Monday, 29 February 2016

As part of its ongoing initiative towards integrating mindfulness into the University’s culture, NUI Galway will host a day of Mindfulness classes with Tibetan Buddhist Monk, Gelong Thubten. The classes will take place in NUI Galway’s Aula Maxima Lower on Wednesday, 9 March, throughout the day from 8.15am to 5pm. The Mindfulness theme will focus on Deepening our Mindfulness through the technique of ‘breathing’, followed by a reflection practice on ‘Cause and Effect – the importance of ethical living’. Classes are free and open to all university staff and students, the general public, researchers, student counsellors and advisors, healthcare professionals, mindfulness practitioners, and anyone with an interest in mindfulness. Tibetan Buddhist Monk, Gelong Thubten, based at the Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery in Dumfriesshire in Scotland, and one of the very popular expert speakers at last October’s NUI Galway Mindful Way Conference, will deliver the Mindfulness classes, as part of the University’s ‘Mindful Way Initiative’. Gelong Thubten has already delivered monthly Mindfulness classes to NUI Galway staff and students in January and February of 2016 and will continue to do so over the coming months. Due to the enthusiastic response to classes, they have now been opened up to the public, and for those attending for the first time in March, there is an opportunity to cover the previous two sessions at the 12pm class. Last October, NUI Galway’s Mindful Way Conference shared the evidence-based impact of mindfulness on students and staff performance, well-being and culture. The University is now focusing on the benefits of integrating mindfulness within the University setting to continue to serve the 21st century needs in delivering its core principles: teaching, research and contribution to society through innovation and entrepreneurship, and understanding the role mindfulness can play in providing a more enriching experience for students and staff. Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice-President for Research at NUI Galway, said: “NUI Galway is starting on this journey to adopt a mindfulness culture. Last year the University hosted a conference of mindfulness experts, leaders in society and entrepreneurs, along with students, staff and university leaders, to discuss the importance of mindfulness in higher educational institutions. To date there has been such a great response to Gelong Thubten’s classes, which have been well attended by both students and staff that we would like to open it up to the wider community.” Commenting on what people can expect from the Mindfulness classes Gelong Thubten said: “The purpose of the monthly classes is to provide a thorough training in mindfulness, to be practiced between each module. Each class consists of a Theme, Technique and Reflection Practice. In January, I introduced Relaxation and Confidence using a ‘body scan’ technique followed by a reflection practice focusing on realising our full potential. In February, I introduced Honing Our Focus and Learning Flexibility using the technique of ‘sound’ followed by a reflection practice focusing on impermanence and change. The March sessions will introduce people to deepening our mindfulness through breathing.” Class Schedule for Wednesday, 9 March, 2016: 8.15am – 9:00am 10.45am – 11.30am 12:00pm – 12.45pm 13.15pm – 14:00pm 17: 00pm – 17:45pm To register attendance and for further information about NUI Galway’s Mindful Way initiative and additional classes visit: www.nuigalway.ie/mindfulway ENDS

