit ar domhan. Is í seo an ceathrú bliain as a chéile a ndearna OÉ Gaillimh dul chun cinn sa tábla sraithe bliantúil a bhfuil an-tóir air. Bhí os cionn 4,300 institiúid istigh ar an tábla ach ba í an Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) a bhain amach barr na sraithe agus tá Harvard sa dara háit. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne, faoin dea-scéala: “Léiríonn an dul chun cinn i ranguithe ollscoileanna an domhain uaillmhian, dúthracht agus cruthaitheacht ár gcomhaltaí foirne agus ár mac léinn.  Tháinig críoch i mbliana lenár gclár forbartha caipitil deich mbliana a bhfuil athrú ó bhonn déanta aige ar champas OÉ Gaillimh. Tá beagnach dúbailt an spás teagaisc agus taighde againn anois. “Murach ardchaighdeán an taighde agus an teagaisc ní bheimis in ann comhoibriú le leithéidí an Mayo Clinic, Ollscoil Tsinghua agus go leor compháirithe tionscail, agus ag an am céanna cur le cáil idirnáisiúnta na hollscoile.  Tá líon na mac léinn idirnáisiúnta ag dul i méid agus os cionn 3,000 againn den chéad uair riamh agus tá líon iomlán na mac léinn os cionn 18,000 anois. “Cé nach féidir le córas rangaithe ar bith luach ollscoile a mheas, tá áthas orainn go bhfuil aitheantas tugtha dár láidreachtaí ar an gcaoi seo agus na mic léinn ag filleadh ar an gcampas an tseachtain seo.”  Éachtaí OÉ Gaillimh i mbliain acadúil 2015/2016: Tionchar Taighde Sa bhliain 2015, d’éirigh níos fearr le OÉ Gaillimh ná ollscoileanna eile na hÉireann mar gur ghnóthaigh sí an méid is mó maoiniúcháin sna chéad naoi mí de chlár an AE, Deiseanna Nua 2020. I measc na dtograí móra chlár 2020 tá an togra ROCSAFE ar fiú €4.8 milliún é a fhorbróidh róbataic agus réasúnú cliste chun fianaise fhóiréinseach a bhailiú. I mí Bealtaine 2016, d’fhógair OÉ Gaillimh agus Amharclann an Gate comhpháirtíocht eatarthu chun cartlann an Gate a dhigitiú, acmhainn ollmhór do scoláirí amharclannaíochta agus d’ealaíontóirí ar fud an domhain. I mí an Mheithimh 2016 d'fhorbair foireann taighdeoirí bithleighis in OÉ Gaillimh cealla croí a bhíonn ar aon bhuille ag úsáid gaschealla spreagtha, chun déileáil le riochtaí cairduacga a bhíonn i ndaoine óga ón mbroinn. Teagasc Ainmníodh ceathrar Ollúna as OÉ Gaillimh i measc na nIntinní Eolaíochta is Tábhachtaí ar Domhan: 2015 Thompson Reuters. I mí na Samhna 2015, rinneadh comóradh ar ionchorprú oifigiúil Choláiste Ósta na Sionna le OÉ Gaillimh. Rinne OÉ Gaillimh infheistíocht ollmhór in oiliúint chliniciúil i réigiún an Iarthair/Iarthuaiscirt agus bunaíodh Acadamh nua Leighis i gcaitheamh na bliana i Maigh Eo, i Sligeach agus i nDún na nGall. Bhronn an Fóram Náisiúnta um Theagasc agus Foghlaim a Fheabhsú san Ardoideachas Gradaim Náisiúnta Teagaisc ar an Dr Michel Dugon, Roinn na Míoleolaíochta agus ar an Dr Karen Doyle, Roinn na Fiseolaíochta. Forbairtí ar an gCampas I Meán Fómhair 2015, rinne an Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD Áis Taighde Chliniciúil HRB ar fiú €25 milliún é agus Institiúid Lambe don Taighde Aistritheach a sheoladh go hoifigiúil. Tá an áis suite ar thailte Ospidéal na hOllscoile, Gaillimh, agus ag feidhmiú mar nasc idir taighde agus a chur i bhfeidhm i suíomh cliniciúil. I mí na Samhna 2015, seoladh Institiúid Cúrsa Saoil agus Sochaí (ILAS) do na heolaíochtaí sóisialta feidhmeacha. Is é seo an institiúid is mó dá leithéid san Eoraip agus tá 150 duine ag obair inti.   -críoch-

As part of the ‘It’s OK to Ask’ campaign, the Health Research Board Clinical Research Facility Galway will open its doors and welcome the public this Thursday, 1 September from 4-7pm. Over 100 clinical trials are underway at the facility involving people with cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The event will include three short talks, a self-guided tour and ten thematic exhibitions highlighting areas of research and ongoing clinical studies. Consultants and staff will be on hand to answer questions and describe their work. Short expert talks will be also be delivered by: Dr Andrew Murphy, Professor of General Practice and Director of HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland; Professor of Cellular Therapy Frank Barry, Coordinator of the ADIPOA-2 project; and Professor of Medicine John J Carey, Consultant Physician in Medicine and Rheumatology. These talks will take place in the Clinical Sciences Institute Large Lecture Theatre, room 227. Launched in May 2016, ‘It’s OK to Ask’ is an on-going public awareness initiative that aims to encourage patients, carers, and the public to ask healthcare professionals if there is a clinical trial study they might be suitable for, and to learn more about what exactly is involved in clinical research. Through the campaign, periodic exhibitions in the University Hospital Galway foyer, themed social media blitzes, and public events are planned. The HRB-CRFG is a joint venture between NUI Galway, Galway University Hospitals, and Saolta, and has been in operation since March 2008, with a purpose-built building adjacent to University Hospital Galway. The HRB-CRFG provides the infrastructure, physical space, facilities, expertise and culture needed to optimally support biomedical research. The team focus on studies aimed at understanding a wide range of diseases and speedily translating the knowledge obtained through this research work into reimbursed, regulatory approved advances in patient care. For more information visit https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/open-house-hrb-clinical-research-facility-galway-tickets-26969365097, or contact event organiser Danielle M. Nicholson at danielle.nicholson@nuigalway.ie or 091 49 4282. -Ends-

The science video competition, ReelLIFE SCIENCE, is open to all primary and secondary schools in Ireland NUI Galway is challenging all primary and secondary school students across Ireland to produce an entertaining and educational short science video for this year’s ReelLIFE SCIENCE competition. Supported by the Science Foundation Ireland Discover programme and the CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices at NUI Galway, ReelLIFE SCIENCE will award €3,000 directly to the winning schools for science promotion. Since launching in 2013, more than 5,000 students in almost 200 schools around Ireland have taken part in ReelLIFE SCIENCE, while the videos produced have been viewed 70,000 times in over 100 countries worldwide. Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Mark Ferguson said of the competition: “We are delighted to support this initiative, which cleverly combines science literacy and creativity, provides a great opportunity for students and teachers to engage with science in a novel way. ReelLIFE SCIENCE encourages young people to connect with the science and technology in their everyday lives, and to bring that knowledge to a wider audience, while promoting current Irish research and development.” Secondary school students can choose ‘Irish Science Heroes’, ‘Myths Busted!’ and ‘How Things Work’ as their competition topic, while primary school topics include ‘Science and Me’, ‘Life in Space’ and ‘The Science of Farming’. Winning videos will be selected by a panel of special guest judges including: RTÉ broadcaster and science enthusiast, Rick O’Shea; University College London neuroscientist and Royal Society Fellow, Professor Eleanor Maguire; and BT Young Scientist & Technologists of the Year 2016, Maria Louise Fufezan and Diana Bura from Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin; Rick O’Shea said: “The competition is just such a brilliant, creative and fun idea, I was delighted to be asked to judge after I saw last year's entries! This isn't going to be an easy task.” Closing date for submissions is Friday, 14 October and winning schools will be announced on Monday, 14 November during Science Week 2016, when they will be invited to attend a public screening and awards ceremony during the Galway Science and Technology Festival on 27 November. ReelLIFE SCIENCE is organised by Dr Enda O’Connell and a team of science communication enthusiasts from NUI Galway, in collaboration with the Cell EXPLORERS outreach programme from the University’s School of Natural Sciences. The 2015 secondary school prizewinners were Solas O’Halloran and Matt Tyrkiel from Causeway Comprehensive School in Co. Kerry, with a video entitled ‘The Mystery of Light’, while the winning primary school video from Scoil Aonghusa Senior, Tallaght, Co. Dublin garnered praise from 2015 special guest judge Cmdr. Chris Hadfield, and his fellow astronaut Major Tim Peake. Previous year’s videos and more information about the 2016 competition can be found at www.reellifescience.com. -Ends-

Leading experts will gather at the Irish Pain Society’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Dublin on Saturday, 3 September, to present and discuss the latest research findings on the management of joint pain. In keeping with the International Association for the Study of Pain’s ‘Global Year Against Pain in the Joints’, the meeting will focus on advancing our understanding and treatment of joint pain. The day will appeal to a broad, multidisciplinary audience of scientists and healthcare professionals as the speakers will cover various topics ranging from advances in our understanding of the biological, psychological and social factors contributing to joint pain to new innovations in psychological and medical treatments for joint pain and how these research findings can be used to improve clinical practice The national and international keynote speakers and topics covered at the Meeting will include: Dr David Cabañero, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain – Basic Science of Joint Pain Professor Candy McCabe, Bristol and Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK – Nursing and Joint Pain Professor Geert Crombez, Ghent Univeristy, Belgium – Psychology and Joint Pain Professor Krysia Dziedzic, Keele University, UK – Physiotherapy and Joint Pain Professor Gerry Wilson, University College Dublin – Rheumatology and Pharmacology and Joint Pain Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen, Aalborg University, Denmark – Joint Pain Medicine The day will also feature a poster presentation session and the Irish Pain Research Network Symposium, both of which provide an opportunity to showcase current pain research in Ireland. Poster presenters will compete for the Pain Research Medals in clinical and non-clinical pain research. Professor David Finn from the Centre for Pain Research at NUI Galway and President of the Irish Pain Society, said: “I am really excited to be hosting this year’s Irish Pain Society meeting and anticipate a day filled with informative and thought-provoking talks covering the cutting edge of research on joint pain, as well as fruitful discussions and interactions with colleagues.” The meeting will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dublin and further details can be found at www.irishpainsociety.com. -Ends-

