Monday, 10 October 2016

UNESCO Bioethics Ireland established at NUI Galway As part of a series of international events marking ‘World Bioethics Day’ on 19 October 2016 a one-day symposium is taking place at NUI Galway. The event is being organised by UNESCO Bioethics Ireland, which has been established with approval by the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, the international network of academics engaged with the issue. Dr Oliver Feeney, of NUI Galway’s Centre of Bioethical Research and Analysis (COBRA), is heading up the newly formed UNESCO Bioethics Ireland. “In keeping with the objectives of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, the core aims of the Irish unit will be to promote bioethics education and research on key bioethical issues in the Irish context. Bioethics is a field of multidisciplinary study concerned with the ethical, legal and social implications of biological and medical interventions, research in the human sciences, new biotechnologies, and healthcare practices.  Such bioethical issues can include new reproductive technologies (e.g. IVF, surrogacy), new directions in genetics and stem-cell research and end of life issues (e.g. assisted suicide) as well as issues related to fair resource allocation in healthcare.” The planned events worldwide on ‘World Bioethics Day’ are to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights by the 33rd Session of the General Conference of UNESCO on the 19 October 2005. The Irish symposium will look at themes including: The role of the National Advisory Committee on Bioethics: current challenges in the Irish context. Bioethics in Northern Ireland: possible implications of Brexit on research and regulation on the island of Ireland. Training needs for research ethics committees. Ethical governance in healthcare. The Cultural Context of Developing Science Policy; Embryonic Stem Cell Research in Ireland. The Assisted Dying debate and the Marie Fleming case. Genetics and society: ethics, justice and changing beliefs. On human enhancement. The event will be opened by Professor Pat Dolan (UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement, NUI Galway) and speakers will include: Professor David Smith (RCSI), Dr Tom Walker (Queens University Belfast), Dr Heike Felzmann (NUI Galway), Dr Louise Campbell (NUI Galway and Clinical Ethics Ireland), Dr Gemma Moore (HSE), Annie McKeown O’Donovan (NUI Galway), Dr John Danaher (NUI Galway) and Dr Oliver Feeney (NUI Galway). Through this and other events, UNESCO Bioethics Ireland seeks to foster a sustained, positive engagement between academia, medical and scientific research professions and the wider public and to raise awareness and knowledge throughout Irish society on key bioethical debates. The symposium will take place in Seminar Room 203 (the original Moore Institute seminar room located near the Geography department), NUI Galway from 10am to 4.15pm and will be open to all. The full programme is available here https://unescobioethicsireland.eu/one-day-symposium-on-irish-bioethics-world-bioethics-day/ Registration for the symposium is free, but numbers are limited, so those interested in attending should go to unescobioethicsireland.eu or contact Oliver.Feeney@nuigalway.ie The event is supported by NUI Galway’s Centre of Bioethical Research and Analysis, Department of Philosophy and Moore Institute. -ends- 

Tuesday, 4 October 2016

         First university in Europe to offer unique degree Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has launched the new BA in Children’s Studies at NUI Galway, the first university in Europe to offer such a unique undergraduate degree. The programme, which is innovative in the field of children research, builds on the research and expertise of the programme team, leading the development and growth of the area of children’s study. The new BA degree in Children's Studies is a unique programme, which puts the child at the centre of the investigation. Taking an inter-disciplinary approach, the programme investigates the life of children in Ireland and beyond, in the past and present, from the development of the child to the rights of the child in a changing Ireland. Speaking at the launch, Dr Katherine Zappone, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, TD, said: “For more than a decade, NUI Galway has established its position as leading in the field of child and adolescent’s research and education, with excellent international reputation, and this new programme adds another layer to the wonderful work that is already being undertaken here.” This four-year programme, will train a generation of experts in children that will contribute to the labour market knowledge and skills in working with, or on behalf of, children. These graduates will be well prepared to integrate in the labour market and to assist in implementing the strategies that are currently in place and that are being developed. Course Director, Dr Michal Molcho, said: “This programme was developed on the shared understanding that this area is important. We all believe in the importance of understanding children, listening to their voices, and bettering their lives. With this in the core of our teaching, our graduates will value the uniqueness of each child and acknowledge the significance of listening to each child’s voice, be culturally aware, and enhance the care of children from all walks of lives, ethnicity, and abilities.” Further course information will be available at the NUI Galway Open Days this Friday 7th and Saturday 8th October, see www.nuigalway.ie/opendays. ENDS

Tuesday, 4 October 2016

 Event juxtaposes the 100th anniversary of 1916 with the 20th anniversary of the closing of the last Magdalene Laundry. As part of the 1916: Home: 2016 project, NUI Galway’s Moore Institute will host the first of two national conferences from 7-8 October. 1916: Home: 2016 is a unique project that juxtaposes the centenary year of Easter Rising with the 20th anniversary of the closing of the Republic of Ireland’s last Magdalene Laundry, through two academic conferences and an international programme of artistic events. Taking the Proclamation’s claim to ‘cherish all children of the nation equally’ as its starting point, 1916: Home: 2016 draws attention to the collision of these two anniversaries in order to interrogate the homes we have made, the homes we hid and the homes that we are yet to imagine and build for 2016 and beyond. Keynotes speakers include Professor Mike Cronin, Boston College; Professor Marianne Hirsch, Columbia University; Professor Kathleen Gough, University of Vermont; and Professor Cahal McLaughlin, Queen’s University Belfast. Confirmed performers at the event in Galway include Irish playwright, poet, novelist and artist, Patricia Burke Brogan, and ‘Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A.’, the direct action feminist performance group that challenges the ongoing problem of Ireland making England the legal destination for abortion. Catherine Connolly, TD for Galway West, will chair a question and answer session after the ‘Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A.’ performance. These conferences will interrogate the tension between the ideals of citizenship and inclusion underpinning the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and the events of Easter Rising. The Magdalene Laundries, Mother and Baby Homes and orphanages, were part of a larger church and state-run network also including industrial and reformatory schools, which academic research and recent state inquiries have demonstrated intensified their operation post-independence. 1916: Home: 2016 draws attention to this intensification and asks participants and audience members to interrogate what ‘home’ means now and for the future of the Irish nation? Dr Miriam Haughton, Lecturer at NUI Galway’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, and joint organiser of the event, said: “We will not only interrogate these ideas but consider the internationally located artistic projects that have been devised and staged in response to our initial call.” 1916: Home: 2016 is designed to give a platform to the unknown heroes and the everyday battles that reflect the social experience in Ireland from the early twentieth century. Dr Haughton explains: “We hope to facilitate space for reflection on key institutions within Irish society post-independence which contributed to the cultivation of Ireland’s highly institutionalised population, while considering the contexts of poverty, class, and gender politics that drove the formation of these histories. We hope to interrogate ‘Irishness’ in its many shades of grey, celebrating citizens that were sidelined to the shadows of national dialogue and consciousness.” The second conference in the project will take place in UCD 27-28 October. More information and the conference schedule is available at https://1916home2016.wordpress.com/ or follow on Twitter at @1916_Home_2016. -Ends-

Monday, 3 October 2016

Over fifty relatives of the three hundred or so Galway prisoners deported in the aftermath of the 1916 Rebellion travelled to Frongoch in North Wales recently to lay a memorial stone at the site of the internment.  The trip was organised by the Friends and Relatives of Galway 1916 and the delegation was accompanied by Cathaoirleach Contae na Gaillimhe, Michael Connelly, Councillor Gabe Cronnelly and Dr Conor McNamara, Moore Institute, NUI Galway. The group had a deeply personal connection with the Rebellion and included the children, grand children and other descendants of the Galway Volunteers who, led by Liam Mellows, rose in Galway in 1916. A reception for the group was hosted by Chris Ruane, Member of Parliament for the Vale of Clwyd from 1997 to 2015, and grandson of Thomas Ruane, Captain of the Claregalway Volunteers in 1916. Local Member of the Welsh assembly, Ann Jones, accompanied by the retired speaker of the Welsh assembly, Lord Elis-Thomas, welcomed the group and spoke of the importance of remembrance and community. Following a reception and dinner in the town of Balla, the group were hosted on the site of the internment camp. A number of speakers paid moving tribute to their relatives, with poems and ballads recited and family reminiscences recalled. Chairman of Galway County Council, Michael Connelly, gave an emotional tribute to those who made the long journey to the remote valley and thanked all who played such an important part in ensuring the prisoners were not forgotten. Dr Conor McNamara, 1916 Scholar in Residence at the Moore Institute, NUI Galway, delivered a lecture entitled, ‘Forgetting and Remembering 1916 in Galway’, focusing on the revival of interest in the period thanks to the endeavours of local communities, facilitated by Galway County Council. “Dr McNamara said: “The ceremonies concluded with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, laid on behalf of the people of Galway, in memory of those interned. The plaque pays tribute to the Galway prisoners in both Welsh and Irish. As the rain swept through the valley, events ended, appropriately, with further songs of tribute echoing across the site.” Dr McNamara explained that NUI Galway is endeavouring to launch an innovative digital humanities project focused on bringing the personal archives and oral history of the revolution to an international audience.  -ends-

Monday, 3 October 2016

NUI Galway will host a symposium on contemporary Spanish society entitled ‘Spain Today: A Guide for the Perplexed’. The symposium will take place on Thursday, 6 October at 5.30pm in the Aula Maxima. Guest speakers include William Chislett, Associate Analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute, Madrid, who will deliver a talk entitled ‘Where is Spain Going?’; and Guy Hedgecoe, The Irish Times correspondent in Madrid, who will discuss ‘Remodelling Spain – The Spain of the last five years’. The two experts on modern Spain will discuss the politics, economics and current situation of Spain, in a context where the country has been without a government since December 2015. Like Ireland, Spain is currently bouncing back from a deep economic crisis, although there continues to be high unemployment and an uncertain political situation. Both speakers will also review recent history and current developments in Spain, and will offer fresh insights into situations on the ground in this fascinating country which is the world’s tenth largest economy and one of the key players in the European Union. Professor Bill Richardson, Head of Spanish at NUI Galway, said: “This symposium responds to the fascination many Irish people have with Spain, Spanish culture and the Spanish language, and offers an opportunity for people to get an excellent quick insight into what Spain is like as a modern, dynamic society and economy.” The symposium will be followed by the launch of the recently-published book Contemporary Spain, Fourth Edition written by Christopher Ross of Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, and two lecturers from NUI Galway’s Discipline of Spanish at NUI Galway, Professor Bill Richardson and Begoña Sangrador-Vegas. The symposium is sponsored by the Spanish Embassy in Dublin and is open to the public. -ends-