Thursday, 25 February 2016

Coder Dojo enthusiasts in Galway and Sweden are invited to design a game as part of NUI Galway’s contribution to the European project “Sea Change” which aims to create a deeper understanding amongst European citizens of how their health depends on the health of our seas and ocean An exciting challenge for members of Coder Dojos in Galway City and County, aged between 7 and 18 years will be launched on Saturday, 27 February at 1pm in the Kirwan Lecture Theatre at the Arts Science Building in NUI Galway. The CoderDojo ‘Future Ocean’ Challenge is being organised by NUI Galway as part of the University’s contribution to a European project called “Sea Change” which aims to establish a fundamental “Sea Change” in the way European citizens view their relationship with the sea. Entrants from individuals or teams with up to a maximum of four members are invited to submit a game design on the theme of Sea Change, creating a deeper understanding of how our health depends on the health of our seas and ocean. The submissions will be reviewed by a panel of experts and judged on ‘best concept’ and ‘ease of use’. Teams and individuals who enter the competition will be able to call on the services of a ‘game designer’ as a mentor and sounding board to help them develop their games. The winning project will be included in an eBook about cold-water corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools, and the winners will also receive a cash prize of €500. The best junior project will receive €300. Dr Veronica McCauley from the School of Education at NUI Galway and organiser of the event said: “Coding is now an optional subject on the Junior Cycle Curriculum and junior coding languages such as ‘Scratch’ offer tremendous opportunities for children to be creative while learning the basics of coding. The challenge here is to use the fun and popularity of designing and playing technology games while enjoying digital stories to raise awareness of marine issues, and to ensure healthy oceans and seas in the future, for ourselves, for the animals that live in them, and ultimately for the planet.” At the event launch, Dr Anthony Grehan from Earth and Ocean Sciences at the School of Natural Sciences in NUI Galway, will provide ideas for project development and give a talk about why we need to protect cold-water coral reefs. Dr Grehan will be joined by Dr Amy Lusher who recently completed her PhD at GMIT, will provide an update about her work on the hunt for micro-plastics (small plastic particles) in the oceans, and Gavin Duffy, Director of Galway based RealSIM Ltd., will talk about the company’s work on the Titanic Belfast Ocean Exploration project, and current work on the East Coast and Cork Harbour, which aims to apply innovative 3D technologies to marine environmental exploration. For registration and competition details visit http://seachangeproject.eu/futureocean Registration for the competition closes on Saturday, 9 April and is open to Coder Dojos in Galway City and County and to give an international dimension, Lund in Sweden. ENDS

Monday, 15 February 2016

Academy integrates medical education with clinical delivery for medical doctors of the future Minister for Health, Dr Leo Varadkar TD today (12 February 2016) officially launched the Sligo Medical Academy, an NUI Galway partnership with Saolta University Health Care Group and Sligo University Hospital for the training of doctors. The Academy is housed in a purpose-designed facility located within the premises of Sligo University Hospital. This is a major investment by NUI Galway into Clinical training in Sligo, one of a series of proposed medical academies in the West/North West region. Construction of similar facilities at Mayo and Letterkenny University Hospitals have also been developed. Speaking at the official opening, Minister Varadkar said: “This new Academy is a win-win for medical students, patients, and the north west region. It broadens the training available to medical undergraduates in the region, improves quality of care for patients, and should also help to attract and retain more medical staff in the west and northwest. I congratulate all of those involved in developing the Sligo Medical Academy and look forward to their future plans.” Medical Education and Clinical Delivery The new medical academy will allow doctors of the future to fine tune their clinical skills under the watchful eyes of 11 part time tutors/lecturers covering all medical specialties. 60 students per semester from 3rd, 4th and final medical years rotate through Sligo for one year clinical training. The co-location of the Academy with the hospital is deliberate as it allows students to attend didactic teaching in the Academy and also bedside teaching in the hospital. One of the strengths of the NUI Galway Medical School Academies is the ratio of both tutors to students and also of students to patients. Sligo University Hospital provides our student with excellent exposure to a wide variety of specialities. From January 2016 onwards, the Sligo Medical Academy and Sligo University Hospital will also be welcoming student as part of the School’s new Junior Internship programme called iJuMP (Intern Junior Mentoring Programme). The School of Medicine promotes the development of its graduates to a level of excellence in preparedness for clinical practice, allowing them to function as a competent doctor in a changing, complex and demanding working environment. Final year medical students will from January be working on the wards as part of a team and functioning as junior interns. They will be supported by supervising consultants and will work closely with current interns to learn everything about the clinical environment first hand. Speaking at the launch of the Sligo Medical Academy, NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne said: “As well as being enormously important for the clinical education of our students, the real benefit of this partnership is to the health system across our region. Our relationship with Saolta University Health Care Group through the Sligo Medical Academy brings a range of tangible benefits: including better learning outcomes for medical students; better treatment rates for patients, with increased personnel on wards; and better opportunities for recruitment and retention of top staff in hospitals across the region through association with the University. Many people and organisations have given their energy to see this project come to fruition and NUI Galway is very pleased to be opening this new Medical Academy in Sligo today.” Commenting, Gráinne McGann, General Manager of Sligo University Hospital said: “The opening of this Academy is a welcome development here at Sligo University Hospital as it builds on our links with our academic and research partners. This facility will enhance the hospital’s reputation and contribute over time to even higher standards of patient care in all of our clinical departments. The further integration of medical education and clinical delivery will support the recruitment and retention of the highest quality medical staff to our hospital and the region”. Sligo Medical Academy Building The €2 million euro (700 M2) state of the art facility will include a lecture theatre, clinical skills laboratory, tutorial rooms, mock consultation rooms, tutor offices, and study spaces for the students. The new landmark development will be constructed at levels 7 and 8 above the existing Library. Dr Geraldine McCarthy, Dean of Medical Education in Sligo added, “Sligo Medical Academy is an exciting development for Undergraduate Medical students in the North West. It is a state of the art facility, with lecture theatre, clinical skills lab and small group teaching rooms for 60 NUI Galway students from 3rd year 4th year and final year. The academy has been running since 2009 with 10 part time Clinical Tutors and it is wonderful to now have a purpose built facility to meet the medical students' training needs. It represents a significant investment by NUI Galway in Sligo University Hospital to train our future doctors”. ENDS