Arch Therapeutics, Inc. in collaboration with CÚRAM, Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices and the Clinical Research Facility at NUI Galway have successfully met the objectives of a recently completed single-center, randomized, single-blind prospective clinical study of the AC5 Topical Hemostatic DeviceTM in skin lesion patients with bleeding wounds. This was the first study assessing the safety and performance of AC5 in humans and was conducted at University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the safety and performance of AC5 in patients scheduled to undergo excision of skin lesions on their trunk or upper limbs. The primary endpoint was safety throughout the surgical procedure and until the end of a 30-day follow-up period post procedure. Safety of the clinical investigation device was determined by monitoring for treatment related adverse events. The primary objective was met, as the safety outcomes of both the AC5 treatment group and the control group were similar. No serious adverse events were reported. A secondary endpoint was performance as assessed by time to hemostasis. The median time to hemostasis of wounds in the AC5 treatment group was 41% faster than for those in the control group. This result was statistically significant (p<0.001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). An additional secondary endpoint of healing of treated wounds was assessed as measured by the ASEPSIS wound score at Days 7 and 30. There was no evidence, at either follow-up day, of an adverse effect of AC5 treatment on the wound ASEPSIS score. The ASEPSIS score did not appear to be compromised, as the majority of patients had an ASEPSIS score of 0 in both wounds at Days 7 and 30. All AC5-treated wounds healed satisfactorily as per wound healing scoring criteria. Terrence W. Norchi, MD, President and CEO of Arch Therapeutics, said, "These top-line data support that AC5 was safe and performed as expected in the patients enrolled in this study. These successful results mark a significant milestone in the development of AC5 and we are grateful to the support we have received from our colleagues at CÚRAM and CRFG, as well as others involved in the process. We look forward to further advancing our self-assembling peptide technology platform for this and other applications." The clinical study enrolled 46 patients, including 10 who were taking antiplatelet monotherapy. Each patient had bleeding wounds created as a result of the excision of at least two skin lesions under local anesthetic in the same setting. On a randomized basis, one lesion received AC5 and the other(s) received a control treatment consisting of standard therapy plus a sham. Each subject was followed-up for safety assessment both on Day 7 and again on Day 30, which marked the end of the subject's participation in the clinical study. "These results demonstrate significant improvement in efficacy without compromising patient safety. We believe that AC5 represents a unique technology that will provide both rapid and sustained hemostasis and important differentiable clinical benefits," concluded Norchi. Arch's clinical advisory committee has deemed the study results to be clinically significant and have recommended submitting a manuscript to a peer-reviewed medical journal for publication. The Company expects to submit further study details and data, including subgroup analysis, to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. The Company also plans to include data from this trial in a CE mark application for AC5, which is currently anticipated to be filed at the earliest by the end of this year. Arch is currently planning its next clinical-regulatory steps for both the EU and the US. Professor Abhay Pandit, Director of CÚRAM, said: “Clinical trials are an essential component in creating medical devices that realise their full potential and ensuring the safety value of each new development. Without these trials, research cannot be translated into economic, health or societal benefits. Our collaboration with Arch Therapeutics is very exciting. Leaders within CÚRAM have a successful history working with Arch, and we are delighted to support their drive to commercialization for what should be very important products for the healthcare industry.” -Ends-

NUI Galway will host the 41st Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture and Surgical Symposium, the largest Surgical Conference in Ireland, from 2-3 September. The annual event provides a platform for healthcare professionals to present their research and clinical work, and allows for the merging of both scientific and clinical information. It is named in memory of the Galway-born surgeon, Sir Peter Freyer, who performed the first successful surgical operation to remove an enlarged prostate in 1900. It comprises multiple research and education sessions across the various surgical subspecialties, two keynote addresses and discussion around the future of Irish Surgery. Professor Michael Solomon, Consultant Surgeon and Director of Colorectal Research at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, will deliver the Memorial Lecture entitled ‘20 Years of Evolving Pelvic Exenteration’ on Friday, 2 September. Professor Solomon is a past President of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSSANZ), and previously the Chairman of the Post-FRACS Training Board in Colorectal Surgery of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and CSSANZ of which he remained a member for 16 years. He has received an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland as well as an honorary membership of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.  In 2014 Professor Solomon was recently awarded the prestigious RPA Foundation Research Medal, becoming the first Surgeon to be given this honour. Professor Martin Corbally will deliver the State of the Art Lecture entitled ‘The Surgeon in the Modern World’ on Saturday, 3 September. A graduate of NUI Galway, Professor Corbally is Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RSCI) - Medical University of Bahrain, Chief of Staff at King Hamad University Hospital, Kingdom of Bahrain, where he is also a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon.  Having trained in Dublin and London, Professor Corbally has previously worked as Associate Professor and Consultant Paediatric Surgeon in our Lady’s Hospital, Crumlin. He is Founder and Program Director of Operation Childlife, a registered Irish charity that brings paediatric surgical, cardiac, anaesthetic and nursing skills to Vietnam and Tanzania, with the support of the RCSI, the Christina Noble Foundation, Children in Crossfire and Atlantic Philanthropy. Professor of Surgery at NUI Galway, Michael Kerin, who is hosting the event along with his colleague Professor Oliver McAnena, said: “We are delighted to welcome Professor Solomon and Professor Corbally to our University. They are focused on advancing the most effective techniques in precision surgery, aimed at improving survival and quality of life of the patient.  Their lectures are the pivotal points of a large programme containing some of the best surgical research from this country. In addition, the Conference provides a great opportunity for mentoring and development of trainees, networking and cultivating the future of Irish Surgery.” For more information visit www.freyer.ie/. -Ends-

Thirteen young Irish people were honoured for their work in creating digital games and stories on the theme of the health of the oceans at the inaugural European Sea Change Coderdojo Challenge which was held in NUI Galway during the summer. Ciara Heanue from Ballyconneely, Co. Galway, won the Irish Junior Award category for designing a game entitled ‘Wildlife Awareness’. Ciara received a prize of €300 and her game will be included in an iBook about cold-water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools. Conor Salmon and Liam Forde for ‘Gully’s Clean-up’, and Adam Gallagher, Evan Thornton and Daniel Bradley Coyne for ‘Flappy Fish’ were joint winners in the Irish Senior Award category and shared a prize of €500. Due to the high standard at Junior level, three other Irish Junior Merit Awards were awarded to: Sean Connolly, Ruan O’Dowd and Diarmuid O’Donoghue for their ‘Save My Sea game; Paul Schuler, Michael Salmon and Liam Ferrie for ‘SOS - Save Our Seas!’; and Sean Kerr for ‘Animal Saver’. Attending the challenge were Deputy Mayor of Galway City, Councillor John Walsh; Chairman of Coderdojo Galway City, Dr Karl Sweeney; and Co-founder of Galway Coderdojo Brendan Smith, who commend the young Galway game designers for using their coding skills to highlight an issue that is of such global concern. The Sea Change Game Design Challenge was launched in February this year and invited entries from CoderDojo members aged 7-18yrs entrants from Galway. The initiative was also piloted in Lund, Sweden with the possibility of rolling it out across Europe over the next two years. Single and team entrants were encouraged to use their CoderDojos and mentors to develop their games over the three months The challenge is organised by NUI Galway as part of their contribution to a European project called “Sea Change” which aims to establish a fundamental change in the way European citizens view their relationship with the sea.  Dr Anthony Grehan, Earth and Ocean Sciences, NUI Galway and co-organiser of the event, said: “The challenge is to use the fun and popularity of designing and playing tech games to raise awareness of marine issues like the need to protect cold-water coral reefs, how we can begin to address the scourge of micro-plastics, and how we can maintain healthy oceans and seas, for ourselves, for the animals that live in them, and ultimately for the planet.” “There was a surge of interest with 32 entrants from Galway alone, revealing a strong and enthusiastic coding community, which is particularly relevant from an informal learning perspective, considering the recent Digital Strategy for Schools, 2015-2020 and its promotion of coding and programming at both primary and secondary level”, said Dr Veronica McCauley from NUI Galway’s School of Education and co-organiser of the event. The game design was reviewed by a panel of experts including Alan Duggan of Tribalcity.com, Gavin Duffy, RealSim Ltd., and Triona Mac Giolla Rí, Aró Digital Strategy, and judged on ‘best concept’ and ‘ease of use’.  Brendan Smith, Education Outreach Officer at INSIGHT, NUI Galway and Co-Founder of Coderdojo Galway, said: “The aesthetic and technical merit of the project submissions has been highly commended by the judges. And as such, we are delighted to hear that one of the winning games will be included within a soon to be published iBook about cold water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools.” Irish Finalist games are available online at https://scratch.mit.edu/search/projects?q=seachange. Other marine related resources are available on the project website at www.seachangeproject.eu. -Ends-

Thirteen young Irish people were honoured for their work in creating digital games and stories on the theme of the health of the oceans at the inaugural European Sea Change Coderdojo Challenge which was held in NUI Galway during the summer. Ciara Heanue from Ballyconneely, Co. Galway, won the Irish Junior Award category for designing a game entitled ‘Wildlife Awareness’. Ciara received a prize of €300 and her game will be included in an iBook about cold-water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools. Conor Salmon and Liam Forde for ‘Gully’s Clean-up’, and Adam Gallagher, Evan Thornton and Daniel Bradley Coyne for ‘Flappy Fish’ were joint winners in the Irish Senior Award category and shared a prize of €500. Due to the high standard at Junior level, three other Irish Junior Merit Awards were awarded to: Sean Connolly, Ruan O’Dowd and Diarmuid O’Donoghue for their ‘Save My Sea game; Paul Schuler, Michael Salmon and Liam Ferrie for ‘SOS - Save Our Seas!’; and Sean Kerr for ‘Animal Saver’. Attending the challenge were Deputy Mayor of Galway City, Councillor John Walsh; Chairman of Coderdojo Galway City, Dr Karl Sweeney; and Co-founder of Galway Coderdojo Brendan Smith, who commend the young Galway game designers for using their coding skills to highlight an issue that is of such global concern. The Sea Change Game Design Challenge was launched in February this year and invited entries from CoderDojo members aged 7-18yrs entrants from Galway. The initiative was also piloted in Lund, Sweden with the possibility of rolling it out across Europe over the next two years. Single and team entrants were encouraged to use their CoderDojos and mentors to develop their games over the three months The challenge is organised by NUI Galway as part of their contribution to a European project called “Sea Change” which aims to establish a fundamental change in the way European citizens view their relationship with the sea.  Dr Anthony Grehan, Earth and Ocean Sciences, NUI Galway and co-organiser of the event, said: “The challenge is to use the fun and popularity of designing and playing tech games to raise awareness of marine issues like the need to protect cold-water coral reefs, how we can begin to address the scourge of micro-plastics, and how we can maintain healthy oceans and seas, for ourselves, for the animals that live in them, and ultimately for the planet.” “There was a surge of interest with 32 entrants from Galway alone, revealing a strong and enthusiastic coding community, which is particularly relevant from an informal learning perspective, considering the recent Digital Strategy for Schools, 2015-2020 and its promotion of coding and programming at both primary and secondary level”, said Dr Veronica McCauley from NUI Galway’s School of Education and co-organiser of the event. The game design was reviewed by a panel of experts including Alan Duggan of Tribalcity.com, Gavin Duffy, RealSim Ltd., and Triona Mac Giolla Rí, Aró Digital Strategy, and judged on ‘best concept’ and ‘ease of use’.  Brendan Smith, Education Outreach Officer at INSIGHT, NUI Galway and Co-Founder of Coderdojo Galway, said: “The aesthetic and technical merit of the project submissions has been highly commended by the judges. And as such, we are delighted to hear that one of the winning games will be included within a soon to be published iBook about cold water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools.” Irish Finalist games are available online at https://scratch.mit.edu/search/projects?q=seachange. Other marine related resources are available on the project website at www.seachangeproject.eu. -Ends-

