Research Matters

While we may not often stop to think about it, across a wide array of disciplines, and in a host of different ways, the staff and students of NUI Galway are helping to shape the future. Be it the development of new, more sustainable sources of energy, rapid tests for disease diagnosis or working to change policies to benefit the disadvantaged and those with disabilities, research groups across campus are changing the face of science, medicine, social science, the environment and more.
- Read full story

The Digitisation Centre in the James Hardiman Library is engaged in digitising and making available items from the Library’s Special Collections and Archives. Balfour Album (1895-1896), comprised of photographs of Galway City and Connemara is one of the centre’s recent projects. University calendars from the 19th and early 20th centuries were also recently made available online, along with the creation of an online exhibition of photographs from the Shields Family Archive.
- Read full story

Soaring oil prices and the threat of climate change highlights the need to source sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Researchers in the School of Chemistry, NUIG are developing technologies which harness power from a unique fuel source - wastewater. The Biomolecular Electronics Research Laboratory (BERL), headed by Dr. Dónal Leech, are developing microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use microbial degradation of wastes, to generate electricity. MFCs contain biofilms of special microbes ....
- Read full story 

I am carrying out a study, on behalf of the University, to evaluate the impact of NUI Galway on the Region. The study has two main purposes: first, to give the university and its staff an understanding of its own importance in the region and second to inform other stakeholders (particularly politicians) of its importance.
A traditional view of the university is that it teaches students across a range of disciplines. University staff, according to this view, also carries out research ....
- Read full story 

The Research Office, the Institutional Research Officer and the Library are working together on a IUA SIF project which will allow access to an extensive suite of tools and resources (Irish National Citation Report) for strategic research analysis and reporting to support cross-institutional research, 4th level collaboration, institutional bench-marking, and planning and decision-making on a local and national level.
The Library also organise a ....
- Read full story 

When it comes to improving patient outcomes, few factors are as important as a rapid and accurate diagnosis. To that end, two biomedical science research groups are carrying out research to speed up the time it takes to get an accurate diagnosis on diseases from cancer to Group B Streptococcus.
The Glycoscience Research Group is developing future technologies that will enable fast and accurate analysis of glycosylation in blood ....
- Read full story

It was with great shock and sadness that the friends and colleagues of Professor Anthony Moran heard of his sudden and untimely death on the 30th of September at 49 years of age.  A native of Westport, Co. Mayo, Tony was a B.Sc. and Ph.D. graduate of UCD, and was conferred with a D.Sc. by the National University of Ireland in 2006.  Tony joined NUI Galway in 1992 and held a Personal Professorship in Microbiology since 2005.  Tony was the leader of the Infection and Immunity Cluster within the School of Natural Sciences ....
- Read full story

Engineers in Civil Engineering, NUI Galway, have teamed up with the National Roads Authority (NRA) to develop guidelines for the roll-out of a National Cycling Network (NCN) across Ireland. This has the potential to help rejuvenate the Irish tourism sector while opening up rural Ireland to recreational and activity based holidays.
The main aim of this study is to focus on a major route corridor in the proposed NCN – the N59 Galway to Clifden. Engineering and economic issues ....
- Read full story

Stakeholder groups were recently given a unique opportunity to engage a number of General Election candidates who took part in a pre-election event organised by the Life Course Institute (LCI).  As Professor Pat Dolan, Academic Director of the Life Course Institute notes “scrutinising party policies in relation to children and families, persons with disabilities and older people is critically important, particularly in a time of limited resources”. 
The political spectrum was ....
- Read full story

Since the times of Aristotle people of science have tried to identify and explain the components of life. One field of this, zoology, developed as a result of chasing the proverbial rabbit down the rabbit-hole. Zoology contains five major fields of research; behaviour, anatomy, physiology, evolution and taxonomy.
The zoology department of NUI Galway has dug into these five major groups, employing far-sighted research teams in an effort to progress our understanding of nature.
- Read full story

The Director of the HRB Clinical Research Facility, Professor Francis Giles has been awarded the Annual Saint Luke’s Silver Award by the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland. This is the highest honour bestowed by the Academy and Professor Giles is the first NUI Galway recipient.
Professor Peter McHugh from Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Informatics, is the 2011 recipient of the Silver Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (RAMI).
- Read full story

Future Olympic medallists may be in the office right next door!  Dr. Niamh Bhreathnach, Lab Manager in the Microbial Ecology Lab based in the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway, is currently training in Archery for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Niamh started Archery in 2004, and has since shot ahead in the field (no pun intended), receiving many honours in the sport.  She has received 5 NUI Galway sports awards, and was the undefeated champion ....
- Read full story