Thursday, 4 February 2016

Two medical device researchers have been awarded funding to carry out their research at NUI Galway. Adam Santorelli and Dr Emily Porter will be based at the Medical Device Research Group within the Lambe Institute for Translational Research at NUI Galway. Adam Santorelli, of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, has been awarded a James M. Flaherty Research Scholarship from the Ireland-Canada University Foundation (ICUF). This competitive award targets emerging researchers and supports a short research visit to investigate topics of strategic importance and encourage partnerships between Canada and Ireland. A final-year PhD student, Adam’s research focuses on developing low-cost hardware for microwave imaging. At NUI Galway, he joins a research team focused on microwave medical imaging, led by Dr Martin O’Halloran. Microwave imaging is a highly promising technology that is just now reaching the stage of clinical testing. It has the potential to offer extremely cost-effective medical imaging, enabling wider access to cancer screening, particularly in remote or developing regions. Working alongside the team at NUI Galway, his research looks to develop advanced imaging techniques for low-cost radar-based systems. Dr Emily Porter has been awarded the Royal Irish Academy Charlemont Grant, which are bestowed on early-career postdoctoral researchers to enable short but high-impact research-related travel missions. The award aims toward encouraging excellence in all areas of Irish scholarship and facilitating research on an international stage. Dr Porter works with the European Research Council research team in the new Translational Research Facility at NUI Galway. Her research, supervised by Dr Martin O’Halloran, she examines the dielectric properties of human tissue and how these properties can be utilized in up-and-coming medical technologies. The Charlemont Grant will enable her to visit a well-established dielectric property laboratory, run by Dr Sammut at the University of Malta, where she will be in a unique position to learn from some of the best in the field. The research trip promises to facilitate future collaborations with the University of Malta and help to accelerate the investigation of tissue properties at NUI Galway. Dr Martin O’Halloran, ERC Research Fellow and Head of the Medical Device Research Group in the Lambe Institute, said: “These awards highlight the quality of researchers now joining the ERC-funded Medical Device Lab at NUI Galway, and are an early success for the newly-opened Lambe Translational Research Facility.”  -Ends-