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

It is with great pride that NUI Galway will this week celebrate the success of colleagues and Paralympic athletes Dr Eoghan Clifford and Dr Pat O’Leary at a special homecoming event on Wednesday, 28 September. The University will also celebrate former Students' Union Manager, Rena McCarron Rooney, who reached the quarter final in table tennis, alumna Deirdre Mongan (shot put) and Galway native, Eric O'Flaherty, (soccer). The Homecoming, to be attended by Chef de Mission, Paralympic Ireland, Denis Twomey, will take place at the plaza by NUI Galway Library at 4.30pm with Ollie Turner from Galway Bay FM. Dr Clifford took home one gold and one bronze medal in Cycling (in the Men’s C3 Time Trial and C3 3000m Individual Pursuit), while Dr O’Leary put in an immense performance to make the KL3 Canoe Final and finish sixth in the world.  ENDS

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

More than 90 recruiting companies from a wide range of sectors will bring a potential 4,500 graduate jobs to the NUI Galway Graduate Jobs Fair in the Bailey Allen Hall, on Tuesday, 4 October from 12.30-4pm.  This annual event showcases graduate employment opportunities for students and graduates from all disciplines, with a diverse number of fields such as accountancy, IT, law, science, retail, civil and public sectors, consultancy and many others represented. Visitors to the event are invited to spend the afternoon networking with leading graduate recruiters. Major local employers such as Medtronic, SAP, Enterprise Ireland and Smyths will attend, in addition to international companies including Abbott, SITA Inc., Workday and Accenture. Emma Goode, Employment Officer with NUI Galway’s Career Development Centre, said: “This year’s Graduate Jobs Fair is our biggest one yet with national and international employers looking to recruit the brightest and best NUI Galway graduates across all academic disciplines. This is an ideal opportunity to find out who the key NUI Galway employers are, what types of jobs are available, and what kind of skills employers are looking for.” Emma also has some advice for those attending the Fair: “Don’t forget your main objective on the day is to secure your first graduate job. Many graduate employers now recruit graduates from all academic disciplines so don’t be misled by an organisation’s name – they may have the perfect graduate opportunity for you. Prepare for the fair. Research the companies you are interested in and the type of opportunities they have available. Introduce yourself and be prepared to give your career pitch. Be confident, positive, enthusiastic and dress appropriately. Arrive with a ‘can do’ attitude and be prepared to network!” Details on participating exhibitors is available from www.nuigalway.ie/careers.  -ends-   

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

The Cell EXPLORERS science outreach programme is delighted to announce its “Fantastic DNA” national roadshow 2016. Started in the NUI Galway School of Natural Sciences four years ago, the roadshow will once again visit primary schools to bring hands on experiments to pupils in Ireland. The visits will take place this term, including during Science Week in November, allowing up to 2,000 children to experiment like real scientists in their own classrooms. Interested schools should visit www.cellexplorers.com to book a visit. This year’s visits will be delivered by five Cell EXPLORERS teams based in higher education institutions. The Cell EXPLORERS national network has recently expanded with the launch of two new partner teams in the Institute of Technology Tralee and Dundalk Institute of Technology, in addition to the existing teams in Athlone Institute of Technology, the University of Limerick and NUI Galway. Funded by a two year Science Foundation Ireland Discover award, the five teams will send students and staff to visit primary schools in their localities to share in the excitement of science. Last year, 64 scientists from the teams based in NUI Galway, University of Limerick and Athlone Institute of Technology visited 24 schools throughout the country and taught 1,285 children about cells and DNA using hands-on activities and experiments. Half of the children visited had never met a scientist before and the pupils’ feedback was unanimously positive. They enjoyed meeting and talking to the scientists, as well as getting to do fun science in their classrooms.  “You are the best at teaching science and thank you for taking time to teach us more” said one 5th class pupil in County Galway. “I learned that scientists don’t just study, they explore new things and can get many jobs” commented another sixth class pupil from County Clare. Teachers hosting the “Fantastic DNA” visit pointed out that it had a marked impact on the pupils and brought a lot of excitement about science to their classrooms. One teacher from County Roscommon said: “It was a really enjoyable and memorable day. The children talk about it nearly every day since.” Teachers also highlighted as major positives the hands-on nature of the session and the small demonstrator to pupil ratio, both core aspects of how Cell EXPLORERS operates. Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Strategy and Communications, Science Foundation Ireland commented: “Cell EXPLORERS is piloting a unique way of directly involving Ireland’s colleges in engaging young people in science. The programme, which is being rolled out nationally, allows scientists to foster a love of science in the children of their local community. This directly supports Science Foundation Ireland’s goal to have the most scientifically engaged and informed public, will increase the pipeline of students opting to study STEM subjects, and at the same time contributes to training the next generation of Irish science communicators and educators.” This year, the new Dundalk IT and IT Tralee teams are eager to get started and to contribute to the national roadshow. Dr Geraldine Twamley Stein, lecturer in the school of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and coordinator of the IT Tralee Cell EXPLORERS team with Dr Antoinette O’Grady, said: "It is important for IT Tralee to take part in Cell EXPLORERS as this is community outreach at its best. It mobilizes STEM by going ‘face to face’ with primary school children and bringing science education into the young-learner environment. It raises the profile of our college by IT Tralee engaging in meaningful involvement with the community.” Dr Suzanne Linnane, senior lecturer in the department of applied Science at Dundalk IT, is the new Dundalk IT team coordinator. "I am already very involved in community science outreach on the topic of my own research, in particular with the ‘All about Water’ programme. I am interested by the format of the Cell EXPLORERS visits and how they contribute to build the skills and confidence of our students at Dundalk IT, which could lead some to reconsider their career goals, as well as bringing them into the heart of our community." Schools can request a “Fantastic DNA” visit by contacting the team closest to their location via email using the following addresses: Athlone IT: cellexplorersait@gmail.com, Dundalk IT: cellexplorersdkit@gmail.com, IT Tralee: cellexplorersittralee@gmail.com , UL: cellexplorersul@gmail.com, NUI Galway: cellexplorers@nuigalway.ie. You can find out more about the Fantastic DNA Roadshow and Cell EXPLORERS team activities on the programme’s website www.cellexplorers.com, or by following Cell EXPLORERS on Facebook or Twitter (@cellexplorers). Cell EXPLORERS activities, and the expansion of the programme to other institutions, is funded by a two year award from Science Foundation Ireland, NUI Galway and by the NUI Galway Foundation. -ends-