CAO Points Increase Significantly for Commerce, Science and Health Sciences at NUI Galway The continuing popularity of NUI Galway was reflected by CAO offers issued today, with the vast majority of courses maintaining or increasing points from 2015. Across all five colleges, points have risen. Commerce (Global Experience), Biomedical Science, Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy, all require 500 points or more for entry. Arts (Psychology), Commerce (International) with French, with German and with Spanish, Commerce (Accounting), Financial Mathematics and Economics, and Mathematical Science, all finish in the high 400s. NUI Galway’s Admissions Officer, Stephen O’Dea, said: “For the fourth year running, NUI Galway’s courses in Commerce have seen a steady increase in their points indicating a continued growth in interest in these areas. International Commerce programmes continue to be a popular choice for students with a global outlook and the strong performance of the new Commerce (Global Experience) confirms this. NUI Galway’s strength and reputation in Biosciences is also reflected with Biomedical Science continuing to perform well (530 points) and Biopharmaceutical Chemistry maintaining its 500 points entry requirement. There has been a steady interest in the Financial Mathematics and Economics programme at 485 points. This is reflective of a growing confidence in the national and international economies and financial markets, and growth in employment opportunities therein, both at home and abroad.” This year to assist high-achieving, school leavers from Ireland’s newest communities, such as refugees, to achieve their third-level goals with NUI Galway a new national pilot scheme have been put in place. Four students will be offered places as part of NUI Galway’s new merit-based Inclusive Centenaries Scholarship Scheme. Students have until Friday, 2 September to apply and can visit www.nuigalway.ie/scholarships for details. Stephen concluded: “Incoming students will be well placed to benefit from NUI Galway’s significant and ongoing capital investment programme and its fostering of innovation, entrepreneurship and research. NUI Galway is a diverse community and this year we are delighted to provide scholarship support to benefit members of Ireland’s newest communities to help to realise their full potential.”   With NUI Galway anticipating an intake of over 3,000 new students in September, a hotline is in place for students, parents and teachers. The First Year Student Hotline number is 091 493999 or visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/startinguniversity/ . The hotline will be available from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and on Saturday, 27 August from 9am to 1pm. Courses on the rise: Prospective students have shown particular interest in Commerce programmes, especially those with an international focus, reflecting awareness of the need for language mobility in the global jobs market. NUI Galway’s three International Commerce programmes (French German, and Spanish) all reached 480 points and NUI Galway’s new programme Commerce (Global Experience) is particularly popular, opening with a points requirement of 500. For the first year, Shannon College of Hotel Management’s course offerings fall within NUI Galway’s programme portfolio, with both Business Studies in International Hotel Management and Commerce in International Hotel Management showing points increases. Biomedical Engineering reached 500 points for the first time. Computer Science and Information Technology remains popular, maintaining its 2015 points requirement of 425, as do Business Information Systems (430 points) and Commerce (Accounting) (460 points). The popularity of NUI Galway’s two Law programmes continues with Corporate Law ending on 385 points and Civil Law on 435 points. Demand for Science courses has increased, with entry to Bachelor of Science Programme up 10 points to 400. Recognising NUI Galway’s national and international leadership in Biosciences, Biomedical Science remains at 530 point, the University’s second highest points programme. Biopharmaceutical Chemistry remains at 500 points, while Biotechnology finished at 440. Entry onto the medical programme requires 723 points (including HPAT), the same as 2015, and General Nursing finished at 445, Psychiatric Nursing at 415 and Midwifery at 440. Both of NUI Galway’s Therapy programmes, Occupational and Speech and Language finished at 530 points. In Arts, NUI Galway’s popular Creative Writing degree continues to attract a great deal of interest with the points increasing by 20 to 445. Arts (Mathematics and Education) has increased in demand with a 25 point rise to 435 and NUI Galway’s new Arts Degree (Children’s Studies) opens at 350 points. -Ends- An-éileamh ar OÉ Gaillimh arís agus tairiscintí an CAO ag teacht amach  Ardú mór ar Phointí an do chúrsaí Tráchtála, Eolaíochta agus Eolaíochtaí Sláinte OÉ Gaillimh Ba léir ó na tairiscintí a rinne an CAO inniu go bhfuil an-éileamh ar OÉ Gaillimh arís i mbliana. Tá líon na bpointí atá de dhíth ar fhormhór mór na gcúrsaí gan athrú nó ardaithe ó 2015. D'ardaigh líon na bpointí atá ag teastáil chun cúrsaí a dhéanamh i gcúig choláiste na hOllscoile. Tá 500 pointe nó níos mó ag teastáil chun áit a fháil sa Tráchtáil (Taithí Idirnáisiúnta), an Eolaíocht Bhithleighis, an Cheimic Bhithchógaisíochta, an Innealtóireacht Bhithleighis, an Teiripe Shaothair agus an Teiripe Urlabhra agus Teanga. Tá níos mó ná 400 pointe ag teastáil i gcás cúrsaí sna Dána (an tSíceolaíocht), an Tráchtáil (Idirnáisiúnta) le Fraincis, Gearmáinis nó Spáinnis, an Tráchtáil (Cuntasaíocht), Matamaitic an Airgeadais agus Eacnamaíocht agus Eolaíochtaí Matamaiticiúla. Tabharfaidh OÉ Gaillimh áit do cheathrar mac léinn mar chuid den Scéim nua Scoláireachtaí Uileghabhálacha Comórtha Céad Bliain a bhronnfar ar bhonn fiúntais i mbliana. Cabhróidh an scéim phíolótach náisiúnta seo le daoine sárchumasacha atá ag fágáil na meánscoile agus arb as nua-phobail na hÉireann iad (teifigh, mar shampla) oideachas tríú leibhéal a bhaint amach in OÉ Gaillimh. Beidh go dtí Dé hAoine, an 2 Meán Fómhair ag mic léinn chun iarratas a dhéanamh agus tá tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ag www.nuigalway.ie/scholarships. Dúirt Oifigeach Iontrála OÉ Gaillimh, Stephen O’Dea: “Siod é an ceathrú bliain as a chéile a tháinig ardú ar líon na bpointí atá de dhíth chun cúrsaí Tráchtála a dhéanamh in OÉ Gaillimh, rud a léiríonn go bhfuil an tsuim sna cúrsaí seo ag méadú léi. Is iomaí mac léinn a bhfuil spéis acu ina bhfuil ag tarlú sa domhan mór a roghnaíonn an cúrsa Tráchtála Idirnáisiúnta agus léiríonn an chaoi ar éirigh leis an gcúrsa nua sa Tráchtáil (Taithí Idirnáisiúnta) sin. Léiríonn an t-ardú ar na pointí don chlár Innealtóireachta Neamhainmnithe i mbliana go dtuigeann mic léinn an fiúntas atá le céim Innealtóireachta a dhéanamh in OÉ Gaillimh, go háirithe i bhfianaise mhargadh iomaíoch fostaíochta an lae inniu. Is léiriú ar láidreacht agus ar cháil OÉ Gaillimh san eolaíocht bhitheach an tóir atá i gcónaí ar an Eolaíocht Bhithleighis (530 pointe) agus ar an gCeimic Bhithchógaisíochta (500 pointe). Tá suim á cur sa chúrsa Matamaitic an Airgeadais agus Eacnamaíocht go leanúnach agus tá 485 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil ar an gcúrsa. Léiríonn sé seo go bhfuil an muinín atá ag daoine sa gheilleagar náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta agus as na margaí airgeadais ag fás agus go bhfuiltear ag súil go mbeidh deiseanna fostaíochta sna réimsí sin in Éirinn agus thar sáile." Mar fhocal scoir, bhí an méid seo le rá aige: Bainfidh mic léinn tairbhe as an gclár suntasach leanúnach infheistíochta caipitil in OÉ Gaillimh a chuireann ar chumas na foirne agus na mac léinn aghaidh a thabhairt ar nuálaíocht, ar fhiontraíocht agus ar thaighde. Is pobal ilghnéitheach in OÉ Gaillimh agus tá áthas orainn scoláireachtaí a chur ar fáil i mbliana chun cabhrú le baill phobail nua na hÉireann chun barr a gcumais a bhaint amach."  Tá OÉ Gaillimh ag súil go mbeidh 3,000 mac léinn nua ag teacht chuici i Mí Mheán Fómhair agus tá beolíne ar fáil do mhic léinn, tuismitheoirí agus múinteoirí. Is í uimhir Bheolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana 091 493999 nó téigh chuig http://www.nuigalway.ie/new-students/. Beidh an bheolíne ar fáil ó Luan go hAoine, ó 9am go dtí 6pm agus ar an Satharn, an 27 Lúnasa, ó 9am go dtí 1pm. Cúrsaí a bhfuil borradh ag teacht fúthu: Léirigh mic léinn nua suim ar leith sna cláir Tráchtála, go háirithe na cláir a bhfuil gné idirnáisiúnta ag baint leo, rud a thaispeánann go dtuigeann an pobal mór an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an ilteangachas sa mhargadh domhanda fostaíochta. Bhain na Cláir Tráchtála Idirnáisiúnta (Fraincis, Gearmáinis agus Spáinnis) a chuireann OÉ Gaillimh ar fáil 480 pointe amach agus bhí an-tóir ar an gclár nua sa Tráchtáil (Taithí Idirnáisiúnta) agus tá 500 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil air. Tá cúrsaí Choláiste Ósta na Sionna i measc na gcúrsaí atá luaite le OÉ Gaillimh den chéad uair i mbliana agus tháinig ardú ar líon na bpointí atá ag teastáil don Staidéar Gnó sa Bhainistíocht Óstáin Idirnáisiúnta agus don Tráchtáil sa Bhainistíocht Óstáin Idirnáisiúnta. D'ardaigh líon na bpointí atá ag teastáil chun áit a fháil ar an gcúrsa Innealtóireachta Neamhainmnithe go 445 i mbliana, rud a léiríonn an tsuim atá ag daoine ar fud na tíre sa réimse seo agus bhain an Innealtóireacht Bhithleighis 500 pointe amach den chéad uair riamh. Tá éileamh ar an Eolaíocht Ríomhaireachta agus  Teicneolaíocht na Faisnéise go fóill agus tá 425 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil ar na cúrsaí sin agus is amhlaidh atá sé do Chórais Faisnéise Gnó (430 pointe) agus don Tráchtáil (Cuntasaíocht) (460 pointe). Tá an-tóir ar chláir Dlí OÉ Gaillimh agus tá 385 pointe de dhíth chun an Dlí Corparáideach a dhéanamh agus 435 i gcás an Dlí Shibhialta. Mhéadaigh an t-éileamh ar chúrsaí Eolaíochta agus tá 400 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil orthu, méadú 10 bpointe. Ní haon ionadh gurb é an cúrsa Eolaíochta Bithleighis an dara cúrsa is mó a bhfuil pointí ag dul leis (530 pointe) toisc go bhfuil OÉ Gaillimh go mór chun cinn i réimse na nEolaíochtaí Bitheacha go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta. Tá 500 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil sa Cheimic Bhithchógaisíochta agus 440 i gcás na Biteicneolaíochta. Tá 723 pointe (HPAT san áireamh) ag teastáil chun áit a fháil ar an gclár Leighis, mar a bhí in 2015, agus 445 de dhíth chun an tAltranas Ginearálta a dhéanamh, 415 don Altranas Síciatrach agus 440 don Chnáimhseachas. Tá 530 pointe de dhíth chun áit a fháil ar an dá chlár teiripe a chuireann OÉ Gaillimh ar fáil, an Teiripe Shaothair agus an Teiripe Urlabhra agus Teanga. Maidir leis na Dána, cuireadh an-suim sa chéim sa Scríbhneoireacht Cruthaitheach. Tháinig ardú 20 pointe air agus 445 de dhíth chun áit a fháil ar an gclár.  Tháinig ardú 25 pointe ar an gcúrsa sna Dána (Matamaitic agus Oideachas) agus tá 435 ag teastáil chun áit a fháil air agus tá 350 pointe de dhíth i gcás na céime nua sna Dána (Staidéar Leanaí). -Críoch-