Friday, 26 February 2016

Compact Imaging and NUI Galway presentations at US Photonics Conference highlight the dramatic size and cost reductions made possible by MRO™ OCT Technology Researchers and technologists from Compact Imaging, Inc. (CI) and their research collaboration partner NUI Galway, who together are developing miniature optical sensors that noninvasively image and measure subsurface characteristics of human tissue, had featured roles at last week’s (13-18 February) annual SPIE/Photonics West Conference, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. SPIE/Photonics West is the world’s premier photonics and bio-photonics industry conference. The Conference, which is attended by scientists and industry executives from more than three dozen countries, consists of plenary sessions, presentations and panels on the latest research and developments in optics, photonics and bio-photonics. Martin Leahy, Professor of Applied Physics at the School of Physics in NUI Galway, and a key advisor to Compact Imaging, served as a Conference Chair and presented a significant paper on Compact Imaging’s innovative OCT technology, MRO™ (Multiple Reference OCT), titled, “The How and Why of a $10 Optical Coherence Tomography System.” Professor Leahy’s talk contrasted Compact Imaging’s small low-cost MRO system with conventional clinical OCT machines. When fully integrated, MRO sensors will be about the size of a quarter, fit easily inside a mobile device and cost less than $10 to produce. Although the clinic-scale OCT instruments have revolutionised medical diagnostic imaging and are expected to remain a vital diagnostic tool for medical professionals, they are large, expensive, complex and power hungry - far from mobile at a time when personalisation is a dominant trend in healthcare. Because Compact Imaging’s MRO architecture was developed to leverage mass-produced miniature components commonly found in consumer electronic devices, it is well-suited to integration in high volume devices for applications ranging from personal health monitoring to secure identity authentication. Compact Imaging founder Dr Josh Hogan also participated in the conference. Additional talks were given on various aspects of MRO research and development by post-doctoral researchers and graduate students in Professor Leahy’s Tissue Optics and Microcirculation Imaging (TOMI) laboratories at NUI Galway. Professor Martin Leahy from NUI Galway said: “OCT has had an enormous impact on healthcare, first on eye and now in the coronary artery diseases. With Compact Imaging, we want to extend the impact of OCT to communities and to the six billion people outside of the first world, who will simply never access the benefits of OCT in its current format.” Don Bogue, CEO of Compact Imaging said: “In the field of OCT imaging and biometry, size, price and operating power are three critical elements to commercialisation in mass market applications. Our MRO system is the first version of OCT with the size, cost and operating power profile to address high volume applications in areas such as mobile personal health monitoring and biometric security.” Compact Imaging’s intellectual property base, consisting of 15 US patents and an equal number of pending US and foreign applications, is centered on MRO™ and its use in a wide range of biological and non-biological imaging and biometry applications. ENDS

Wednesday, 10 February 2016

The fourth in the series of ‘Lectures in the Library’ will tell the remarkable story of Dubliner Eilish Dolan from her wrongful incarceration as a 15 year old girl to her adult career as a writer of romantic fiction. It is a story of courage and betrayal, love and resilience that epitomises the political, human and social contradictions of Ireland as it emerged from the 1916 Rising through the war of independence and the civil war. The lecture will be delivered by Eilish’s nephews, Michael Dolan and Pat Dolan, UNESCO Chair and Director of NUI Galway’s Child and Family Research Centre. The lecture will begin at 6.30pm on Tuesday, 16 February at Galway City Library in Augustine Street. The ‘Lectures in the Library’ series is organised by NUI Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising.  ENDS