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

4,000 students, parents and teachers expected from 7-8 October as rise in rankings peaks interest  Following on from NUI Galway’s sensational rise in international rankings, the University is gearing up for its annual autumn Undergraduate Open Day. Thousands of visitors are expected on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 October to see first-hand what NUI Galway has to offer. There is a packed programme of events lined up for the two days, including 50 sample subject talks designed to give students a real insight into their options. Among the new courses on offer are Bachelor of Commerce - Global Experience, BSc. in Applied Social Sciences, and the BA (Children’s Studies). Lecturers and current students will be available at over 80 subject-specific stands in the main exhibition area in the Bailey Allen Hall. They will answer questions on courses, CAO points, employability, career progression routes, and other information such as accommodation and fees. Hands-on science workshops and interactive sessions in Engineering and IT systems and robotics and tours of the campus, will run throughout the day. “At a time when secondary school students are looking to choose courses, the University’s success in rankings is hugely significant. We are now in the Top 250 in the world and this is attracting more interest than ever in what we have to offer,” explains Niamh Connolly, Marketing Officer at NUI Galway. Choosing a university is one of the most important decisions a student will ever make and our Open Day is the perfect opportunity to explore the campus and decide for yourself whether this university feels right for you. Niamh Connolly added: “Guidance Counsellors and Parents play a key role in supporting students as they take this important next step, so our Open Days are designed to ensure they can access all of the information they need to support the CAO decision making process.” There is a special information session for Guidance Counsellors on Friday, 7 October. There will also be a specific programme for parents on Saturday, 8 October, which will provide parents and students with information on important issues such as fees and funding, careers, accommodation and support services for students Talk highlights over the two days include: Sports at NUI Galway- meet a team of coaches and learn more about Sport at the University Career talks - “Where are the jobs? What are my employment prospects after University?” SUSI – Applying for a student grant Creative Arts Performance Points- bonus CAO performance points To get the most out of the Open Days, which run from 9am to 3pm, visitors are encouraged to view the timetable of talks and full programme in advance at http://www.nuigalway.ie/opendays/programme/. To find out more visit www.nuigalway.ie/opendays, phone +353 91 494398 or email visit@nuigalway.ie. -Ends- Céimeanna nua sna Dána agus sa Tráchtáil á gcur i láthair ag an Lá Oscailte Súil le 4,000 mac léinn, tuismitheoir agus múinteoir an 7-8 Deireadh Fómhair de bharr ardú na hOllscoile sna ranguithe Ó tharla gur éirigh chomh maith sin le OÉ Gaillimh sna ranguithe idirnáisiúnta, tá sodar faoin réiteach anois do Lá Oscailte Fochéime an Fhómhair. Tá súil leis na mílte cuairteoir Dé hAoine, an 7 agus Dé Sathairn, an 8 Deireadh Fómhair chun go bhfaighidh siad léargas dóibh féin ar an méid atá ar tairiscint in OÉ Gaillimh. Tá clár imeachtaí den scoth beartaithe don dá lá, 50 caint éagsúla ar ábhair chun léargas ceart a thabhairt do mhic léinn ar a gcuid roghanna. I measc na gcúrsaí nua atá ar fáil tá Baitsiléir sa Tráchtáil - Taithí Idirnáisiúnta, BSc. in Eolaíochtaí Sóisialta Feidhmeacha, agus an BA (Staidéar Leanaí). Beidh léachtóirí agus mic léinn reatha ar fáil ag breis is 80 seastán ábhair sa phríomhlimistéar taispeántais i Halla Bailey Allen. Beidh siad ar fáil chun ceisteanna a fhreagairt faoi chúrsaí, pointí CAO, deiseanna fostaíochta agus gairmeacha beatha, agus lóistín agus táillí. Beidh ceardlanna praiticiúla eolaíochta agus seisiúin idirghníomhacha in Innealtóireacht agus i gcórais IT agus róbataic chomh maith le turais den champas, ar siúl ar feadh an lae. “Is anois atá gasúir meánscoile ag roghnú cúrsaí mar sin tá rangú na hOllscoile thar a bheith tábhachtach. Tá seasamh againn anois sa 250 ollscoil is fearr ar domhan agus ní raibh an oiread suime riamh roimhe seo sa mhéid atá le tairiscint againn,” a deir Niamh Connolly, Oifigeach Margaíochta in OÉ Gaillimh. Ceann de na cinntí is tábhachtaí a dhéanfaidh mac léinn go brách an ollscoil a bhfreastalóidh sé/sí uirthi a roghnú agus is iontach an deis í seo dul ag spaisteoireacht mórthimpeall an champais agus ansin cinneadh a dhéanamh an mian leo freastal ar OÉ Gaillimh amach anseo. Dúirt Niamh Connolly chomh maith: “Tá ról tábhachtach ag Múinteoirí Gairmthreorach agus ag tuismitheoirí tacú le mic léinn agus iad i mbun an cinneadh sin a dhéanamh, agus bíonn na Laethanta Oscailte ann chun go mbeidh an t-eolas ar fáil atá uathu chun cinneadh a dhéanamh faoin bpróiseas CAO.” Tá seisiún eolais speisialta do Mhúinteoirí Gairmthreorach againn Dé hAoine, an 7 Deireadh Fómhair. Beidh clár speisialta do thuismitheoirí chomh maith Dé Sathairn, an 8 Deireadh Fómhair, a thabharfaidh eolas do thuismitheoirí agus do mhic léinn faoi cheisteann móra cosúil le táillí agus maoiniú, gairmeacha, lóistín agus seirbhísí tacaíochta do mhic léinn. I measc na bpríomhchainteanna tá siad seo a leanas: Spórt in OÉ Gaillimh - beidh foireann traenálaithe i láthair agus foghlaimeoidh tú níos mó faoi Spórt san Ollscoil Gairmeacha - “Cá bhfuil na poist? Cá mbeidh mo thriail i ndiaidh na hOllscoile?” SUSI – Iarratas a dhéanamh ar dheontas Pointí Breise do na hEalaíona Cruthaitheacha - pointí breise CAO Chun an tairbhe is fearr a bhaint as na Laethanta Oscailte, a bheas ar siúl ó 9am go dtí 3pm gach lá, moltar do chuairteoirí breathnú ar amchlár na gcainteanna agus ar an gclár iomlán roimh ré ag http://www.nuigalway.ie/opendays/programme/. Tá tuilleadh eolais le fáil ar www.nuigalway.ie/opendays, guthán +353 91 494398 nó ríomhphost visit@nuigalway.ie. -Críoch-

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

Blackstone LaunchPad NUI Galway Shortlisted for Women Mean Business Awards Three nominees from Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway have been shortlisted as finalists for the Women Mean Business Awards 2016: Executive Director, Mary Carty; Program Manager, Natalie Walsh; and student entrepreneur-in-residence, Edel Browne. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the awards serve to promote Irish women entrepreneurs and help increase the visibility of inspiring female business leaders. Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway has supported over 2000 students on campus since launching in February. The ethos is to support and empower the individual student by creating supports specific to their needs and personal development; to help them to shape their pathway and celebrate their own unique talents and strengths. Mary Carty and Natalie Walsh are both shortlisted for the Boots WMB Empowering Women Award which recognises the initiatives made by companies and individuals to facilitate and encourage the progression of women in their careers. 19-year-old Edel Browne, founder of Free Feet Medical, is shortlisted for the Sodexo WMB Female Newcomer Award. This award is for a new start-up where the recipient demonstrates outstanding innovation within her business. Edel is a third year Biotechnology student at NUI Galway. Free Feet Medical is a device which helps people with Parkinson’s disease overcome gait freezing, a symptom affecting over 70% of those diagnosed with the disease. NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne said, “On behalf of NUI Galway I’d like to congratulate my colleagues, Mary Carty and Natalie Walsh and student entrepreneur-in-residence Edel Browne on being shortlisted for the Women Mean Business Awards 2016. Each of them represent a diverse aspect of innovation and in their work with Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway they serve as wonderful role models, working in different ways to empower students to consider entrepreneurship as a viable and attractive career pathway.” Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway is a campus based entrepreneurship programme. The programme is accessible by over six hundred thousand students globally. Blackstone LaunchPad is a campus based experiential entrepreneurship program open to students, alumni, staff and faculty offering coaching, ideation and venture creation support. It is modelled on a successful program originated at the University of Miami and was further developed by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation. For more information, visit www.blackstonelaunchpad.org  ENDS 