NUI Galway recently hosted the second International Conference on Pollution Control and Resource Recovery for the Livestock Sector (LivestockWaste2016). The conference provided a forum for researchers and industry representatives to present, discuss and develop their innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and recovering resources. Sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, Engineers Ireland, Teagasc, NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute and Fáilte Ireland, the conference also facilitated the introduction of many innovative international solutions to representatives of the Irish livestock sector and engineering industry with the aim of improving practices in Ireland. Professor Xinmin Zhan, Chair of LivestockWaste2016 and Professor with NUI Galway’s Civil Engineering, said: “In recent years, economic development, population growth and demand for a better quality of living have resulted in the growth of the livestock sector. As a by-product of the sectors activities, a large volume of waste is generated making the livestock sector one of the largest agricultural pollution sources in most developing and developed countries. In addition to the waste generated, the livestock sector is a major contributor to climate change as a result of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rumen animals, on-farm activities and animal waste management. In order to alleviate the pollution from the sector, innovative technologies and practices for managing livestock waste and emissions are being developed worldwide.” Over the three days international renowned experts delivered keynote speeches on a number of critical topics relating to waste management within the Livestock sector including: Professor Kornelia Smalla, The Julius Kühn Institute, Germany; Dr Karl Richards, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle; Professor Han-Qing Yu, University of Science and Technology of China; Dr Jerry Murphy, University College Cork; Professor Xia Huang, Tsinghua University, China; and Professor Dave Chadwick, Bangor University in Wales. In addition, the international conference delegates delivered, both, oral and poster presentations, over the three days. These presentation were grouped under a number of thematic areas, including but limited to: pollution policies and regulations for the livestock sector; emerging contaminants in livestock waste streams; technologies for waste prevention; anaerobic digestion and composting; pollution control technologies; Greenhouse Gas emissions; technologies for nutrient recovery; and other relative technologies. The Environmental Engineering Research Group in Civil Engineering has been very active in carrying out research and practice in environmentally sustainable agricultural waste management. Professor Xinmin Zhan, who chaired the LivestockWaste2016 conference, is leading the GreenFarm project funded by SFI. The project explores the technical and financial feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion plants on Irish pig farms, and the DairyWater project investigating measures to increase the environmental sustainability of the Irish dairy processing industry. -Ends-

Highlighting the important partnership between NUI Galway and Tsinghua University, a concert took place on campus this week, with Dr Yue Xiaoyong, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, as special guest. The lunchtime event, attended by over 200 guests, featured the Tsinghua University Symphony Orchestra and visiting students from the University. Fresh from a performance in the Black Box over the weekend, the students danced and performed in traditional dress. One of Asia’s leading universities, Tsinghua University has a longstanding tradition of co-operation in teaching and research with NUI Galway. This was formalised in December 2014 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding witnessed by President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and President of China, Xi Jinping, both alumni of NUI Galway and Tsinghua respectively. The concert coincided with the visit by Tsinghua Vice-Chancellor SHI Zongkai, Vice Chairperson of University Council, who was on campus for a series of strategic meetings with NUI Galway administrators and academics, including University President, Dr Jim Browne. This annual meeting, known as Tsinghua-NUI Galway Day is now a feature of the collaboration and sees senior academics from both institutions briefing each other on research developments and planning their programme of collaboration. Dr Browne commented: “It was a great honour to welcome our colleagues from Tsinghua University in the presence of His Excellency Ambassador Yue. Our strong ties with a range of Chinese universities greatly benefit and support research collaborations, as well as student and academic exchanges. NUI Galway also has a growing network of graduates in China and this plays an important role in reinforcing our research links with some of China’s leading universities, including Tsinghua, Beijing Institute of Technology and Harbin Institute of Technology.” NUI Galway has academic exchange and collaborations with 30 institutions throughout China and Hong Kong. “I look forward to visiting the China Education Expo as part of a national delegation with Richard Bruton, TD Minister for Education and Skills in October of this year”, added Dr Browne. The China Education Expo has become one of them most prominent education fairs in China, attracting a substantial number of top international education providers, as well as a significant volume of student visitors. This year Ireland will be awarded the prestigious role of ‘Country of Honour’ for the event. Meanwhile, hundreds of Chinese delegates from some of the most well-known research institutions and universities were at NUI Galway for a joint international conference on environment, health and geographical information science. ISEH 2016, ISEG 2016 and GeoInformatics 2016 run until the 20 August, more information is available at www.conference.ie -ends-

From Shakespeare to Harry Potter NUI Galway will host the 13th conference of the European Society for the Study of English (ESSE) from 22-26 August. This event will bring over 800 scholars to Galway, from almost every country in Europe, as well as north and south America, the Middle East, China, Australia, and elsewhere. ESSE is a scholarly organisation dedicated to the study of English language, literature and cultural studies. This is the first time that it has been held in Ireland and is one of the largest conferences in the humanities in Europe. The event includes over 80 seminars on a huge range of topics. Great literary figures such as Shakespeare and Charles Dickens feature, but there are also seminars on more recent literary creations such as Harry Potter. Seminars also cover a wide range of subjects, including religious writing, young adult fiction, crime writing, romantic poetry, and much more. Papers in the area of linguistics focus on such topics as special education, the influence of English on European languages, and business terminology. There are also papers on contemporary film and television, ranging from such movies as The Piano to the TV show Penny Dreadful. The three keynote speakers are Emma Smith from Oxford, who will speak about Shakespeare’s first folio; Paul Baker from Lancaster, who will speak about the differences between British and American English; and the Irish writer Colm Tóibín, who will speak on the topic of violence in the works of Yeats and Joyce. Other special events include an exhibition on Shakespeare and Kenneth Branagh, hosted by NUI Galway’s James Hardiman Library; an evening of Sean-Nós Song and Dance; a reading by Mike McCormack and Mary O’Malley; and a Druid Academy public interview with Irish draamatists Stacey Gregg, Sonya Kelly, Amy Conroy and Meadhbh McHugh. The conference is organised by Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at NUI Galway, Patrick Lonergan: “Bringing ESSE to Galway is a huge privilege. It allows us to make connections all across Europe and the wider world – something that our students and staff can only benefit from. With the news that Galway will be European Capital of Culture in 2020, this event gives us a great opportunity to present ourselves to a European audience and to showcase Galway’s excellence in the areas of education, culture and hospitality.” As a subject English is one of NUI Galway’s highest ranked, being placed in the Top 200 QS World University Rankings. The ESSE event also showcases the University’s excellence in other areas: its major theatre archive holdings, as well as its programmes in such areas as Creative Writing, Literature and Publishing, Theatre Practice and Production, Irish Studies, and more. Further details on the conference website: www.esse2016.org/. -Ends- 