Monday, 1 February 2016

NUI Galway will host a Cancer Research and Awareness evening in Galway providing fascinating insights into the future of cancer research and prevention NUI Galway will host a Cancer Research and Awareness evening for the public providing valuable insights into the future of cancer research and in particular, early cancer detection and prevention. The event will take place in Áras Moyola at NUI Galway on Thursday, 11 February from 7pm to 9pm. Organised by NUI Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and NUI Galway’s Cancer Society, the event will share information on all types of cancer with the wider Galway community and the many resources available to people. It aims to encourage public and patient involvement in cancer research; discuss the future of cancer medicine and patient well-being, and the benefits of combining research with psychology and clinical medicine. Special guest, Professor Mark Lawler from the Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology in Queen’s University Belfast will headline the event. Joining Professor Lawler on the panel of experts are; Dr Sharon Glynn, Lecturer in Pathology at The Lambe Institute for Translational Research at NUI Galway, Dr Jane Walsh, Director of M-Health Research Group and the School of Psychology at NUI Galway, and Sinead Quinn, Clinical Psychologist and Patient and Family Advocate. The evening will comprise of short presentations by each of the speakers, followed by a panel discussion in which members of the audience can pose questions. Community members, patients, patients’ families, physicians, medical professionals and students will benefit from this multi-disciplinary discussion. Schedule of Panel Discussions: Lorraine Toner, Irish Cancer Society - Introduction Dr Sharon Glynn, College of Medicine, NUI Galway - Current Research Aimed at Preventing the Development of Metastatic Cancer & Future Research Strategies for Cancer Prevention Dr Jane Walsh, School of Psychology, NUI Galway - Tools available for healthy living, exercise and nutrition for cancer patient and for lowering risk. Sinead Quinn, Patient and Family Advocate – Raising Awareness for Early Cancer Diagnosis & Psychological Impact of Cancer Diagnosis Professor Mark Lawler, Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast - 21st Century Cancer Medicine; Time to get personal General Discussion with Audience and Closing The event is free and open to the public. For further event details email nuigalwaycanceraware@gmail.com, follow on Twitter @nuigalway.ie or Facebook at NUIG Cancer Society. ENDS

Thursday, 18 February 2016

Dr Rebecca Metzner, United Nations Chief of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organisation, will deliver a public talk in the Galway Business School on Wednesday, 24 February at 7.30pm. The talk is organised by Coastwatch Europe, in association with NUI Galway’s School of Geography and the Ryan Institute. One of the goals of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations is to promote the combination of modern, cutting edge research with local knowledge and practices to conserve and improve local resources, producing multiple benefits at the local and global level. With the growing challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, it is important to protect and build upon the knowledge and associated practices. Around Galway Bay inshore fishermen, and particularly traditional seaweed harvesters, have expressed growing concern about the future of the region. Proposals for large scale salmon aquaculture, a major harbour extension, and international interests in seaweed processing and harvesting on the foreshore are of particular concern for the traditional local small scale operators. Dr Metzner will also meet with small-scale fisheries and traditional gathers of Galway Bay to discuss their rights and opportunities in light of new developments in marine law and policy in Ireland. Karin Dubsky of Coastwatch said: “We extended the invite because we feel most small-scale fishers and communities are not on the radar of national and regional decision makers.” Dr Kevin Lynch, NUI Galway’s School of Geography and the Ryan Institute, said: “The issues around traditional activities on our coasts require an integrated approach to future coastal and marine initiatives. Our Masters of Science students have a number of projects ongoing in this area and the students are looking forward to meeting Dr Metzner to discuss best practices from other countries where similar issues arise.” -Ends-