Monday, 26 September 2016

NUI Galway conferred six outstanding leaders of the Irish medical technology (medtech) sector with honorary degrees on Monday 26 September. The honorary graduates are: John Power, Founder and CEO of Aerogen; Helen Ryan, Former CEO of Creganna; Ian Quinn, Founder and Former CEO, Creganna; John O’Dea, Founder and CEO of Crospon; Paul Gilson, Co-Founder of MedNova and Veryan; John O’Shaughnessy, Founder of MedNova and Neuravi. The medical technology sector in Ireland is recognised as one of the five global emerging hubs. Galway is at the very heart of this development and NUI Galway is delighted to honour people in its own region who have been integral to growth of this sector in Ireland. The sector employs over 29,000 people in Ireland and is the second largest employer of medtech professionals in Europe. Ireland is one of the largest exporters of medical products in Europe with annual exports of €12.6 billion and companies here directly export to over 100 countries worldwide. Since the early 2000s, NUI Galway has focussed its research on biomedical engineering science as a priority area. It has developed a range of interdisciplinary research centres and initiatives, working closely with partners in industry, healthcare and government agencies, to build a world-class clinical, research and people infrastructure. Speaking at the conferring ceremony, NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne said: “NUI Galway is associated with many outstanding honorary graduates throughout its history and those being honoured form a particularly distinguished group. Each one has made an outstanding and distinctive contribution to the development of the medtech sector in Ireland, helping to make our region into the medtech hub of Europe. They have each contributed to an ecosystem which brings researchers, clinicians and industry innovators together and the result is a thriving medtech sector which makes a truly significant contribution to the Irish economy and society. NUI Galway is very pleased to be in a position to recognise these exceptional individuals” The Honorary Conferring Ceremony coincided with the official launch of CÚRAM Centre for Medical Device Research which is based at NUI Galway. CÚRAM is a Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre, which has a unique symbiotic relationship of academia and industry partners that pushes the scientific frontiers in medical devices. All honorees were conferred with a Degree of Doctor of Engineering (honoris causa).  HONORARY GRADUATES  John Power – CEO and Founder of Aerogen  In 1997 John created the company that later became Aerogen and that is today recognised as the International leader in aerosol drug delivery in the Intensive Care setting.  Aerogen’s products have been pivotal in treating more than four million critically ill patients from over 70 countries around the globe and are accredited with the world’s first effective ICU aerosol drug delivery for pre-term and early term neonates. This year Aerogen received the prestigious Zenith Award from the American Association of Respiratory Care, previously the company has been the recipient of both the Irish Exporter of The Year and the Irish Medical Device Technology Company of The Year.    It was in recognition of John’s career long achievements as both a product innovator and market pioneer that in June this year the European Business Awards named John the European Entrepreneur of The Year 2015/16. John is a Chartered Engineer, FIEI and holds an MBA from Oxford Brookes University. As an Adjunct Lecturer at NUI Galway he guest lectures on his core business interests of Innovation Strategies and Technology Entrepreneurship. He is a member of the Board of the Irish Medical Device Association and a faculty member of the NUI Galway BioInnovate program.  Helen Ryan– Former CEO, Creganna  Helen holds a number of Board positions including Enterprise Ireland, Capsos Medical and Galway University Foundation, and acts as a strategic advisor to Bord Gais, the BDO Capital Development Fund and a number of indigenous companies. Helen was the CEO of Creganna Medical, ranked among the world’s top 10 medical device outsource providers, from 2005 until September 2013. During Helen’s time as CEO the company grew five-fold to become the largest indigenous medical device company. The organization grew from 100 people at a single site in Galway to over 1250 people across a global network of four sites in Ireland, the USA and Singapore. Prior to joining Creganna Medical in 2003, Helen worked with Medtronic and Covidien in Product Development and R&D roles. Helen has a Bachelor of Engineering from NUI Galway, a Masters in Project Management from UL, and has completed a Senior Executive Programme at Stanford University. Helen is a fellow of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland Ian Quinn - Co-Founder and previous CEO, Creganna Medical Devices Ian co-founded Creganna in 1980 where he served as CEO for 25 years.  During his tenure Creganna grew from a staff of three in Galway to a staff of 2,250 on four continents. Creganna supplies all the major interventional device companies with delivery device technology from design and development to complete products.  Working with NUI Galway he was involved in the foundation of BioInnovate which is now generating a steady stream of very innovative new device companies.  He is a seed investor in some of those companies. Ian is on the board of BioInnovate, Tyndall National research Institute, IPIC (Irish Photonics Integration Centre), The Irish Academy of Engineering and a small number of device strart-ups.  He is Chairman of Amarenco (A developer of solar energy in France and Ireland). John O’Dea – Founder and CEO, Crospon John is CEO of Irish medical device company, Crospon, a company he founded in late 2006. Previously, in 1998, he co-founded Caradyne, an Irish respiratory medical device company, which was acquired by Respironics Inc. in 2004. In the past 30 years he has held R&D management positions in Nellcor Puritan Bennett and engineering positions in Digital Equipment Inc. and in Dataproducts Inc. He is Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway where he is also Chairman of the External Advisory Board of BioInnovate Ireland and is Special Advisor to the SFI CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices. He is a past Chairman of the Board of the Irish Medical Devices Association, and a Past President of Engineers Ireland. He is a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering. Paul Gilson – Co-Founder, MedNova Paul developed a passion for design and Engineering after graduation and worked with General Electric in the U.S., Canada and the Middle East in heavy Engineering roles. It was with CR Bard that his lifelong career in medical devices began in 1986. Following a number of years of leadership of this group and developing a number of commercially successful PTCA products, he left to co-found Ireland’s first start-up in the field of endovascular medicine, MedNova. The Company was acquired by Abbott Laboratories in 2006. Following the sale of MedNova, Paul along with co-founder Chas Taylor established Veryan Medical, a spinout from Imperial College in London to develop innovative Peripheral Stenting technologies. Based on the established cluster of Medtech Companies in Galway, Veryan located its operations in Galway. In parallel, he also co-founded Novate Medical to develop a new technology for IVC filtration, also located in Galway. Paul continues to mentor and invest in Medtech start-ups including those emerging from the NUI Galway BioInnovate program and was Chairman of Embo Medical, a BioInnovate start-up recently acquired by CR BARD. He is a named inventor on more than 40 granted US patents and has been published in a number of peer review journals. John O’Shaughnessy - Founder of MedNova and Neuravi John led the establishment of C.R. Bard Inc. (NYSE:BCR) at the very beginnings of the Galway medtech cluster in the early nineteen eighties and spent sixteen years as Managing Director with Bard. He co-founded two Irish medical device companies, Mednova in 1997 and Neuravi in 2009, and has invested in many others. He is Chairman of several companies and is an advisor to a major multi-national company advising on their strategy on medtech investing, acquisitions and management.  He was awarded the “The 2012 Life Time Achievement Award for his contribution to the Irish Medical Device Industry” awarded by IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Irish Medical Device Association.  He was appointed by the Irish Government to the Board of the Irish Development Authority (IDA) and served on the Board from 1995 till 2000. He was a founder of Croi, The West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation.                                                  -ends- Céimeanna bronnta ag OÉ Gaillimh ar dhaoine iomráiteacha in earnáil na teicneolaíochta leighis Dé Luain, an 26 Meán Fómhair, bhronn OÉ Gaillimh céimeanna oinigh ar sheisear ceannairí den scoth in earnáil teicneolaíochta leighis na hÉireann. Bronnadh céim orthu seo a leanas: -          John Power, Bunaitheoir agus Príomhfheidhmeannach Aerogen; -          Helen Ryan, iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach Creganna; -          Ian Quinn, Bunaitheoir agus iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach, Creganna; -          John O’Dea, Bunaitheoir agus Príomhfheidhmeannach Crospon; -          Paul Gilson, Comhbhunaitheoir MedNova agus Veryan; -          John O’Shaughnessy, Bunaitheoir MedNova agus Neuravi. Aithnítear earnáil na teicneolaíochta leighis in Éirinn ar cheann de na cúig lárionad domhanda a bhfuil borradh tréan faoi. Tá Gaillimh i gcroílár na forbartha seo agus tá OÉ Gaillimh thar a bheith sásta onóir a bhronnadh ar dhaoine ina réigiún féin a raibh dlúthbhaint acu le fás na hearnála seo in Éirinn. Tá os cionn 29,000 duine fostaithe san earnáil seo in Éirinn agus táimid ar an dara fostóir is mó de ghairmithe teicneolaíochta leighis san Eoraip. Tá Éire ar cheann de na heaspórtálaithe is mó de tháirgí leighis san Eoraip le heaspórtálacha bliantúla ar fiú €12.6 billiún iad agus easpórtálann cuideachtaí anseo chuig breis is 100 tír ar fud an domhain.  