Three primary schools have been named top of the class in a national competition showcasing randomised trials. The Schools Teaching Awareness of Randomised Trials (START) is held every year, with this year’s best randomised trials awarded the START Trophy 2022. This year, the top three are all from Galway, with their success and their trial questions celebrated at a special event at NUI Galway, as part of the Health Research Board-Trials Methodology Research Network. The primary schools are:  Scoil Bhríge agus Bhreandáin Naofa, Corrandulla, Galway Do 5-minute movement breaks between subjects help improve concentration? Gaelscoil Dara, Renmore, Co. Galway:  An bhfoghlaimíonn páistí níos fearr ó mhúinteoir ná ó chéile? Do children learn better from a teacher or from each other? Claregalway Educate Together, Claregalway, Co. Galway Does 5 minutes of exercise help children focus for a test compared to children who do not exercise As part of the START competition, primary schools were invited to create their very own fun randomised trial, with the top three brought on campus to celebrate their achievements and explain some of their work. It is a fun, project-based approach to learning about randomised trials. It also helps meet key aspects of the current school curriculum in several subjects including maths, science, SPHE and ICT. Commenting on the START competition, Professor Declan Devane, Scientific Director of the HRB-TMRN at NUI Galway, said: “We started this competition for two reasons. Firstly, we wanted to raise awareness of the importance of randomised trials with children. Secondly, we wanted to harness the creativity and imagination of children in the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of trials. The high standard and variety of applications we receive each year demonstrates that the START competition has indeed raised the awareness of randomised trials and capitalised on children’s innate ability to explain difficult concepts clearly and in a fun way. We are very proud of all our applications.” Dr Mairead O’Driscoll, Chief Executive at the Health Research Board, said: “The questions devised by each of these finalists are fascinating. The curiosity and creativity of their bright young minds perfectly captures the essence of the START competition. I really look forward to seeing the answers their randomised trials deliver. However, I do not envy the judging panel as it will be extremely difficult choosing a winner! The best of luck to all finalists from everyone at the HRB.” START encourages children to learn more about healthcare decisions and how we can improve health and wellbeing by learning about randomised trials.  Sometimes called clinical trials, randomised trials are a type of research study often used to find out if a new medicine or treatment works. The decision about which treatment a person gets is decided at random (often by a computer) rather than being decided by the doctor or research participant. This means that we can be more certain that any differences in the results between the groups are caused by the treatment, and not by differences in the characteristics of the people who take part in the trials.  The competition is run by the Health Research Board-Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TRMN), which is a collaborative Network across five University partners - NUI Galway, University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and the University of Limerick. It is held to celebrate International Clinical Trials Day and the anniversary of the first clinical trial carried out in 1747 in the British Navy. Three judges selected the three shortlisted schools : Iseult Mangan, Former Primary School Principal Cloghans Hill NS (2017 START winner) and Teen Turn Mentor  Professor Shaun Treweek, Professor of Health Services Research, University of Aberdeen, UK Sarah Chapman, Knowledge Broker at Cochrane UK. To learn more about START visit: https://startcompetition.com Follow on social @STARTSchools or facebook.com/hrb.tmrn Ends

Cell Explorers has celebrated ten successful years of informing, inspiring and involving the public in hands-on modern biology.  The science education and public engagement programme, based at NUI Galway, is delivered nationally by the University and its nine partner institutions: Atlantic Technological University in Donegal Letterkenny and Galway City; Dundalk Institute of Technology; Future Neuro, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases; Munster Technological University in Cork and Kerry; South East Technological University, Carlow; Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands MidWest; University College Cork; University College Dublin in the National Virus Reference Laboratory; and University of Limerick. First created in 2012 by founding director Dr Muriel Grenon and ten project students, Cell Explorers was piloted with funding from the EXPLORE Innovation initiative: a project by NUI Galway and its Student’s Union, which supported collaborations between staff and students.  The next two years saw the Cell Explorers educational outreach model developing further with funding from Royal Dublin Society, the Galway Science and Technology Festival, Science Foundation Ireland, and The Wellcome Trust. Ten years later, Cell Explorers has expanded nationally to 13 teams. It has delivered either in-person or remotely-facilitated hands-on science to 750 classes in 500 schools, and activities to 26 counties across the Republic of Ireland.  Having raised close to €1 million for several projects, and secured Science Foundation Ireland support since its inception, it has trained more than 2,600 Cell Explorers scientists, students and staff. It has engaged more than 45,000 young people and their families in hands-on science in Ireland.  