Monday, 1 February 2016

Eight NUI Galway academics attended a celebration of ‘Women in Science’ by President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, in Áras an Uachtaráin at the weekend. The event celebrated the leading role that women play in scientific research and industry. Since his inauguration in 2011, the President has spoken repeatedly about the importance of using scientific insights to address the great challenges facing humanity and our fragile planet and to ensure the benefits of this research are shared equitably among and within nations. The celebratory event highlighted the achievements and inspirational roles played by a growing number of women in this regard. Representation was drawn from the universities and institutes of technology in Ireland, as well as a small number from scientific state agencies and bodies.  There was also a group of competitors and organisers from the BT Young Scientists Competition. Speaking at the celebratory event, President Higgins said: “It gives me great pleasure to host this event, aimed at celebrating the leading role that women are playing in scientific research and industry. Science is an important and influential discipline – one which has a pivotal role to play in the great concerns of humanity in our time, and one which has the potential to make the greatest contribution to improving our world. “As experts in their fields, award winners, holders of distinguished Chairs and Professorships, esteemed researchers, writers and lecturers they are breaking new ground and paving the way for new generations of women who will also wish to use their talent and creativity to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths, and play their unique role in crafting a better world. I wish each and every one of them success in their fields of expertise, in their future careers and in their capacities as inspirational role models for the scientists of the future.” The eight NUI Galway researchers were: Dr Adrienne Gorman, Vice-Dean for Research in the College of Science and Principal Investigator in Apoptosis Research Centre Dr Eva Szegezdi, Lecturer in Biochemistry, Head of the Blood Cancer Biobank in Ireland, and Principal investigator of the Cancer Niche Laboratory Dr Laoise McNamara, Lecturer in Biomedical Engineering Dr Elaine Dunleavy, Wellcome Trust Research Fellow with Biochemistry and Centre for Chromosome Biology Dr Róisín Dwyer, Lecturer in Translational Science Professor Grace McCormack, member of the Zoology Discipline of the School of Natural Sciences and the Biodiversity and Bioresources cluster of the Ryan Institute Dr Michelle Kilcoyne, Lecturer in the Discipline of Microbiology Dr Sharon Glynn, Lecturer in Pathology -Ends-

Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Fully funded opportunities for filmakers The SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM) at NUI Galway and the Galway Film Centre have launched a partnership project called ‘Science on Screen’, funded through Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) Discover Programme. The Programme aims to facilitate, promote and increase the inclusion of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) content in Irish film and TV production. The ‘Science on Screen’ project will fund two 26 minute science films with a budget of €35,000 each. These two films will incorporate areas of research currently underway in CÚRAM. Interested producers are invited to register their interest by contacting scienceonscreen@galwayfilmcentre.ie and are invited to attend an information day at CÚRAM on Saturday, 27 February from 10am-1pm. The information day will be an opportunity for producers and filmmakers to hear first-hand from scientists working in CÚRAM, who will give short presentations on key areas of research currently underway in the centre. Following this initial briefing and introduction to the research areas by CÚRAM’s researchers, filmmakers will be invited to apply for the funding by submitting a treatment to Galway Film Centre by Friday, 25 March. Treatments will be assessed on a competitive basis and two filmmakers will be selected. The project aims to provide two experienced filmmakers with funding and access to leading scientists and laboratories within CÚRAM, as well as to patient groups, to explore methods of scientific ‘story telling’ that incorporates aspects of current research being carried out by CÚRAM and its academic partners across Europe. Over 200 renowned experts in biomaterials, drug delivery, cell therapy, glycoscience and device design are working on blue sky research and industry projects associated with the research centre. Galway Film Centre is also in discussion with a broadcaster to air the finished films by November 2016. Declan Gibbons, Manager of Galway Film Centre, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this iniative which offers a very exciting and well-funded opportunity to filmmakers. The research that is being done in CÚRAM is at the cutting edge of modern science and we hope that this work will inspire filmmakers to make films that are informative, creative and the start of a whole new wave of film and science projects. It also fits perfectly with our remit as UNESCO City of Film a core aim of which is to promote educational film projects.” Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM, said: “We hope that the project will encourage greater collaboration between the research and filmmaking communities in Ireland. There are a great many stories to tell that originate or are influenced by what happens in the laboratory and we look forward to working with filmmakers to bring them to the fore.” CÚRAM’s goal is to radically improve the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic illnesses and over 200 renowned researchers are working on projects to find solutions for illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, neural diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s and chronic back pain, by developing the next generation of smart, implantable medical devices. For further information and to register for the ‘Science on Screen’ Information Day at CÚRAM contact scienceonscreen@galwayfilmcentre.ie, or 091 770748, or visit www.galwayfilmcentre.ie. -Ends-