Scientists at NUI Galway have put a call out to people from every county in Ireland to keep an eye out for native Irish bees this summer. Beekeepers and bee-enthusiasts in particular are being asked to report any feral or unmanaged hives in their area. The team of scientists, with help from watchful members of the public, have already found more than twenty feral Irish Honey Bee hives, inlcuding one in the statue of a lion on the estate of Mote Park, Roscommon. Reports have also been received from reliable sources pointing to long-term presence of ‘wild’ hives in seven additional counties. Of particular interest at this stage are old abandoned houses and castles, outbuildings, residential houses, and woodlands. The overall aim of the project is to settle the debate as to whether there truly remain any indigenous Irish Honey Bees - Apis Mellifera Mellifera - persisting in the wild. If they do exist, then their gene pool may well prove important in the fight against the varroa mite which is destroying hives all over the world. This mite seriously affects honey bee health to such an extent that most beekeepers have to chemically treat bees multiple times per year. Professor Grace McCormack, of NUI Galway’s Zoology Department, is leading the project which has been funded by The Eva Crane Trust: “When disease wiped out swathes of native Irish Honey Bee colonies in the past, foreign subspecies of honeybees were knowingly imported as a proposed solution to bolster numbers. Due to generations of interaction with escapees of domesticated colonies, fears are that the Irish Honey Bee populations currently found in the wild are introgressed (mixed) with non-native subspecies and hybrid strains of French, Dutch, Italian and Russian extraction.” By locating and monitoring active colonies in isolated and unmanaged hives, the scientists hope to test two assumptions held by many. Firstly, that honeybees cannot persist in the wild, so those that are supposedly found are new colonies that have swarmed from nearby beekeepers each year. Secondly, that colonies found in the wild are hybrids and not native bees. “To test these assumptions, ideally we would like to identify hives that people know have been continually active for periods of more than two-three years”, added Professor McCormack. When wild hives are found, the morphology, genotype, and health of the bees are recorded. The genotype will be used to identify if bees are native Irish honeybees and if the same genotype persists over multiple years. Of particular interest are pure Apis mellifera mellifera with unique Irish genotypes that remain healthy despite no chemical intervention. Members of the public who think they know of a ‘wild’ hive or would like to know more about the project can email nuigbeeresearch@gmail.com,  call 091 494490 or visit the Bee Genes Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/The-Bee-Genes-761379923978769/?fref=ts  -ends-

NUI Galway will once again open its dedicated First Year Student Hotline on Wednesday, 17 August. The hotline will be open to students and their parents/guardians and will run until Friday, 30 September, 2016. With NUI Galway anticipating an intake of over 3,000 new students in September, a team of specially-trained staff and students will be on hand to answer any questions students and parents may have. The hotline will be available from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and on Saturday 20 and 27 August from 9am to 1pm. The availability of these services coincides with the period of frantic activity and decision making that immediately follows the release of the Leaving Certificate results. The team will be on hand to deal with numerous issues that are of concern to incoming first year students, such as: points requirements for courses; first round offers; registering as a student of the University; start dates; fees and accommodation options. Tara Leydon, Academic Records and Registration Officer at NUI Galway, says: “The next few weeks is a very exciting time for all Leaving Certificate students as the culmination of years’ of hard work come to fruition. The next step for many is the transition into third-level education which is a significant milestone, not only for the students themselves, but also for their families, and we at NUI Galway understand the impact of this change, especially for those entering into university for the first time. In order to help those who are deciding to embark upon a university degree programme, we will provide support, information and guidance through our First-Year Student Hotline, to answer any questions that individuals might have about any aspect of university life. We invite all students, parents and advisors to avail of this service to make the passage to NUI Galway as smooth as possible.” Students, parents and advisers can contact the First Year Student Hotline at 091 493999 or visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/startinguniversity/ for up to date information. -Ends- Beolíne ar fáil do Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana in OÉ Gaillimh  Beidh Beolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana ar fáil arís i mbliana in OÉ Gaillimh ó Dé Céadaoin, an 17 Lúnasa ar aghaidh. Beidh mic léinn agus a dtuismitheoirí/a gcaomhnóirí in ann glaoch ar an mbeolíne go dtí Dé hAoine, an 30 Meán Fómhair 2016. Beidh os cionn 3,000 mac léinn nua ag tosú in OÉ Gaillimh i mí Mheán Fómhair agus beidh foireann oilte comhaltaí foirne agus mac léinn ar fáil chun ceist ar bith a d'fhéadfadh a bheith ag na mic léinn nó ag a dtuismitheoirí a fhreagairt. Beidh an bheolíne ar fáil ó Luan go hAoine, ó 9am go dtí 6pm agus dhá Shatharn, an 20 Lúnasa, agus an 27 Lúnasa, ó 9am go dtí 6pm.  Beidh na seirbhísí seo ar fáil sa tréimhse chorraitheach sin ina mbíonn ar dhaltaí cinneadh a dhéanamh i ndiaidh dóibh torthaí na hArdteistiméireachta a fháil. Beidh an fhoireann ar fáil chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar cheisteanna a bheas ag déanamh imní do mhic léinn na chéad bliana, lena n-áirítear: na pointí a bheas riachtanach do chúrsaí ar leith; an chéad bhabhta tairiscintí; clárú mar mhac léinn san Ollscoil; dátaí tosaithe; táillí agus roghanna lóistín. Seo a leanas an méid a bhí le rá ag Tara Leydon, Oifigeach na dTaifead Acadúil agus Clárúcháin, OÉ Gaillimh, faoin mbeolíne: "Tá athrú mór saoil i ndán do dhaltaí na hArdteistiméireachta agus beidh toradh a saothair acu anois i ndiaidh blianta a chaitheamh ag oibriú go crua. Is é an chéad chéim eile don chuid is mó acu an t-athrú ón dara leibhéal go dtí an tríú leibhéal. Is athrú mór é seo, ní hamháin dóibh féin ach dá dteaghlaigh chomh maith agus is maith a thuigimidne in OÉ Gaillimh an tionchar a bhíonn aige seo orthu, agus go háirithe orthu siúd atá ag tabhairt faoin ollscoil den chéad uair riamh. Chun cabhrú leo siúd a bheas ag tabhairt faoi chéim ollscoile, cuirfimid tacaíocht, eolas agus treoir ar fáil trí Bheolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bliana, agus freagróimid aon cheist a bheas acu faoi shaol na hOllscoile. Tá fáilte roimh mhic léinn, tuismitheoirí agus a lucht comhairlithe úsáid a bhaint as an tseirbhís chun cuidiú leis an aistear chuig OÉ Gaillimh.” Féadfaidh mic léinn, tuismitheoirí agus lucht comhairlithe teagmháil a dhéanamh le Beolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana ar 091 493999 nó dul go dtí http://www.nuigalway.ie/startinguniversity/ chun an t-eolas is deireanaí a fháil. -Críoch-

NUI Galway has successfully completed the first year of a new intern junior mentoring programme, iJuMP. The mentoring programme was introduced by the West Northwest (WNW) Intern Training Network into the University’s School of Medicine in September 2015. iJuMP aims to establish a peer teaching experience delivered by interns to final-year medical students to improve preparedness for clinical practice. The development of skills such as leadership, coaching and teaching to the interns was also an objective of the programme. Dr Dara Byrne, senior lecturer in medical education and simulation at NUI Galway and intern coordinator WNW, said: “The peer teachers are neither professional educators nor experts. Essentially, they teach their peers or juniors whilst they themselves continue to learn by designing and delivering teaching sessions to small groups, act as mentors and give ward-based tutorials to improve awareness around intern training posts and the role of the intern. iJuMP programme has been hugely successful and beneficial to both interns and students and something that the interns should be very proud of.” The iJuMP interns were selected and attended a two day ‘teach the teacher’ course designed for medical professionals, facilitated by Oxford Medical Training. Clincial tutorials were delivered over both semesters and were supported by two meet and ‘greet the intern’ evenings called ‘Your Event Your Future’. Funding for the programme came from the Health Service Executive’s National Doctors Training and Planning Development Funding Programme. To view testimonials from the interns visit https://vimeo.com/177832547.  -Ends-

NUI Galway will host the Sixth Annual Tudor and Stuart Ireland Interdisciplinary Conference from 19-20 August in the Moore Institute, Hardiman Research Building. This year’s programme will feature a selection of plenary speakers including Professor Mary O’Dowd of Queen’s University Belfast, and Professor Andrew Hadfield from University of Sussex, as well as a special panel session ‘Shakespeare and Ireland ‘ and a session in honour of Professor Steven Ellis from NUI Galway’s Discipline of History. The programme also boasts thirty-six research papers across both days of the conference. Co-Organiser Dr Bronagh McShane, Postdoctoral Researcher with NUI Galway’s Moore Institute, said: “The Tudor and Stuart Ireland Interdisciplinary Conference annually welcomes established academics, early stage and independent researchers, as well as postgraduates from Ireland and beyond to present their research in a genuinely collegial environment.”  For more information visit https://tudorstuartireland.com/ or follow on Twitter @TudorStuartIre. -Ends-

‘Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Health Research in Horizon 2020’ NUI Galway will host the Irish Research Council Interdisciplinary Research Workshop for Health on Friday, 16 September, in the Aula Maxima. The workshop aims to facilitate the creation of long-term interdisciplinary networks for health‐related research, with the target of securing European funding under the upcoming Horizon 2020 Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing Work Programme (2016/2017). The workshop, ‘Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Health Research in Horizon 2020’, is open to those working in health-related research, including academics, researchers, industry, health service providers, and NGOs. Dr Molly Byrne, Director of NUI Galway’s Health Behaviour Change Research Group, School of Psychology, and coordinator of workshop explains: “One of Ireland’s key industrial strengths is in the Med-Tech Sector. With 13 of the world’s top 15 medical device companies based in Ireland, employing over 25,000 people, the economic and societal value of this sector cannot be overstated. Much of this success has been achieved through close collaboration with Irish academic research institutions, bridging the inter-sectoral gap between industry and academia. However, interdisciplinary gaps within health research in Ireland still exist, and with changes to the funding landscape, truly interdisciplinary research is vital to success.” The workshop will: Highlight areas of strengths across the disciplinary divide Identify opportunities to enhance health-related research through interdisciplinary collaboration Facilitate network creation with the aim of developing detailed plans for collaborative submissions to the upcoming Horizon 2020 Health calls in the area of Personalised Medicine One of the experts speaking at the workshop is Dr Adamantios Koumpis of the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Passau, Germany. Dr Koumpis was a Research Fellow at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute, NUI Galway with responsibilities for fundraising, research strategy design and development of synergies with European industry for new projects design. He has successfully led over 50 commercial and research projects for new technology development, technology adoption and user uptake, at national and European level. Also speaking is Professor Sally Wyke, Deputy Director of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing, and Associate of the School of Medicine at the University of Glasgow. Professor Wyke’s research is focused on helping people manage and maintain their health, reduce risk of ill health and manage their symptoms and illnesses. She currently leads an EU FP7 project (2013-2018): EUROFIT: Social innovation to improve physical activity and sedentary behaviour through elite European football clubs – European Fans in Training. For further information or to register for the workshop visit www.conference.ie, or contact Valerie Parker, Health Behaviour Change Research Group, NUI Galway at valerie.parker@nuigalway.ie or 091 49 4454. -Ends-