The programme has also started to develop its own research to understand how to combat misconceptions and stereotypes that relate to science and scientists and which prevent young people from seeing that science could be for them. Professor Phillip Nolan, Director of Science Foundation Ireland, noted: “I would like to pay tribute to all involved in the Cell Explorers programme, in particular past and present volunteers and coordinators of its 13 teams. By acting as authentic role models and sharing your excitement in research and innovation, you are helping to engage our young people, so that they maintain an interest in science and consider pursuing a career in research. Thank you for making a real difference to our society and the growth of the research community in Ireland.” The Cell Explorers programme has become a reference in terms of public engagement in science in Ireland and internationally. In 2019, the programme received the Outstanding Contribution to Science Communication award by Science Foundation Ireland. It is a member of the European Science Engagement Association (EUSEA) and a part of Scientix, the community for science education in Europe, as well as the 'Falling Walls Engage' community, ranking in the top 50 of their global competition in 2021. Professor Ciarán Ó hOgartaigh, President of NUI Galway, said: “As I reflect on and note the Cell Explorers mission - to Inform, Inspire and Involve - a mission that the team has remained true to throughout the exponential growth in their first ten years, I can’t help but hear echoes of our own Institutions core values - respect, excellence, openness and sustainability.  “These are the values that NUI Galway strives to uphold, to sustain and support each other and, through combined effort, to work for the public good and enhance our university’s distinctiveness. That these very same values have underpinned the Cell Explorers model from its onset a decade ago speaks to the value this programme brings to our University community and society more generally.” For further information on Cell Explorers network visit https://www.cellexplorers.com/our-teams. -Ends-

Controlling high blood pressure and diabetes and following a healthier lifestyle from an earlier age could reduce risk of dementia in older age  NUI Galway teams up with Boston University and the University of Texas with study urging personalised rather than one size fits all approach to risk prediction International research led by NUI Galway has identified the most important risk factors for dementia in middle-aged and older people.  The study, which also involved researchers in Boston University, and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio, examined data from 5,000 people to assess potential predictors for loss of cognitive function. The most important vascular risk factors for dementia were: at age 55 - high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus at age 65 - cardiovascular disease (e.g. heart attacks or angina) at ages 70 and 75 - diabetes mellitus and previous stroke at age 80 - diabetes mellitus, previous stroke and not taking blood-pressure lowering medication The study was published today in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology and was led by Professor Emer McGrath, Associate Professor at the College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences at NUI Galway and Consultant Neurologist at Saolta University Hospitals. The researchers measured risk factors for dementia, including age, sex, blood pressure, use of blood pressure lowering medication, a history of cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation and diabetes mellitus. The patient data was sourced from thousands of people who took part in the US-based Framingham Heart Study. Risk factors were measured at mid-life (i.e. 55) and again at ages 65, 70, 75 and 80 years-old. Professor McGrath said: “Accurately predicting a person’s future risk of dementia could inform personalised approaches to risk factor and lifestyle modification to help reduce that risk. However, predicting this is challenging as the relationship between dementia and vascular risk factors such as diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease and stroke varies with age.” “We found that people who had diabetes at the age of 55 were four times more likely to go on to develop dementia than people who did not have diabetes at that age” “People with heart disease at age 65 were nearly twice as likely to later develop dementia as those who did not have a heart condition, while people with a stroke at age 70 were over three times as likely to develop dementia compared to those with no stroke”. “Our study shows that predicting a person’s risk of dementia needs to be very much tailored towards the individual, taking into account their age, sex, vascular risk factors and evidence of organ damage, such as previous heart attack or stroke.  “Based on this research, we should probably be looking at more individualised, age-specific dementia risk scores, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to dementia risk prediction.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association of Ireland, 64,000 people are living with dementia in Ireland. It is estimated that the number of people with the condition will more than double in the next 25 years to more than 150,000 by 2045.  Professor McGrath said: “Our research has important implications for dementia prevention at a population-level. Controlling vascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus, adopting healthier eating habits and following an active lifestyle, particularly at the early to mid-life stage, could significantly reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia down the line.” Professor Sudha Seshadri, co-author of the study, is Professor of Neurology and Director of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio and Senior Investigator with the Framingham Heart Study.  Professor Seshadri said “At younger ages, vascular risk factors like blood pressure seemed more important. At older ages, the effects of long-standing exposure to risk factors in the form of organ damage, such as stroke, seemed to best predict risk of dementia.” “Diabetes has been identified as one of seven risk factors responsible for up to one-third of cases of Alzheimer’s disease dementia and represents an important modifiable target for dementia prevention at a population-level.” Ends