Thursday, 11 February 2016

Professor Colin Brown, Director of NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute, represented the Irish Marine Universities Consortium in Brussels recently as the European Marine Board (EMB) formed its own legal entity as an international non-profit association under Belgian law. The foundation of a non-for-profit association is the first step in a process to eventually become a fully independent legal entity and to secure the future of EMB as the primary marine science foresight and strategy think tank in Europe. The EMB provides a platform for its member organisations to develop common priorities, to advance marine research and to bridge the gap between science and policy, in order to meet marine science challenges and opportunities. Its stakeholders include the Board’s members, partner European and international networks, policymakers, strategy developers and programme managers at national, European and international level, as well as the marine science community. It provides the components for transferring strategic state-of-the-science knowledge and policy recommendations from the scientific community to national agencies, governments and European institutions. The Irish Marine Universities Consortium consists of NUI Galway, University College Cork, University of Limerick, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and Dublin City University. The Consortium provides a forum to help co-ordinate marine-related research and teaching initiatives in Irish universities. -Ends-

Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Comedian Kevin McAleer, painter John Byrne and writer Susan McKay will come together for a special event in NUI Galway celebrating the Irish border. ‘Borderlines’ will take place on Thursday, 18 February at 7pm in the Aula Maxima. The event is organised by the University’s Arts in Action programme, in association with the School of Law and NUI Galway’s 1916 Commemorative Programme, ‘A Nation Rising’. Kevin McAleer, an Irish comedian from County Tyrone has declared it “the best little border in the world”. Born in Belfast, John Byrne has set up the smallest museum in Ireland along its noble route, and Susan McKay, an author and journalist from Derry, has worked the north, south, east and west of the border. They will consider the artists, songsters and writers who have been allured by the border’s mysterious charms, and share their own deep thoughts.  Professor Donncha O’Connell, Head of the School of Law, said: “This is the first collaboration between the School of Law and the Arts in Action programme. For lawyers, territorial borders have a particular interest. This event will afford an additional, creative insight to augment what might seem like an arid or legalistic understanding of lines on maps and, hopefully, it will do so in an amusing fashion.”   Dr Mary Harris, co-ordinator of NUI Galway’s 1916 Commemorative Programme said: “Radicals at the time of the Rising were dismissive of arguments for partition, but the Ulster question proved more intractable than expected. This event provides a welcome exploration of the border from a variety of interpretive perspectives.” For further information on ‘Borderlines’, and the Arts in Action Programme, contact Kate Howard at artsinactiongalway@gmail.com or 086 8456773. -Ends-