The College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway has announced details of a special entrance maths examination to give students a second chance to pursue a career in engineering. The exam, which takes place on Wednesday, 24 August, is for students who achieve the CAO points for an undergraduate engineering degree course at NUI Galway but who have not met the obligatory maths requirement. NUI Galway will also hold an intensive preparatory course for applicants intending to sit the exam. This free course will run from 18-24 August. For more than 20 years NUI Galway has provided this special entrance exam to help applicants who did not achieve the required grade C3 or better in higher level mathematics. Those who took lower level maths in the Leaving Cert may also apply for the exam. Students who pass this examination will be deemed to have satisfied the maths requirement and, providing they have the necessary points, will receive an additional CAO offer at Round Two. From 18-24 August, in addition to preparing students for the special entrance examination, lecturers will demonstrate the relevance and application of mathematics to engineering. The aim of the preparatory course is to bridge the gap between the Leaving Certificate lower level and that required to be successful in the entrance exam. This will be achieved by tackling a variety of problems of increasing difficulty. Learning how to approach a problem and apply the knowledge available will be emphasised. Professor Gerry Lyons, Dean of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway, said: “The nature of engineering programmes is that they are focused on the development of analytical and problem solving skills, and thus require significant use of mathematics and applied mathematics. Every year we see a number of promising students who perform poorly on the day of the Leaving Cert exam. Our Special Entrance Maths Examination provides these students with a second opportunity to demonstrate that they have reached the necessary standard in maths. Over the years, we have had some exceptionally talented students graduate and pursue successful careers in engineering because they were given the second chance which this exam represents.” NUI Galway offers students an undenominated entry to engineering. This course is specifically designed for students who are interested in becoming an engineer, but uncertain as to which field they want to specialise in. This course offers students the option of studying engineering in a general way for one year before going on to specialise in their chosen field in year two. To apply for the special maths exam please visit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/prospectivestudents/specialentrancemathsexamination/. Those interested in the revision maths course should visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/prospectivestudents/specialentrancemathspreparatorycourse/ for further details. -Ends- Seans Eile á thabhairt ag OÉ Gaillimh do Mhic Léinn na hArdteistiméireachta trí Scrúdú Speisialta Matamaitice a Reáchtáil Tá Coláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice in OÉ Gaillimh i ndiaidh sonraí a chur ar fáil faoi scrúdú speisialta iontrála matamaitice, scrúdú a thugann seans eile do mhic léinn tabhairt faoi ghairm na hinnealtóireachta. Beidh an scrúdú ar siúl Dé Céadaoin, an 24 Lúnasa, agus tá sé dírithe ar mhic léinn a bhaineann na pointí cuí don CAO amach chun cúrsa céime san innealtóireacht a dhéanamh in OÉ Gaillimh ach nach bhfuil an marc riachtanach acu sa mhatamaitic. Chomh maith leis sin, beidh dianchúrsa ullmhúcháin ar siúl in OÉ Gaillimh roimh ré dóibh siúd ar mian leo an scrúdú a dhéanamh. Beidh an cúrsa saor in aisce seo ar siúl ón 18-24 Lúnasa. Le breis agus scór bliain anuas, tá an scrúdú speisialta iontrála seo á reáchtáil ag OÉ Gaillimh chun cabhrú le hiarratasóirí nár éirigh leo an grád riachtanach C3 nó os a chionn a bhaint amach sa pháipéar matamaitice ardleibhéil. Féadfaidh daoine nach ndearna ardleibhéal matamaitice san Ardteistiméireacht cur isteach ar an scrúdú chomh maith. Má fhaigheann mac léinn pas sa scrúdú seo beidh an riachtanas matamaitice sásaithe aige/aici agus gheobhaidh sé/sí tairiscint eile ón CAO i mBabhta 2, chomh fada is go bhfuil na pointí riachtanacha aige/aici. Ní hamháin go n-ullmhófar daltaí don scrúdú speisialta iontrála idir 18-24 Lúnasa, ach léireoidh léachtóirí an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an matamaitic san innealtóireacht agus an úsáid is féidir a bhaint aisti. Is é an aidhm atá leis an gcúrsa ullmhúcháin seo cur lena mbíonn foghlamtha ag daltaí ag an ngnáthleibhéal san Ardteistiméireacht, le go n-éireoidh leo sa scrúdú iontrála matamaitice. Cuirfear é seo i gcrích trí dhul i ngleic le fadhbanna éagsúla ag leibhéil éagsúla deacrachta. Cuirfear béim ar an gcaoi le tabhairt faoi fhadhb agus ar an gcaoi a gcuirfear an t-eolas atá ar fáil i bhfeidhm. Dúirt an tOllamh Gerry Lyons, Déan na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice in OÉ Gaillimh: “Is é mianach na gclár innealtóireachta go bhfuil siad dírithe ar fhorbairt a dhéanamh ar scileanna anailíseacha agus ar scileanna chun fadhbanna a réiteach, agus dá bhrí sin caithfear úsáid shuntasach a bhaint as matamaitic agus as matamaitic fheidhmeach. Gach bliain feicimid daltaí cumasacha nach ndéanann chomh maith agus a d’fhéadfaidís ar lá an scrúdaithe Ardteiste. Tugann an Scrúdú Speisialta Iontrála Matamaitice deis eile do na daltaí seo léiriú go bhfuil an caighdeán riachtanach sa mhatamaitic bainte amach acu. Thar na blianta, d’éirigh le roinnt mac léinn a raibh cumas eisceachtúil iontu, céim a bhaint amach agus dul sa tóir ar shlí bheatha dóibh féin san innealtóireacht mar go bhfuair siad an dara deis leis an scrúdú speisialta iontrála seo.” Tá cúrsa neamhainmnithe san innealtóireacht ar tairiscint do mhic léinn in OÉ Gaillimh. Tá an cúrsa seo dírithe go háirithe ar mhic léinn a bhfuil suim acu a bheith ina n-innealtóirí ach nach bhfuil cinnte cén réimse ar mhaith leo díriú air. Tugann an cúrsa seo deis do mhic léinn staidéar ginearálta a dhéanamh ar an innealtóireacht ar feadh bliana sula roghnaíonn siad a réimse speisialtóireachta i mbliain a dó. Chun iarratas a dhéanamh ar an scrúdú speisialta matamaitice téigh chuig:  http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/prospectivestudents/specialentrancemathsexamination/. Ba chóir do dhaoine ar spéis leo an cúrsa ullmhúcháin a dhéanamh dul chuig http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering-informatics/prospectivestudents/specialentrancemathspreparatorycourse/ chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil. -Críoch-

 Minister Mitchell-O’Connor announces research investment of €40 million in total Science Foundation Ireland investment will support world-class research in key priority areas for Ireland NUI Galway-led research projects received almost €4.4 million in funding today in an announcement by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell-O’Connor TD. Three projects from the University were funded and they will investigate: the use of cell therapy for diabetic complications; the therapeutic potential of compounds from sponges and corals; and more efficient energy production. In total nearly €40 million was given nationally to 24 major research projects distributed via Science Foundation Ireland’s Investigators Programme through a funding stream provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. With awards ranging from €500,000 to €2.7 million over four to five year periods, projects funded by the Investigators Programme will support over 200 researchers. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD said: “This funding provides an important platform for researchers to advance their investigations and further enhance Ireland’s reputation for excellence in sectors such as health, agriculture, marine, energy and technology. Engaging with 39 companies, the programme offers researchers the opportunity to develop their careers, as well as providing industry collaborators with access to the wealth of outstanding expertise and infrastructure found throughout the island. The alignment of the Investigators Programme with Horizon 2020, the European Union’s research funding programme, will lead to further successes in leveraging EU resources and increasing international collaboration. The projects within this programme clearly demonstrate excellent and impactful research which is a key goal of the Government’s science and innovation strategy – Innovation 2020.” NUI Galway projects According to NUI Galway’s Vice-President for Research, Professor Lokesh Joshi: ‘Research aimed at harnessing the therapeutic potential of novel natural products from deep-sea marine organisms, enhancing energy efficiency, and reducing the likelihood of amputation in diabetic patients is highly relevant to many of the challenges we face and will undoubtedly yield significant societal and economic benefits. I congratulate all involved in these projects; their success in the SFI Investigators Programme is reflective of the scientific excellence and relevance of on-going innovative research at NUI Galway.” Exploiting and conserving deep-sea genetic resources NUI Galway’s Dr Louise Allcock and Professor Mark Johnson, in partnership with the Marine Institute, are undertaking a €1.9 million project. The team aim to elucidate unique chemical compounds from two groups of marine organisms, sponges and corals, from the deep-sea – where extreme environmental conditions seem to promote the evolution of novel compounds. They will extract compounds and use techniques to purify them and examine their structure and biological assays to determine their pharmacological potential. To increase the efficiency of future sampling, mathematical modeling techniques will be used to produce maps predicting areas in Irish waters with the greatest biodiscovery potential. This will maximize the economic impact of future biodiscovery work. Combustion Chemistry for Sustainable Fuel Utilization NUI Galway’s Professor Henry Curran was awarded €1.9 million to focus on understanding, at a molecular level, how fuel burns in combustors. This will enhance the efficient utilisation of energy and develop sustainable energy sources in order to comply with economic, environmental, and strategic imperatives. Professor Curran explains: “We will combine experimental chemical combustion studies with detailed computer models to develop accurate chemical kinetic models, leading to the identification of optimal conditions for combustion efficiency with minimal emissions. We will study the combustion of conventional fuels by considering some key gasoline and diesel components in addition to some novel biofuels to be used in gas turbines for energy production.” Combinatoral Cell Therapy For Diabetes-Related Critical Limb Ischaemia NUI Galway’s Professor Tim O’Brien, who is Director of REMEDI and Co-Director of CÚRAM, the SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices, was awarded over €700,000 for a cell therapy project. His team believes that a diabetic blood vessel complication critical limb ischaemia (CLI), a condition where blood flow to the lower extremity is impaired to the extent of threatening viability, could be treated with cell therapy to regenerate damaged tissues. The aim is to isolate reparative cells, expand and then inject them into sites of blood vessel damage. “Cells from diabetics are known to be defective so we will identify and correct this defect and potentially use patient’s own cells for therapy or in combination with cells from healthy donors”, explains Professor O’Brien. “We aim to provide a pioneering new treatment for CLI personalised to diabetic patients.” Horizon 2020 To drive national success in Horizon 2020, the SFI Investigator Programme involved the collaborative participation of a number of Government Departments and funding agencies. Co-funding for seven of the projects is being provided by the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (DfE), the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI), the Marine Institute (MI), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland added: “The Science Foundation Ireland Investigators Programme supports the highest standard of impactful research, as clearly demonstrated by the outcomes of previous awards.  I have high expectations for these projects; all have undergone rigorous peer review by international experts and we have funded only those projects deemed to be at the pinnacle of scientific excellence. As well as providing an important platform for engagement in Horizon 2020, the programme also creates training and employment opportunities, promotes industrial collaboration and drives advances in energy, agriculture, science, technology and health which will benefit Ireland’s economy and society.”  Ends  