Ó thús na 2000í, thug OÉ Gaillimh tús áite do thaighde ar eolaíocht innealtóireachta bithleighis. Tá réimse ionad agus tionscnamh a bhaineann le taighde idirdhisciplíneach forbartha aici, trí dhlúthbhaint le comhpháirtithe sa tionscal, i ngníomhaireachtaí cúraim sláinte agus rialtais, chun infreastruchtúr cliniciúil, taighde agus daonna den scoth a thógail. Ag labhairt dó ag an searmanas bronnta, bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an Dr Jim Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh:  “Bhí baint ag OÉ Gaillimh le céimithe oinigh den scoth in imeacht na mblianta agus is grúpa den scoth amach is amach iad céimithe oinigh na bliana seo. Tá a c(h)ion féin déanta ag gach céimí oinigh daoibh seo i bhforbairt na hearnála teicneolaíochta leighis in Éirinn, trí chabhrú le lárionad teicneolaíochta leighis na hEorpa a dhéanamh dár réigiún. Chuir siad ar fad le héiceachóras a thugann taighdeoirí, cliniceoirí agus nuálaithe tionscail le chéile agus mar thoradh air seo tá earnáil teicneolaíochta leighis bisiúil againn a chuireann go mór le geilleagar agus le sochaí na hÉireann. Tá an-áthas ar OÉ Gaillimh a bheith in ann aitheantas a thabhairt do na daoine eisceachtúla seo.” Bhí an Searmanas Bronnta Oinigh ar siúl an tráth céanna le seoladh oifigiúil CÚ‏RAM - Ionad Taighde d'Fheistí Leighis de chuid SFI atá lonnaithe in OÉ Gaillimh. Is Ionad Taighde de chuid Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann é CÚRAM atá lonnaithe, atá ina chaidreamh uathúil siombóiseach idir lucht acadúil agus comhpháirtithe tionsclaíochta a thugann dúshlán na dteorainneacha eolaíocha i bhfeistí leighis. Bronnadh Céim Dhochtúireachta le hInnealtóireacht (honoris causa) ar na céimithe ar fad. CÉIMITHE OINIGH John Power – Bunaitheoir agus Príomhfheidhmeannach Aerogen Sa bhliain 1997 bhunaigh John an chuideachta ar a dtugtar Aerogen inniu, cuideachta atá aitheanta mar an ceannaire Idirnáisiúnta i seachadadh drugaí aerasóil i suíomh an Dianchúraim. Tá táirgí Aerogen lárnach i gcóir leighis a chur ar bhreis is ceithre milliún othar atá an-tinn as breis is 70 tír ar fud na cruinne agus is acu a bhí an chéad druga aerasóil dianchúraim éifeachtach do leanaí nuabheirthe a rugadh roimh am nó go luath. I mbliana bhronn an American Association of Respiratory Care an Gradam mór le rá Zenith ar Aerogen, roimhe seo ainmníodh an chuideachta mar Easpórtalaí Éireannach na Bliana agus mar Chuideachta Teicneolaíochta Feistí Leighis na Bliana.   Is mar aitheantas ar éachtaí móra John ina ghairm fhairsing mar nuálaí táirgí agus mar cheannródaí margaidh a ainmníodh John mar Fhiontraí Eorpach na Bliana 2015/16 ag na Gradaim Ghnó Eorpacha i Meitheamh na bliana seo.Is Innealtóir Chairte FIEI é John, agus tá MBA aige ó Ollscoil  Oxford Brookes. Is Léachtóir Taca in OÉ Gaillimh é John agus feidhmíonn sé mar aoi-léachtóir ar a phríomhleasa gnó, is iad sin Straitéisí Nuálaíochta agus Fiontraíocht Teicneolaíochta. Is ball de Bhord Chumann Feistí Leighis na hÉireann é John agus is comhalta dáimhe é ar chlár BioInnovate OÉ Gaillimh.  Helen Ryan– Iar-phríomhfheidhmeannach CEO, Creganna Tá Helen ag feidhmiú ar roinnt Bord lena n-áirítear Fiontraíocht Éireann, Capsos Medical agus Fondúireacht Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, agus tá sí ina comhairleoir straitéiseach le Bord Gáis, le Ciste Forbartha Caipitil BDO agus le roinnt cuideachtaí dúchasacha. Ón mbliain 2005 go dtí Meán Fómhair 2013, bhí Helen ina Príomhfheidhmeannach ar Creganna Medical, atá rangaithe i measc na ndeich soláthróir seachfhoinse is fearr ar fheistí leighis.  I rith thréimhse Helen mar Phríomhfheidhmeannach, d’fhás an chuideachta faoi chúig go dtí go raibh sí ar an gcuideachta dhúchasach is mó feistí leighis.  D’fhás an eagraíocht ó 100 duine ar shuíomh amháin i nGaillimh go dtí breis is 1250 duine thar líonra domhanda ar cheithre shuíomh in Éirinn, i Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá agus i Singeapór. Sular tháinig sí ar bord le Creganna Medical sa bhliain 2003, d’oibrigh Helen le Medtronic agus le Covidien i bhForbairt Táirgí agus i dTaighde agus Forbairt. Tá Baitsiléir Innealtóireachta ag Helen ó OÉ Gaillimh, céim Mháistreachta i mBainistíocht Tionscadail ó Ollscoil Luimnigh, agus tá Clár Feidhmiúcháin Shinsearaigh curtha i gcrích aici in Ollscoil Stanford.  Is comhalta í Helen d’Institiúid Innealtóirí na hÉireann. Ian Quinn - Comhbhunaitheoir agus iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach, Creganna Medical Devices Chomhbhunaigh Ian Creganna sa bhliain 1980 agus bhí sé ina Phríomhfheidhmeannach ar feadh 25 bliain.  Le linn a thréimhse in Creganna mhéadaigh sé ó fhoireann de thriúr i nGaillimh go dtí foireann 2,250 duine ar cheithre ilchríoch. Soláthraíonn Creganna na hollchuideachtaí feistí idirghabhála ar fad le teicneolaíocht feistí seachadta ó dhearadh agus forbairt go táirgí críochnaithe.  Agus é ag obair le OÉ Gaillimh bhí baint aige le bunú BioInnovate atá anois ag cur sruth leanúnach cuideachtaí feistí nuálaíocha nua ar fáil.  Is síol-infheisteoir é Ian i gcuid de na cuideachtaí seo. Tá Ian ar bhord BioInnovate, Institiúid Náisiúnta Taighde Tyndall, IPIC (Ionad na hÉireann do Chomhtháthú Fótónaice), Acadamh Innealtóireachta na hÉireann agus roinnt gnólachtaí nuathionscanta.  Tá sé ina Chathaoirleach ar Amarenco (forbróir fuinnimh gréine sa Fhrainc agus in Éirinn). John O’Dea – Bunaitheoir agus Príomhfheidhmeannach, Crospon Tá John ina Phríomhfheidhmeannach ar Crospon, cuideachta feistí leighis Éireannach a bhunaigh sé i ndeireadh 2006. Roimhe sin sa bhliain 1998 chomhbhunaigh sé Caradyne, cuideachta feistí leighis riospráide Éireannach; cheannaigh Respironics Inc. an chuideachta sin sa bhliain 2004. Le 30 bliain anuas bhí poist bhainistíochta Taighde agus Forbartha aige in Nellcor Puritan Bennett agus bhí poist innealtóireachta aige in Digital Equipment Inc. agus in Dataproducts Inc. Is Ollamh Taca é John i Scoil na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice in OÉ Gaillimh áit a bhfuil sé ina Chathaoirleach chomh maith ar Bhord Seachtrach Comhairleach BioInnovate Ireland agus ina Chomhairleoir Speisialta ar an Ionad Taighde d'Fheistí Leighis de chuid SFI - CÚRAM. Bhí sé ina Chathaoirleach tráth ar Bhord Chumann Feistí Leighis na hÉireann, agus ina iar-Uachtarán ar Institiúid Innealtóirí na hÉireann. Is Comhalta é d’Acadamh Innealtóireachta na hÉireann. Paul Gilson – Comhbunaitheoir, MedNova D’fhorbair Paul spéis ar leith sa dearadh agus san innealtóireacht tar éis dó a chéim a bhaint amach agus d’oibrigh sé le General Electric i Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá, i gCeanada agus sa Mheánoirthear i bpoist a bhain le hInnealtóireacht throm. Is le CR Bard a chuir sé tús lena ghairm fhada le feistí leighis sa bhliain 1986. Tar éis roinnt blianta a chaitheamh i gceannas ar an ngrúpa seo agus ag forbairt roinnt táirgí PTCA ar éirigh go maith leo go tráchtála, d’fhág sé an grúpa seo agus chomhbhunaigh sé an chéad ghnólacht in Éirinn i réimse an leighis ionsoithíoch, MedNova. Cheannaigh Abbott Laboratories an chuideachta sa bhliain 2006. Tar éis MedNova a dhíol, bhunaigh Paul, in éineacht le comhbhunaitheoir Chas Taylor, Veryan Medical, seach-chuideachta ó Imperial College i Londain chun teicneolaíochtaí nuálacha a bhaineann le Steinteáil Fhorimeallach. Bunaithe ar an mbraisle de Chuideachtaí Teicneolaíochta Leighis atá bunaithe i nGaillimh, chinn Veryan a chuid oibríochtaí a lonnú anseo chomh maith. Ag an am céanna, chomhbhunaigh sé Novate Medical chun teicneolaíocht nua a fhorbairt maidir le scagachán IVC; tá an chuideachta seo lonnaithe i nGaillimh freisin. Tá Paul fós ag meantóireacht agus ag infheistiú i ngnólachtaí nuathionscanta lena n-áirítear iad siúd atá ag teacht chun cinn ó chlár BioInnovate OÉ Gaillimh agus bhí sé ina Chathaoirleach ar Embo Medical, gnólacht nua-thionscanta de chuid BioInnovate a cheannaigh CR BARD le deireanaí. Tá sé ina aireagóir ainmnithe ar bhreis is 40 paitinn a fuarthas i Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá agus tá ábhar dá chuid foilsithe i roinnt irisí piarmheasúnaithe. John O’Shaughnessy - Bunaitheoir MedNova agus Neuravi Bhí John i gceannas bhunú C.R. Bard Inc. (NYSE:BCR) nuair a thosaigh braisle teicneolaíochta leighis na Gaillimhe go luath sa 1980idí agus chaith sé sé bliana déag ina Stiúrthóir Bainistíochta le Bard. Chomhbhunaigh sé dhá chuideachta teicneolaíochta leighis Éireannacha, Mednova sa bhliain 1997 agus Neuravi sa bhliain 2009, agus tá infheistíocht déanta aige i gcuideachtaí go leor eile. Tá sé ina Chathaoirleach ar roinnt cuideachtaí agus is comhairleoir é le hollchuideachta ilnáisiúnta maidir lena straitéis ar infheistíocht, ceannach agus bainistíocht na teicneolaíochta leighis. Bhronn IDA Éireann, Fiontraíocht Éireann agus Cumann Feistí Leighis na hÉireann “Gradam Saoil 2012 de bharr a chuid oibre ar mhaithe le Tionscal Feistí Leighis na hÉireann” air. Cheap Rialtas na hÉireann é ar Bhord Údarás Forbartha na hÉireann (IDA) agus bhí sé ar an mBord sin ó 1995 go dtí 2000. Bhí sé ar dhuine den dream a bhunaigh Croí, Fondúireacht Chairdeolaíochta Iarthar na hÉireann.                                                                      -críoch-  