NUI Galway will welcome over 300 delegates to a joint international conference on environment, health and geographical information science (GIS) from 14-20 August. This is the first year that the International Symposium on Environment and Health (ISEH), International Symposium on Environmental Geochemistry (ISEG), and the Geoinformatics Conference have been held together. The joint conference provides an historical opportunity for international experts working in several closely related areas of environment, health, GIS and agriculture, to meet and share the latest understanding of the ever growing challenges between humans and our changing environment. Attending the conference are internationally leading experts in the fields of environment, health, GIS and agriculture with more than 20 keynote speakers, including three members of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Shu Tao from Peking University, Professor Huadong Guo from Chinese Academy of Science and Professor Deren Li from Wuhan University, and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, Professor Kirk Smith from University of California Berkeley. Dr Chaosheng Zhang, Director of the newly established International Network for Environment Health at NUI Galway’s School of Geography and Archaeology, and Chair and Founder of the ISEH conference series, said: “This is a top level international conference promoting the new trend of interdisciplinary research. All of the four main topics in this conference are highly relevant to Irish society. Another significant benefit is for the local economy with such a large number of international delegates attending.” The joint conference is organised by NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute Geographical Information Science (GIS) Centre, School of Geography and Archaeology, and International Association of Chinese Professionals in Geographic Information Sciences, and is sponsored by NUI Galway, the Environmental Protection Agency, Fáilte Ireland and XOS. -ENDS- 

The conference will also acknowledge outstanding individuals in Civil Engineering The Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2016 (CERI2016) conference will be hosted by NUI Galway from 29-30 August. Organised by the Civil Engineering Research Association of Ireland (CERAI), the conference aims to nurture early-career researchers and offers opportunities wherever possible to the next generation of leaders in research and industry. A broad range of papers on civil engineering topics have been accepted for the conference including 117 full peer-reviewed technical papers and 5 keynote papers. There will be emphasis on applications, as well as theory, to maintain relevance to both industry and academia. A number of keynote speakers will address plenary sessions including: Professor Enzo Siviero, Principal at Implementation Projects Studio Associato in Italy who will present the Third Joe O’Donovan Memorial Lecture.  Professor Corey Griffin, Associate Professor, School of Architecture at Portland State University, USA. Professor Griffin will deliver a session on ‘Multi-performance retrofits to existing buildings: increasing resiliency and reducing the environmental impact of buildings through simultaneous structural and energy retrofits’.  Dr Annette Harte, Senior Lecturer with NUI Galway who will deliver a lecture on ‘Massive timber - the emergence of a modern construction material’.  Professor W. John McCarter, School of the Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot Watt University in Scotland will present on ‘Performance Monitoring for Sustainable Concrete Infrastructure’. Professor David Frost, Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA will focus on ‘The Evolving Role of Materials in Infrastructure Systems’. CERAI will also acknowledge outstanding individuals in civil engineering in a public forum and will formally present the following awards at the CERI2016 conference banquet: Life time achievement: CERAI will be honouring an individual for outstanding achievements made over a sustained period in the disciplines of engineering. The awardee will be considered based on open nomination and an independent panel of esteemed assessors will adjudicate on the nominees. Young researcher: This award will be made to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to research and practice at an early stage in their careers and are aged under 35 years. An independent panel of esteemed assessors will adjudicate on the nominees. Awards for best research papers and best practice in Engineering. To nominate an individual for one of the awards download the application form at http://www.cerai.net/page/23/awards--bursary/ and email Dr Jamie Goggins at jamie.goggins@nuigalway.ie by Monday, 8 August. For more information and to register for the CERI2016 conference visit http://www.cerai.net/page/57/welcome/ or contact the conference chairperson, Dr Jamie Goggins at jamie.goggins@nuigalway.ie or 091 492609. -Ends-

The Kennedy Summer School, a festival of Irish and American history, culture and politics, will be held in New Ross, Co. Wexford from 8-10 September and will have a distinct NUI Galway flavour in the midst of a hotly contested US presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The summer school’s guest of honour and featured speaker will be a 2008 honorary graduate of NUI Galway, former Governor of Maryland and Mayor of Baltimore, Martin O’Malley. Governor O’Malley has strong Galway roots and still has a number of cousins living in Connemara. He will deliver the Edward M. Kennedy Memorial Lecture on Friday, 9 September, entitled ‘Supported by her exiled children: Ireland and America, 1916-2016’. Also speaking will be Larry Donnelly, a Lecturer and Director of Clinical Legal Education in NUI Galway’s School of Law and a regular media contributor on American and Irish politics, current affairs and law. He will give a presentation outlining the Electoral College map and the respective paths to the White House for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, as well as considering what impact the 2016 election will have on American politics in the longer term. Noel Whelan, Director of the Kennedy Summer School, a barrister and a columnist with The Irish Times, said: “This unique presidential election campaign provides an interesting backdrop for an examination of the Kennedy legacy, the American presidency and what might lie ahead in a time of political uncertainty and upheaval across the western world. “We are delighted to welcome Governor O’Malley to New Ross to hear his insights on the extraordinary relationship between our two countries and the current political landscape. We also are happy to have Larry Donnelly again to expand upon some of the analysis of the Clinton vs. Trump matchup he has provided in the media recently. And on Saturday afternoon of the summer school, both will join Tad Devine, chief strategist of Senator Bernie Sanders’ remarkable bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen and others for what we believe will be a fascinating panel discussion on this year’s election.” More information about the Kennedy Summer School is available at www.kennedysummerschool.ie. -Ends-

The Yield Lab, the United States’ first food and agriculture technology business accelerator, announced the launch of the Yield Lab Galway in the PorterShed Galway on Friday, 15 July.  The Yield Lab Galway is a food and agriculture technology venture fund and business accelerator which is now located in Galway, Ireland. Yield Lab Galway is a significant boost to the investment opportunities available to emerging agri-tech and agri-innovation spinouts from NUI Galway. The Yield Lab is an early-stage venture fund and business accelerator that invests $100,000 in early stage food and agricultural technology (AgTech) startups, provides one-on-one mentorship, free workspace, and networking opportunities supported by agriculture focused organizations and businesses from the St. Louis region. Professor Charles Spillane, Head of the Plant & AgriBiosciences Research Centre (PABC) at NUI Galway highlighted that: “The Yield Lab’s establishment of its first European base in Galway is extremely exciting for the translation of agri-research activities into agri-innovations and startup agri-technology companies. The multi-disciplinary PABC looks forward to collaborating and working closely with Yield Lab Galway as one of it key investment and startup partners. The sustainable intensification challenges facing the agriculture and food sector in Ireland and internationally present opportunities and necessities for development of disruptive agri-innovations that the Yield Lab can foster.”  Agriculture is a leading industry in the U.S. Midwest, with extensive business connections to the St. Louis region and beyond. The diversity, central location, and solid business community support makes the St. Louis region a leading market for AgTech expansion. St. Louis is a sister city with Galway, which has an emerging and vibrant agri-innovation system. “We believe finding innovative solutions to sustainably feed the world’s rapidly growing population is the biggest problem facing human kind today,” said Yield Lab Managing Director Thad Simons. “The launch of the Yield Lab Galway is the appropriate next step and will provide greater access to financial and strategic opportunities for both our St. Louis and Galway based investments.” The Yield Lab Galway has been established on the same building blocks and strategy of sourcing, transacting, and mentoring as the Yield Lab in St. Louis. The fund plans to invest in 8- 12 companies over the next two years. Each Galway-based food and AgTech startup will receive up to €100,000 and participate in a twelve-month accelerator program. Dr John Breslin, one of the founders of the PorterShed and a PABC Principal Investigator, highlighted significant synergies between The Yield Lab and the NUI Galway AgTechInnovate program which he leads. He indicated that: “AgTechInnovate is a new Fellowship Programme from NUI Galway which aims to create interdisciplinary teams of technology entrepreneurs (“techpreneurs”) who are embedded in a particular domain for 6-8 weeks to identify real needs, following which they invent, implement and iterate solutions. In the case of AgTechInnovate, this would be in an agricultural environment, with our initial plans to immerse the 2016 AgTechInnovate team in 10 large dairy farms. “Spinouts emerging from AgTechInnovate will have the opportunity to pitch to the local Yield Lab Galway for investment. The establishment of Yield Lab Galway will further strengthen the agri-innovation ecosystem in the West of Ireland, which includes the NUI Galway PABC, Teagasc Athenry, Mountbellew Agricultural College, GMIT and agri-innovators like JFC, Food 360 and McHale.” “AgTech companies work in a global economy and our goal is to build a bridge to St. Louis for Irish AgTech companies looking for a U.S. footprint,” said Joe Reagan, President & CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber. “In St. Louis, we are focused on supporting entrepreneurs and innovators, and our economic development strategies in the 21st Century must be bold and innovative as well.” The St. Louis Regional Chamber has made a founding investment in the Yield Lab Galway from its Spirit of St. Louis Ventures fund, which has previously made founding investments in five early-stage business accelerators as part of a comprehensive strategy to support the formation of early-stage capital and to support entrepreneurs. Galway was the obvious choice for the Yield Lab to establish a European footprint due to the strong relationship as a sister city with St. Louis. It also offers a number of regional resources such as the multi-disciplinary NUI Galway PABC, GMIT, Teagasc Athenry, Mountbellew Agricultural College and a central location to the agricultural production systems of the west of Ireland. Galway has built itself into an entrepreneurial stronghold, boasting a thriving technology park and growing support ecosystem for innovators. “Cultivation Capital has developed a significant interest in agricultural technologies,” said General Partner Rick Holton. “The Yield Lab has provided us with valuable insight into their portfolio companies that has consistently presented Cultivation with the opportunity to capitalize on promising investments. This was the value proposition that led us to invest in St. Louis, and this is why we are investing in Galway.” “The new Yield Lab partnership enables a two-way street of economic activity between St. Louis and Galway. The growing Yield Lab portfolio in both regions will now have overseas networks to leverage. The Yield Lab Galway portfolio companies will attend a programming session in St. Louis to provide them with opportunities to access US markets and alternative sources of capital, and the Yield Lab St. Louis companies will be encouraged to leverage the resources unique to Galway. This marks a critical milestone for the St. Louis entrepreneurial and economic ecosystem. This bridge of economic activity with Galway should bring further opportunities for St. Louis.” said Sheila Sweeney, CEO of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. -Ends-

NUI Galway has issued a final call for applications to its Elite Athlete Sports Scholarships Scheme for 2016/17. The University has a long tradition of excellence in sport and this has been enhanced by the recent success in Rowing, Hurling, Basketball, Soccer, Rugby and Archery as well as numerous individual achievements. The deadline for application for current and prospective students is Sunday, 31 July at 5pm. The scholarship programme is aimed at student-athletes of outstanding calibre who register as students of the University. Michael Heskin, Director of Sport and Physical Activity at NUI Galway, said: “The University is proud to support the next generation of sporting stars. We recognise the huge commitment made by our young athletes in balancing their academic studies and their elite training schedules. NUI Galway through the Elite Scholarship programme provides supports to those athletes who have podium dreams and thus the best possible chance of fulfilling their potential in the sporting and academic context.”  NUI Galway has had an outstanding record in supporting young athletes in developing their sporting and academic careers in recent years, with scholarship athletes winning senior All-Ireland GAA titles, winning and competing at World Championship level in their chosen sport and dozens of NUI Galway students representing their country and a number who have gone on to professional careers in a number of sports. Applicants for Elite sports scholarships must satisfy the academic criteria for entry to NUI Galway and must have applied to the CAO in the usual manner or be a currently enrolled student at NUI Galway. For the scholarships, students who meet the University’s entry requirements will be selected on merit by an independent panel. In addition to the scholarship, students will receive specialist support including Strength and Conditioning, Performance Nutrition, Performance planning and mentoring and Medical and Physiotherapy support. More details on the Sports Scholarship Scheme at http://www.nuigalway.ie/sports/scholarships_info.html. All applications must be submitted online at http://www.sports.nuigalway.ie/scholarshipform.html. -Ends- Seans amháin eile ar Scéim Scoláireachtaí Spóirt OÉ Gaillimh  Tá seans amháin eile agaibh le hiarratas a chur isteach ar Scéim Scoláireachtaí Spóirt Scoth-lúthchleasaíochta OÉ Gaillimh 2016/17. Tá dea-cháil ar an Ollscoil le fada as a fheabhas a éiríonn lena cuid mac léinn i gcúrsaí spóirt agus cuireadh leis an gcáil seo le déanaí le héachtaí Rámhaíochta, Iomána, Cispheile, Sacair, Rugbaí agus Boghdóireachta agus le héachtaí a rinne go leor daoine aonair. Is é 5pm Dé Domhnaigh, an 31 Iúil an spriocdháta d’iarratais ó mhic léinn reatha agus ó mhic léinn nua. Tá an clár scoláireachtaí dírithe ar lúthchleasaithe den scoth a chláraíonn mar mhic léinn san Ollscoil. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Michael Heskin, Stiúrthóir Spóirt agus Gníomhaíochta Fisiciúla OÉ Gaillimh: “Tá an-bhród ar an Ollscoil as a bheith ag tacú leis an gcéad ghlúin réaltaí spóirt eile. Aithnímid go bhfuil díograis ar leith á léiriú ag ár lúthchleasaithe óga agus iad ag iarraidh cothromaíocht a bhaint amach idir an staidéar acadúil agus a gcuid sceideal traenála scoth-lúthchleasaíochta. Tríd an gclár Scoláireachtaí Scoth-lúthchleasaíochta, cuireann OÉ Gaillimh tacaíocht ar fáil do na lúthchleasaithe sin arb é mian a gcroí a bheith ina seasamh ar an bpóidiam lá éigin. Tugtar gach seans dóibh le barr cumais a bhaint amach i saol an spóirt agus sa saol acadúil.”  Tá tacaíocht tugtha arís is arís eile ag OÉ Gaillimh do lúthchleasaithe óga atá ag iarraidh a ngairm spóirt agus a ngairm acadúil a fhorbairt le blianta beaga anuas. Bhuaigh lúthchleasaithe a raibh scoláireacht spóirt ó OÉ Gaillimh acu craobh shinsir na hÉireann sna cluichí Gaelacha, agus tá siad ag buachan agus ag iomaíocht ar leibhéal domhanda sna spóirt ar roghnaigh siad tabhairt fúthu. Tá na scórtha de mhic léinn OÉ Gaillimh ag déanamh ionadaíochta ar a dtír dhúchais agus chuaigh cuid acu le spóirt éagsúla mar ghairm bheatha. Ní mór dóibh sin ar mian leo cur isteach ar scoláireachtaí spóirt scoth-lúthchleasaíochta critéir acadúla iontrála OÉ Gaillimh a shásamh agus ní mór dóibh iarratas a bheith déanta acu tríd an CAO ar an ngnáthbhealach nó a bheith cláraithe mar mhac léinn in OÉ Gaillimh cheana féin. Déanfaidh painéal neamhspleách na mic léinn a shásaíonn riachtanais iontrála na hOllscoile a roghnú ar bhonn fiúntais. Mar aon leis an scoláireacht féin, beidh tacaíocht le fáil ag na mic léinn ó speisialtóirí maidir le Neart agus Aclú, Cothú Réamh-iomaíochta agus pleanáil agus meantóireacht Réamh-iomaíochta, agus beidh tacaíocht Leighis agus Fisiteiripe ar fáil acu. Tuilleadh eolais faoin Scéim Scoláireachtaí Spóirt ag http://www.nuigalway.ie/sports/scholarships_info.html. Ní mór gach iarratas a dhéanamh ar líne ag http://www.sports.nuigalway.ie/scholarshipform.html. -Críoch-

Although hand hygiene is known to be the key to preventing hospital acquired infections such as MRSA, compliance with good hygiene practices remains low. With healthcare-associated infections affecting, on average, 5% of hospitalised patients in Ireland[i], NUI Galway is to lead a Health Research Board funded project to improve hand hygiene practice. The three-year project will provide theoretical valid and practical tools and methodologies for improving hand hygiene compliance in Irish Intensive Care Units. Effective hand hygiene practices are considered to be the most important strategy for preventing healthcare-associated infections. However, compliance with good hand hygiene practices has been historically low, leading to a national and international focus on improving hand hygiene practices. “International bodies have made recommendations for how to improve hand hygiene practices, but there are serious weaknesses in the research evidence to guide the implementation of these interventions. As a result, infection control practices are not based on sound scientific knowledge, may be of limited effectiveness, and resources are not being used efficiently”, explains Dr Paul O’Connor, the Principal Investigator of the project. “Although the hand hygiene procedure itself is simple, the behaviour related to hand hygiene is complex and is not readily understood, explained, or changed”, continued Dr O’Connor. “We want to explore all the factors at play in the ICU setting, by involving all key stakeholders such as patients, nurses, doctors, healthcare providers and regulators. Collaboratively, we will identify the barriers for effective hand hygiene to ensure that limited resources are being used effectively. The goal is provide direction on ‘how’ standards of hand hygiene can be achieved rather than only defining ‘what’ standards must be achieved.” -ends-  [i]http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/hl/hcaiamr/healthcareassinfection/howcommonhealthcareinfections/

10 risk factors are same worldwide, with regional variation Ten risk factors, that can be modified, are responsible for nine of 10 strokes worldwide, but the ranking of those factors vary regionally, says a study led researchers from NUI Galway and McMaster University, Canada. Prevention of stroke is a major public health priority, but the variation by region should influence the development of strategies for reducing stroke risk, say the authors of the study published in The Lancet today. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. The two major types of stroke include ischaemic stroke caused by blood clots, which accounts for 85% of strokes, and haemorrhagic stroke or bleeding into the brain, which accounts for 15% of strokes. The study led by Dr Martin O'Donnell of HRB-Clinical Research Facility, NUI Galway and formerly McMaster University and Dr Salim Yusuf of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, and collaborators from 32 countries, builds on findings from the first phase of the INTERSTROKE study which identified ten modifiable risk factors for stroke in 6,000 participants from 22 countries. This full-scale INTERSTROKE study added 20,000 individuals from 32 countries in Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia, and sought to  identify the main causes of stroke in diverse populations, young and old, men and women and within subtypes of stroke. “This study has the size and scope to explore stroke risk factors in all major regions of the world and within key populations,” said O’Donnell, a stroke physician at Saolta University Healthcare Group. “We have confirmed that ten modifiable risk factors are associated with 90% of stroke risk in all parts of the world, in both men and women, and in younger and older people. The study also confirms that hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor in all regions, and the key target in reducing the burden of stroke globally.” The investigators looked at the different risk factors, and determined the proportion of strokes which would be cut if the risk factor disappeared. The number of strokes would be practically cut in half (48%) if hypertension was eliminated; trimmed by more than a third (36%) if people were physically active; and shaved by almost one fifth (19%) if they had better diets. In addition, this proportion was cut back by 12% if smoking was eliminated; 9% for cardiac (heart) causes, 4% for diabetes, 6% for alcohol intake, 6% for stress, and 27% for lipids (the study used apolipoproteins, which was found to be a better predictor of stroke than total cholesterol). Many of these risk factors are known to also be associated with each other (such as obesity and diabetes), and when were combined together, the total for all 10 risk factors was 91%, which was similar in all regions, age groups and in men and women. However, the importance of some risk factors appeared to vary by region. For example, the importance of hypertension ranged from 38.8% in western Europe, North America, and Australia to 59.6% in Southeast Asia. The risk of alcohol was lowest in Western Europe, North America and Australia but highest in Africa and south Asia, while the potential impact of physical inactivity was highest in China.  An irregular heart rhythm, or atrial fibrillation, was significantly associated with ischaemic stroke in all regions, but was of greater importance in Western Europe, North America and Australia, than in China or South Asia. However, when all 10 risk factors were included together, their collective importance was similar in all regions. “Our findings will inform the development of global population-level interventions to reduce stroke, and how such programs may be tailored to individual regions,” said Yusuf, a professor of medicine of McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and director of the PHRI. “This includes better health education, more affordable healthy food, avoidance of tobacco and more affordable medication for hypertension and dyslipidaemia.” Along with the study, The Lancet published a related comment from New Zealand researchers Valery L. Feigin and Rita Krishnamurthi from the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences, of Auckland’s University of Technology. They said the key messages from the study were that stroke is a highly preventable disease globally, regardless of age and sex; that the relative importance of modifiable risk factors means there should be development of regional or ethnic-specific primary prevention programmes, and that additional research on stroke risk factors is needed for countries and ethnic groups not included in INTERSTROKE. “Now is the time for governments, health organizations, and individuals to proactively reduce the global burden of stroke. Governments of all countries should develop and implement an emergency action plan for the primary prevention of stroke,” they wrote. ENDS