Monday, 26 September 2016

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation launches CÚRAM Centre for Medical Device Research at NUI Galway NUI Galway establishes CÚRAM as a global hub of research expertise in medical device technology to strengthen the Irish medtech industry which employs 29,000 people. CÚRAM Centre for Medical Device Research officially launched at NUI Galway by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. CÚRAM already exceeding targets with €19 million secured from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. CÚRAM’s research will advance medical devices to mimic the body’s biology, targeting chronic diseases including diabetes, Parkinson’s and heart disease. “In the long-term we may have minimally invasive injections instead of operations for back pain, electrodes which degrade within the body over time, or 3D printed muscles and tendons” Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM Ireland’s positon as one of the top medtech clusters in the world will be bolstered today (Monday) with the official launch of CÚRAM, the Centre for Research in Medical Devices. CÚRAM is a Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre based at NUI Galway, which is a unique symbiotic relationship of academia and industry partners that pushes the scientific frontiers in medical devices. CÚRAM represents investment of €49 million over six years from Science Foundation Ireland and industry.  In just over 18 months, this support has already been used to leverage a further €19 million in funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, over €4.3 million of which has been awarded directly to indigenous Irish industry. Some of the 24 indigenous Irish and multi-national companies partnering with CÚRAM include Aerogen, Arch Therapeutics, Aquila Bioscience, Boston Scientific, Collagen Solutions, Cook Medical, Medical Energetics, Medtronic, Mylan, Neograft, Neosurgical, Neuravi, Ocean Harvest Technology, Spraybase, Stem Cell Technologies, Stryker Instruments and Viscus Biologics. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D., who will officially launch CÚRAM today, stated: “The medtech sector is hugely important to the Irish economy with over 400 companies based here, it accounts for over 29,000 jobs and is responsible for €12.6 billion worth of exports. I am delighted to launch CÚRAM a world class research centre which will be very significant for our society and our economy. CÚRAM will also play a key role in ensuring that world class skills will be available to companies in Ireland as it is here to futureproof the medtech industry by providing access to unparalleled scientific expertise and innovation.” Global demographic shifts mean we are living longer, but with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, Parkinson’s and heart disease. The research approach at CÚRAM is collaborative, multidisciplinary and informed from all perspectives so that it translates from basic research to clinical application as efficiently and quickly as possible.  Professor Abhay Pandit is Scientific Director of CÚRAM, which is based at NUI Galway, and heads up the 280-strong team: “Chronic diseases are the particular focus of CÚRAM’s research.  Working with industry partners and clinicians, we will better understand the ‘hostile environment’ of the body and advance medical devices to the next stage where they mimic the body’s biology. We want to launch devices which are more effective for the individual patient, but more affordable to lessen the burden on healthcare systems worldwide.” CÚRAM brings together strands of biomedical science which have come of age over the last decade including glycoscience, biomaterials science, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, drug delivery and medical device design.  “Bringing together expertise from various fields leads to tantalising possibilities,” continued Professor Pandit. “In the long-term we may have minimally invasive injections instead of operations for back pain, electrodes which degrade within the body over time, or 3D printed muscles and tendons. This will not happen overnight, but the unparalleled combination of scientific, industry and clinical and regulatory expertise which CÚRAM facilitates will get us there in the coming years.” Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said: “Ireland has a strong track record in all of the disciplines and industries that have been brought together in the CÚRAM Centre. CÚRAM has been at least fifteen years in the making and Science Foundation Ireland has been there supporting the research from day one. The Centre acts as a multi-disciplinary platform to discover new insights, develop new medical devices, and translate these research findings into clinical and commercial reality by a combination of commercial licensing and spinout company formulation. Science Foundation Ireland is delighted to support CÚRAM - a world-class research centre that has the potential to have a significant impact on both healthcare globally and the Irish economy locally.” CÚRAM has six academic partners including UCD, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, University College Cork, The Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and NUI Galway where it is based. CÚRAM has over 250 researchers engaged in current projects both in collaboration with industry and on blue-sky research. “CÚRAM is already attracting new research talent into Ireland,” said Dr Jim Browne, NUI Galway President. “A key part of its operation is to train the next generation of scientists, employees and entrepreneurs in this sector. The calibre of our graduates in this field is extremely high, and they are inspired by the exciting potential of the sector. One example of CÚRAM’s direct co-operation with industry is through MedTrain, a new industry–academic fellowship programme which will see 31 researchers enrol with CÚRAM’s Investigators as fellows in the next four years with support from EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.” The establishment of a national research centre like CÚRAM brings a huge advantage to the Irish medtech sector”, said Helen Ryan, Chair of the Governing Board of CÚRAM and former CEO of Creganna Medical, Ireland’s largest indigenous medical device company. “Partnering with CÚRAM provides co-funding opportunities for research and development with access to world class scientists in a multi-disciplinary environment. Working with CÚRAM can help de-risks the R&D process and ensure that R&D becomes a much stronger part of the ecosystem for start-up businesses and SMEs. CÚRAM’s entrance into the Irish medtech space will give companies here a competitive edge and adds a huge amount of value to an Irish location for multinational medtech companies looking to invest in Ireland in the future.”  -ends- Maoiniú €68 milliún do CHÚRAM chun mol domhanda a bhunú de shaineolas taighde i bhfeistí leighis   Seolann an tAire Post, Fiontar agus Nuálaíochta Ionad CÚRAM d'Fheistí Leighis in OÉ Gaillimh Mol domhanda de shaineolas taighde i bhfeistí leighis bunaithe ag OÉ Gaillimh le CÚRAM chun tionscal na teicneolaíochta leighis a fhostaíonn 29,000 duine in Éirinn a fhorbairt. Ionad CÚRAM d'Fheistí Leighis seolta go hoifigiúil in OÉ Gaillimh ag an Aire Post, Fiontar agus Nuálaíochta. Spriocanna á sárú cheana féin ag CÚRAM le maoiniú €19 milliún ó chlár Fís 2020 an AE. Beidh taighde CÚRAM ceannródaíoch i bhforbairt feistí leighis ionas go mbeidh siad in ann aithris a dhéanamh ar bhitheolaíocht an choirp chun déileáil le galair ainsealacha cosúil le diaibéiteas, galar Parkinson agus galar croí. “San fhadtréimhse, d'fhéadfadh instealltaí a bheith againn seachas obráidí do phian droma, leictreoidí a leánn sa chorp in imeacht ama nó matáin agus teannáin clóite i 3D” An tOllamh Abhay Pandit, Stiúrthóir Eolaíoch CÚRAM Cuirfear le seasamh na hÉireann mar cheann de na braislí teicneolaíochta leighis is fearr ar domhan inniu (Dé Luain) le seoladh oifigiúil CÚRAM, an tIonad Taighde d'Fheistí Leighis. Is Ionad Taighde de chuid Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann é CÚRAM atá lonnaithe in OÉ Gaillimh, atá ina chaidreamh uathúil siombóiseach idir lucht acadúil agus comhpháirtithe tionsclaíochta a thugann dúshlán na dteorainneacha eolaíocha i bhfeistí leighis. Is ionann CÚRAM agus infheisíocht €49 milliún in imeacht sé bliana ó Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann agus an tionscal.  Le 18 mí anuas, úsáideadh an tacaíocht seo chun maoiniú breise €19 milliún a fháil ó chlár Fís 2020 an AE, agus tá €4.3 milliún de sin tugtha díreach do thionscal na hÉireann. I measc na 24 cuideachta bhaile agus ilnáisiúnta atá i gcomhpháirt le CÚRAM tá Aerogen, Arch Therapeutics, Aquila Bioscience, Boston Scientific, Collagen Solutions, Cook Medical, Medical Energetics, Medtronic, Mylan, Neograft, Neosurgical, Neuravi, Ocean Harvest Technology, Spraybase, Stem Cell Technologies, Stryker Instruments agus Viscus Biologics. Sheol an tAire Post, Fiontar agus Nuálaíochta Ionad CÚRAM go hoifigiúil, ag rá: “Tá earnáil na teicneolaíochta leighis an-tábhachtach do gheilleagar na hÉireann. Tá breis is 400 cuideachta lonnaithe anseo agus 29,000 duine fostaithe san earnáil atá freagrach as luach €12.6 billiún d'easpórtálacha. Tá an-áthas orm an t-ionad taighde den scoth CÚRAM a sheoladh mar go mbeidh sé an-tábhachtach dár sochaí agus dár ngeilleagar.  Beidh CÚRAM thar a bheith tábhachtach chun a chinntiú go mbeidh scileanna den scoth ar fáil do chuideachtaí in Éirinn ionas go mbeidh nuálaíochta agus saineolas eolaíoch ar fáil d'earnáil na teicneolaíochta leighis amach anseo.” Tá daoine ag maireachtáil níos faide sa lá atá inniu ann ach tá tinnis ainsealacha cosúil le diaibéiteas, galar Parkinson agus galar croí ar dhaoine. Tá an cur chuige taighde in CÚRAM comhoibritheach, ildisciplíneach agus eolach ar gach peirspictíocht ionas gur féidir é a úsáid i dtaighde bunúsach agus go cliniciúil chomh héifeachtach agus chomh sciobtha agus is féidir.  Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an Ollamh Abhay Pandit atá ina Stiúrthóir Eolaíoch ar CÚRAM, atá lonnaithe in OÉ Gaillimh: “Tá taighde CÚRAM dírithe ar ghalair ainsealacha den chuid is mó.  Trí bheith ag obair le comhpháirtithe tionscail agus le cliniceoirí beidh tuiscint níos fearr againn ar 'thimpeallacht mhí-oiriúnach an choirp’ agus feistí leighis a fhorbairt le go mbeidh siad in ann aithris a dhéanamh an bhitheolaíocht an choirp. Ba mhaith linn feistí a fhorbairt a bheas níos éifeachtaí don othar ach a bheas níos saoire chomh maith ar chórais sláinte an domhain.” Tugann CÚRAM gnéithe den eolaíocht bhithleighis atá tagtha chun cinn le deich mbliana anuas le chéile cosúil le gliceolaíocht , eolaíocht bhithábhar, leigheas athghiniúnach agus innealtóireacht fíocháin, seachadadh drugaí agus dearadh feistí leighis.  “Tabharfar saineolas as réimsí éagsúla le chéile chun féidearthachtaí a mbeidh cuma na maitheasa orthu a fhorbairt,” a deir an tOllamh Pandit. “San fhadtréimhse, d'fhéadfadh instealltaí a bheith againn seachas obráidí do phian droma, leictreoidí a leánn sa chorp in imeacht ama nó matáin agus teannáin clóite i 3D. Ní tharlóidh sé seo thar oíche, ach idir saineolas eolaíochtúil, tionsclaíoch, cliniciúil agus rialaitheach le CÚRAM tarlóidh sé sna blianta seo romhainn.” Dúirt an tOllamh Mark Ferguson, Ard-Stiúrthóir Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann agus Príomhchomhairleoir Eolaíochta Rialtas na hÉireann: “Tá cuntas maith teiste ar Éirinn sna disciplíní agus sna tionscail ar fad atá tugtha le chéile in Ionad CÚRAM. Tá CÚRAM ar an mbealach le cúig bliana déag anuas agus bhí Fondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann ann i gcaitheamh an achair ag tacú leis an taighde ón gcéad lá. Feidhmíonn an tIonad mar ardán ildisciplíneach chun léargas nua a fháil, feistí nua leighis a fhorbairt agus torthaí taighde a úsáid go cliniciúil agus sa tráchtáil trí cheadúnú tráchtála móide seach-chuideachtaí a bhunú. . Tá an-áthas ar Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann tacú le CÚRAM - ionad taighde den scoth a d'fhéadfadh an-tionchar a imirt ar chúram sláinte an domhain agus ar gheilleagar na hÉireann.” Tá sé chomhpháirtí acadúil ag CÚRAM idir an Coláiste Ollscoile, Baile Átha Cliath, Coláiste na Tríonóide, Ollscoil Luimnigh, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh, Coláiste Ríoga na Máinleá in Éirinn agus Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, áit a bhfuil sé lonnaithe. Tá breis is 250 taighdeoir ag CÚRAM ag obair ar thionscadail reatha i gcomhar leis an tionscal agus ar bhuntaighde cruthaitheach. “Tá CÚRAM ag mealladh tallann nua taighde go hÉirinn cheana féin,” a deir an Dr Jim Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh. “Cuid mhór dá chuid oibre is ea an chéad ghlúin eile eolaithe, fostaithe agus fiontraithe a oiliúint san earnáil seo. Tá caighdeán an-ard céimithe againn sa réimse seo, agus tabharfaidh féidearthachtaí na hearnála seo ardú meanmna dóibh. Sampla amháin de chomhoibriú CÚRAM leis an tionscal is ea MedTrain, clár nua comhaltachta atá tionsclaíoch agus acadúil ina gcláróidh 31 taighdeoir le hImscrúdaitheoirí CÚRAM mar chomhaltaí ar feadh ceithre bliana le tacaíocht ó chlár Fís 2020 an AE.”  “Is mór an buntáiste a thugann ionad náisiúnta taighde cosúil le CÚRAM d'earnáil na teicneolaíochta leighis in Éirinn”, a deir Helen Ryan, Cathaoirleach Bhord Rialaithe CÚRAM agus iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach Creganna Medical, an chuideachta feistí leighis is mó in Éirinn. “Cruthaíonn comhpháirtíocht le CÚRAM deiseanna cómhaoinithe taighde agus forbartha le rochtain ar eolaithe den scoth i dtimpeallacht ildisciplíneach. Ní bhainfidh na rioscaí céanna le próiseas an taighde agus na forbartha má oibríonn tú le CÚRAM agus cinntíonn sé go mbíonn Taighde agus Forbairt ina gcroíchuid do ghnólachtaí nuathionscanta agus do ghnóthais bheaga agus mheánmhéide. Le CÚRAM anois in earnáil na teicneolaíochta leighis in Éirinn beidh cuideachtaí anseo níos iomaíche agus beidh an tír níos mealltaí do chuideachtaí móra ilnáisiúnta san earnáil ar mian leo infheistiú sa tír amach anseo. -críoch-

Thursday, 22 September 2016

Continuous improvement for University in both THE and QS rankings NUI Galway has continued its rise in global ranking as the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2016/2017 today confirms the university’s position within the top tier of Irish universities. NUI Galway made a significant leap into the 201-250 range, compared to 351-400 in 2012. This is the second time within a short period that NUI Galway has continued its upward trajectory in global rankings, with QS world rankings published earlier this month, NUI Galway also saw a climb into the top 250 universities globally. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, now in their 13th year, apply rigorous standards, using global benchmarks across all university’s key missions - teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. The top 980 list represents 5 per cent of the world’s higher education institutions. President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne, commented: “The success in recent weeks of our advancement in global university rankings reflects the ambition, hard work and creativity of our staff and students. There’s a culture here in Galway that’s focused on making a difference, by empowering our students to go on and do great things as well as an emphasis on areas of research that can have the most impact. “We have been doing the best we can with limited funding to support activities that are having a real impact globally, by working closely with industry and focusing on collaboration while also advancing the international reach of our university. “While no ranking system can truly assess the value of a university, we know that rankings are important to our graduates as they progress their careers internationally, as well as raising the profile of NUI Galway on a global stage.” Phil Baty, Editor of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings said of NUI Galway’s achievements: “In the last number of years, NUI Galway has enjoyed a continued rise in the World University Rankings and this year has made it into the world top 250 as its research has made more of a global impact. The performance of NUI Galway in the context of funding challenges in Ireland is significant, especially as it is set against the backdrop of increased global competition in the sector.” 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. The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2016-17 is available to view online at: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/   -Ends- Dul chun cinn déanta arí ag OÉ Gaillimh i Ranguithe Domhanda mór le rá Feabhas leanúnach déanta ag an Ollscoil i ranguithe THE agus ranguithe QS Tháinig ardú arís ar sheasamh OÉ Gaillimh i Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid Times Higher Education (THE) 2016/2017. Fógraíodh inniu go bhfuil áit ag an ollscoil ar cheann de na hollscoileanna is fearr sa tír.  Rinne OÉ Gaillimh ardú suntasach go dtí an réimse 201-250, i gcomparáid le 351-400 in 2012. Is é seo an dara babhta in achar gearr a bhfuil ardú déanta ag OÉ Gaillimh i ranguithe domhanda, ó foilsíodh ranguithe QS níos luaithe an mhí seo, áit a bhfuil seasamh bainte amach ag OÉ Gaillimh sa 250 ollscoil is fearr ar domhan. Tá Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain de chuid Times Higher Education, le 13 bliana anuas, ag cur caighdeáin ghéara i bhfeidhm, ag úsáid tagarmharcanna domhanda do gach croímhisean ollscoile - teagasc, taighde, aistriú eolais agus léargas idirnáisiúnta. Tá 5 faoin gcéad d'institiúidí ardoideachais an domhain ar an liosta den 980 ollscoil is fearr. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, An Dr James J. Browne: “Léiríonn an dul chun cinn i ranguithe ollscoileanna an domhain uaillmhian, dúthracht agus cruthaitheacht ár gcomhaltaí foirne agus ár mac léinn. Tá cultúr againn i nGaillimh atá dírithe ar dhifear a dhéanamh trí chur ar chumas na mac léinn éachtaí a bhaint amach agus tá béim ar réimsí taighde a mbíonn an-tionchar acu. “Táimid ar ár míle dícheall, ar bheagán airgid, ag tacú le gníomhaíochtaí a mbíonn tionchar acu ar fud an domhain, trí oibriú go dlúth le tionscail agus díriú ar chomhoibriú agus ag an am céanna ag cur le cáil idirnáisiúnta na hollscoile.   “Cé nach féidir le córas rangaithe ar bith luach ollscoile a mheas, tuigimid go bhfuil ranguithe tábhachtach do na céimithe agus iad ag tabhairt faoi ghairmeacha ar fud an domhain, agus tábhachtach do phróifíl OÉ Gaillimh a mhéadú go hidirnáisiúnta.”  Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Phil Baty, Eagarthóir Ranguithe Ollscoileanna an Domhain, faoi éachtaí OÉ Gaillimh: “Le blianta beaga anuas, tá ardú déanta ag OÉ Gaillimh i Ranguithe Ollscoile an Domhain agus i mbliana d'éirigh leis an ollscoil áit a bhaint amach sa 250 is fearr de bharr tionchar domhanda a taighde. Tá seasamh OÉ Gaillimh ó thaobh dúshláin mhaoinithe in Éirinn suntasach, ó tharla go bhfuil comórtas domhanda ag méadú san earnáil an t-am ar fad.” 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 Fís 2020 tá an togra ROCSAFE ar fiú €4.8 milliún é a fhorbróidh róbataic agus réasúnú éirimiúil 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 cairdiacha a bhíonn i ndaoine óga ón mbroinn. Teagasc Ainmníodh ceathrar Ollúna as OÉ Gaillimh i measc 'Intinní 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 í seo an institiúid is mó dá leithéid san Eoraip agus tá 150 duine ag obair inti. Tá Ranguithe Ollscoile Times Higher Education (THE) 2016-17 le feiceáil ar líne ag: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/  -Críoch-

Thursday, 22 September 2016

Dr Tony Hall, Lecturer in Educational Technology with NUI Galway, has been elected a Fellow of the International Society for Design and Development in Education (ISDDE). Dr Hall was welcomed to the society at its recent annual conference in Utrecht in The Netherlands and joins 150 other active educational designers and technologists who are connected as Fellows of the society. Chair of ISDDE, Professor Susan McKenney said: “Becoming a Fellow of ISDDE is both recognition of Tony's work as an educational designer as well as entry into an international community of professionals striving to promote and support excellence in educational design.”  Dr Tony Hall said: “I am honoured to be a Fellow of ISDDE and look forward to further building contact and collaboration with the colleagues and design researchers from all over the world that I met in Utrecht.” Dr Hall is a lecturer with NUI Galway’s School of Education. His role in collaboratively designing NUI Galway’s Bachelor of Arts Mathematics and Education, the national Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching, and EU H2020 Q-Tales Project contributed to his election as Fellow of ISDDE. The ISDDE was founded to bring together outstanding education course designers and developers from around the globe. The society aims to promote excellence in educational products and materials, particularly for science, mathematics, and technology by creating a professional community that shares knowledge, research, approaches, and critiques. ISDDE advances these goals through annual conferences, a peer-reviewed e-journal, Educational Designer and annual prizes for excellence in educational design. For more information about ISDDE and its awards, visit www.isdde.org.   -Ends-

Wednesday, 21 September 2016

New insight into the function of a gene important in the suppression of cancer is published today. Researchers at the National University of Ireland Galway have shown that the TP53 gene has even greater anti-cancer activity than previously thought. Professor Noel Lowndes is head of the Centre for Chromosome Biology at the National University of Ireland Galway and a Science Foundation Ireland Principal Investigator. Lead-author on the paper and an expert in DNA damage, he explains: “TP53 is one of the most potent genes in the human genome at preventing cancer and hence is termed a tumour suppressor gene. The importance of TP53 as a tumour suppressor is best illustrated by its mutation in at least half of all human cancers.” Previously, TP53 has been known to function in processes that prevent cancer cells from multiplying in the body by either triggering their own destruction, or preventing cell division. Together, these processes are recognised as potent anti-cancer mechanisms. Professor Lowndes continued: “In our recent work we add a new role to the expanding list of anti-cancer mechanisms controlled by TP53. We show that TP53 directly regulates the repair of broken DNA. Broken DNA is the most dangerous type of DNA damage as it can result in cell death or loss of genetic information in those cells that survive the break. There are two major competing biochemical pathways for repairing broken DNA. One simply re-joins the two ends of the broken chromosome. The other uses a nearby intact DNA molecule of the same sequence as a template to repair the broken chromosome. Our work demonstrates that TP53 directly influences the regulation of these two pathways. Thus, loss of TP53 during cancer development will drive the evolution of cancer cells towards ever more aggressive cancer types.” The research team hopes this new insight will impact upon diagnosis of cancer and improved therapeutic interventions. The research is published in the Royal Society journal Open Biology today in the article ‘A role for the p53 tumour suppressor in regulating the balance between homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining’. -end-

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Professor Daniel Carey, Director of NUI Galway’s Moore Institute for Research in the Humanities and Social Studies, has been appointed to the Board of the Irish Research Council. The Irish Research Council (IRC) supports excellent research and recognises creative individuals with innovative ideas, thus enabling a vibrant research community which enriches Irish research, the economy and society. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with the IRC, particularly at a time when government funding for research is under review in the context of Innovation 2020. As director of a research institute in the humanities and social sciences, I’m especially keen to support and promote the work of Irish academics in these fields. We face a lot of challenges, but at the same time we have great strengths to draw on and potential for the future”, said Professor Carey. Professor Carey is a graduate of McGill University, Trinity College Dublin, and Oxford University. He has published seven books on literature, history, economic thought and colonialism, and a range of articles on the history of travel, anthropology, history of science, and politics. He is general editor working with an international team to edit a landmark work of English exploration and expansion, Richard Hakluyt's Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation, forthcoming in 14 volumes with Oxford University Press. Established in mid-2012 under the Government’s Public Sector Reform Plan, the Irish Research Council is a merger of two former councils - the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS), and the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) The IRC is an associated agency of the Department of Education and Skills and operates under the aegis of the Higher Education Authority. -Ends-

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Students from the NUI Galway’s Psi Chi Honour Society in Psychology will host a public lecture by Professor Brian Hughes on pseudoscience in psychology. The lecture, entitled ‘“Trust Me, I’m a Psychologist” (Said No One Ever): Distinguishing Good Behavioural Science from Bad’, will take place on Thursday, 29 September, at 7pm. The lecture will examine the extent to which imperfect science threatens the impact and credibility of psychology, and argues that society at large stands to gain when psychologists promote and defend scientific standards. Professor Brian Hughes, Professor of Psychology and Dean of International Affairs at NUI Galway, said: “It is often easy to forget that psychology is a scientific discipline, and that is its core activity is the production of findings that help resolve debates about human behaviour and well-being. It is so easy to forget this that sometimes psychologists themselves fail to remember it. Scientifically limited research, in other words, bad science, has become a significant problem in modern psychology.” Professor Hughes’s research focuses on psychological stress and its impact on health, and on psychological and social moderators of stress. He also writes widely on the psychology of empiricism and of empirically disputable claims, especially as they pertain to science, health, and medicine. Professor Hughes’s recently published and critically-acclaimed book on the subject, Rethinking Psychology: Good Science, Bad Science, Pseudoscience, focuses on the philosophy of science within psychology, critiques controversial practices and challenges the biases which threaten academic rigour within the field. Hannah Durand, President of the NUI Galway Psi Chi Honour Society, said: “The purpose of our society has been to promote excellence in the science and application of psychology, and this lecture will certainly contribute towards achieving that goal. The topic of pseudoscience in psychology has wide appeal and important implications not only for aspiring psychologists, but also society at large. We look forward to seeing a diverse audience and to the fascinating discussion that is sure to follow Professor Hughes’s lecture.” The free lecture will take place in the O’Flaherty Lecture Theatre on the Arts/Science Concourse at NUI Galway. For more information contact psichinuig@gmail.com. -Ends-

Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Professor Michael Kane, Emeritus Professor of Physiology at NUI Galway, is the 2016 winner of the Society for Reproduction and Fertility’s premier research award, the Marshall Medal. Professor Kane accepted this prestigious award at the Annual Conference of the Society in Winchester, England recently. Professor Kane was awarded the Marshall Medal in acknowledgement of his major contribution to understanding the factors that influence ovarian follicular growth and pre-implantation embryo development. The Marshall Medal was established in 1963 as an annual award to honour an outstanding researcher in the field of reproductive biology. Previous winners of the award include the Nobel prize winner Bob Edwards for his work developing IVF as a fertility treatment and Hilda Bruce and Wesley Whitten who separately discovered the effect of pheromones on mammalian reproduction. Congratulating Professor Kane, Dr Jim Browne, NUI Galway President said: “This is a wonderful recognition of Professor Michael Kane and his research at NUI Galway over many decades.  On behalf of the University, I’d like to join with his colleagues and friends in congratulating Michael on receiving the prestigious Marshall Medal, acknowledging the impact of his research on the field of reproductive physiology.” Most of Professor Kane’s professional academic life was spent at NUI Galway and was Head of the Department of Physiology from 1995 until his retirement in 2006 and he also served as pre-clinical Vice Dean and acting Head of Anatomy during that time. Michael was previously awarded the Conway Medal from the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland in 1990, a DSc from the National University of Ireland in 2005 and elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2007. Professor Tim O’Brien, Dean of The College of Medicine Nursing and Health Science at NUI Galway, said: “This is a hugely deserved award for Professor Michael Kane who made enormous contributions to our medical school and university. His research, honoured with this award, laid the foundations for subsequent research programmes in the school of Medicine such as that in stem cell biology.” -Ends-

Monday, 19 September 2016

NUI Galway’s Centre for Disability Law and Policy project, The Voices of Individuals: Collectively Exploring Self-determination (VOICES) will hold a seminar on Criminal Responsibility workshop on Friday, 23 September in the Institute for Lifecourse and Society, NUI Galway.  The seminar will focus on rethinking criminal responsibility in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It will explore how key components of the criminal justice system, such as unfitness to plead and the insanity defence, can be reconstructed in a way that does not discriminate against people with disabilites. The seminar will appeal to students, researchers, people with disabilities, people with experience of the mental health system, family members, and practitioners in the fields of law, health and social care. Speakers include Florencia Hegglin, Public Defender and Professor of Law University of Buenos Aires;  Professor Bebhinn Donnelly-Lazarov, Swansea University; Professor Amita Dhanda, NALSAR University of Law; and Professor Gabor Gombos, Adjunct Professsor NUI Galway. Storytellers and respondents from the VOICES project will also feature including John Kidney, Maria Gomez Carrillo de Castro, Dr Nell Munro and Nicholas Clarke. Dr Eilionóir Flynn, Principal Investigator on the VOICES Project and Deputy Director of NUI Galway’s Centre for Disability Law and Policy, said: “The speakers at the event come from a wide range of countries (Argentina, Hungary, Ireland, India, Spain, and the UK) with a diverse range of experience – as lawyers, researchers, artists and activists, with personal and professional experience of the criminal justice system. Together, we hope to answer some of the most difficult questions about how equal access to justice can be ensured for defendants and accused persons a label or diagnosis of disability in the criminal system, by reflecting on the stories and experiences of participants in the project and jointly developing new proposals for reform.” The VOICES project is funded by a European Research Council Starting Grant, awarded to Dr Eilionóir Flynn, the youngest person to ever receive such an award. The conference is a free public event and registration remains open until Wednesday, 21 September. Further information is available at www.ercvoices.com or email Clíona De Bhailís on ercvoices@nuigalway.ie or 091 494272. Participant accessibility requests and enquiries are welcomed. -Ends-

Wednesday, 14 September 2016

A team of Irish clinical academics have secured one of seven major awards that have been made across the UK and Ireland by Wellcome*. The scheme, which will be known as Wellcome – HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme, will support the intake of eight postgraduate trainee doctors per year for a five-year period, providing fully integrated clinical and research training up to consultant level. The award represents an overall investment of almost €13 million with €7.5 million coming from Wellcome and the Health Research Board (HRB). This is matched with a further combined contribution of €5.5 million from the Health Service Executive and the Health and Social Care Research and Development Office, Northern Ireland, and the partner universities. The programme will be open to applications in autumn 2016 for an intake beginning in July 2017. ‘A research-active health system is proven to have better outcomes for patients’, said Minister for Health Simon Harris, announcing the programme today. ‘Patients will be the long-term winners as this collaborative investment will fundamentally improve both the number and calibre of Clinician Scientists working in our universities and health services.  I'm really pleased to announce this significant investment in the future of the health service, and I know the positive impact for patient care is going to be very real.  I very much look forward to seeing this important programme in action over the next few years. I welcome the strong collaboration that is core to this research award, and I am particularly pleased that Northern Ireland is part of it, making this an all island and multi-institutional Programme’. The north’s Health Minister, Michelle O Neill said; ‘This is the largest ever investment in academic medicine through an all island collaborative partnership and it will make a real difference to the health of people across the island of Ireland and further afield.  I want to congratulate all those involved in securing this programme and in particular pay tribute to the role played by Professor Peter Maxwell, from Queen’s University in Belfast.   This initiative demonstrates what can be achieved through collaborative working across the whole island of Ireland.’ The partner universities involved in the programme include NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin,  University College Cork, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Queen’s University Belfast. Each academic partner is affiliated to hospitals and hospital groups in their region. A crucial coordinating role was played by Molecular Medicine Ireland, the collaborative entity owned by the university partners. Lead investigators from the Institutions involved in the application include: Professor Conall Dennedy, NUI Galway, Co-investigator, Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme Professor Michael Gill, Trinity College Dublin, Director of the Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme Professor Paddy Mallon, University College Dublin, Deputy Director of the Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme Professor Joe Eustace, University College Dublin, Co-investigator, Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme Professor Ray Stallings, RCSI, Co-investigator, Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme Professor Peter Maxwell, Queen’s University Belfast, Co-investigator, Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme Dr Mark Watson, Molecular Medicine Ireland, Co-ordinator of the application for the Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme Professor Michael Gill the Principal Investigator on the Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme said: “Our goal in securing this award was to enable a fundamental change in the training of future academic clinicians on an all-Ireland basis. At its core is a fully integrated clinical and research programme that will provide seamless, supported and mentored training of the highest standard, targeting future clinical academic leaders in the universities and health care system. The programme will identify, recruit, and mentor doctors during their postgraduate training who have the potential to become future academic leaders. They will be supported through a structured career pathway, aligned with our national research strengths and postgraduate specialities. In doing so, this programme will position Ireland well to meet future challenges in clinical innovation and excellence in healthcare. Our application has the full support of all major stakeholders; the Postgraduate Forum representing specialist training bodies, the Health Services North and South, the Universities and the Health Research Board.  Trainee Clinician Scientists will be based at six major Irish universities in Belfast, Cork, Dublin and Galway, and will be able to take advantage of existing clinical research infrastructures and supports in their associated hospitals, many of which have been funded by the HRB.” Professor Conall Dennedy, NUI Galway, Co-investigator, Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme, said: “This marks a fantastic opportunity for medical trainees to develop careers as clinician scientists through a truly integrated, collaborative programme which incorporates the major medical schools across the entire island, North and South. This programme demonstrates how we can work together across academic, training and healthcare institutions. Through these collaborations we will strengthen our research network across the country, train excellent clinician scientists and ultimately benefit the patients across the island by sowing the seeds to develop a landsacpe for cutting edge medicine, technology transfer and translational medicine. We all look forward to our first intake of trainees in 2017.” According to Dr Graham Love, Chief Executive at the Health Research Board: “We are committed to fostering a research-active culture among health professionals so they can continually evolve and improve care.  It is great to see that the ongoing collaboration between the HRB and Wellcome Trust continues to extend new opportunities to researchers in Ireland.” Dr Anne-Marie Coriat, Head of Research Careers at Wellcome said: “This is one of seven new clinical PhD programmes across the UK and Ireland that Wellcome has funded. Training small groups of PhD students in programmes provides an opportunity to develop cohort focussed training opportunities and further embed clinical academic training within universities and university hospitals.” -Ends-

Tuesday, 13 September 2016

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-

Monday, 12 September 2016

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-

Monday, 12 September 2016

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-

Wednesday, 7 September 2016

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-

Tuesday, 6 September 2016

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-

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

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-

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

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-

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

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-

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

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-

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

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-