Thursday, 14 January 2016

NUI Galway study highlights the discharge of antibiotic resistant bacteria from inadequately treated sewage to the environment in Ireland, Europe and the wider world is a serious risk to health Scientists at the School of Medicine in NUI Galway together with colleagues in UCD have carried out a study on whether antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria are present in hospital sewage, and city sewage. The results found high levels of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics in urban sewage from hospitals and from general city sewage, but that risk can be reduced greatly by an effective wastewater treatment. Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to public health. Bacteria are becoming resistant to more and more antibiotics and infections are more and more difficult to treat. Hospitals today are fighting the problem of infections caused by bacteria resistant to so many antibiotics that patients with these infections are very difficult to treat. Antibiotic resistance is driven by contact between bacteria and antibiotics. When we take antibiotics to treat an infection the antibiotic impacts on all the bacteria in the body not just the one causing the infection. This can drive many bacteria in the gut and skin towards antibiotic resistance. In the past we have paid much less attention to contact between antibiotics and bacteria outside the body. However a lot of the antibiotics we swallow come out in urine or faeces. Bacteria are also shed in faeces and become mixed with water and soil bacteria in sewers and treatment plants. In recent years there has been growing interest in the way in which this melting pot of bacteria and antibiotics might also contribute to this major problem of antibiotic resistance. Hospitals use a lot of antibiotics. About 1 in 3 patients in hospital are on antibiotics at any one time. Hospitals tend to use high doses or the newest and most broadly acting antibiotics because of the nature of the infections in hospitalised patients. Scientists at the School of Medicine at NUI Galway and colleagues at UCD, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, looked at whether antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria are present in hospital sewage, and city sewage. They tested to see if the antibiotic resistant bacteria can survive wastewater treatment processes and examined what is the possible risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria that are discharged into seawater from treatment plants getting back into people. The research team found high levels of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics in urban sewage from hospitals and from the general city sewage. Hospital sewage was different in that there were high levels of bacteria resistant to a number of “newer” antibiotics. The number of antibiotic resistant bacteria present were reduced greatly by effective wastewater treatment but some antibiotic resistant bacteria survive and are discharged to seawater. The team consider that the chance that people will pick up antibiotic resistant bacteria from swimming in seawater receiving properly treated sewage is very low. The team found that the predicted discharges of antibiotics into the environment from hospitals is substantial. There is evidence that some antibiotics may persist in the water and soil for long periods. Because of the effects of dilution and other factors, it is unlikely that people are exposed to sufficient antibiotics to cause direct harmful effects. However the persistence of antibiotics at low levels in soil and water may contribute to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Dr Dearbhaile Morris, Bacteriologist from the School of Medicine at NUI Galway said: “This study highlights a part of the problem of antibiotic resistance that does not receive very much attention. Our work shows that there is a risk related to antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria in sewage but that a high standard of sewage treatment goes a long way to reduce that risk. This is one more reason why the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated sewage to the environment in Ireland or indeed anywhere in Europe or the wider world is an unacceptable risk to our health.” For a link to the study visit: http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/health/researchreport162.html#.VpaBUFLXsSk ENDS

Thursday, 14 January 2016

Times Higher Education World University Rankings includes NUI Galway in Top 200 List of Most International Universities in the World NUI Galway has moved to the Top 200 list of the most international universities in the world 2016, announced today, 14 January in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. Times Higher Education used the ‘international outlook’ indicator of the World University Rankings to create this list where all institutions in the top 800 of the ranking have been considered. This makes the inclusion of NUI Galway in the list of the top 200 most international universities a significant achievement. This ‘international outlook’ acknowledges that NUI Galway continues to attract the very highest calibre of staff and students. THE look at both the diversity of a university’s student body and the extent to which its academics collaborate with international colleagues, which indicate how global an institution really is, and these factors were among the 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that allowed Times Higher Education to produce the most comprehensive global university rankings in the world. This ranking further cements NUI Galway’s reputation as a top destination for International Students, having recently been awarded the Excellent International Student Satisfaction Award 2015 and also ranked 2nd in Ireland for the International Student Experience 2014-2015, with Ireland being ranked number 1 in Europe. The awards, which recognises and rewards the universities that give their international students their best study experience, are based on reviews submitted by 17,000 international students studying across Europe, who are surveyed by StudyPortals, a Netherlands-based university course site. Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway said: “This is a significant achievement for NUI Galway and reflects a sustained upward trend in these very competitive global rankings. This consistent improvement in NUI Galway’s THE World University Rankings is an affirmation of our very focused approach to developing our international reputation. As part of the University’s ambitious vision for the future we are committed to becoming a top 200 ranked university by 2020, attracting the best students, teachers and researchers, and creating a network of relationships of substance that span the globe. Today’s inclusion of NUI Galway in the THE ranking of the top 200 most international universities in the world is a tremendous reflection on our ambitious internationalisation agenda.” Professor Brian Hughes, Dean of International Affairs at NUI Galway, added: “NUI Galway continues to cement its place as an internationally vibrant university, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and global reach of Galway city. One-in-five of our full-time students come here from outside Ireland to study, representing over 110 countries around the world. One-in-five of our staff are international too, bringing a huge wealth of intellectual capital and global experience to our campus, city, and region. Universities are global places, and we are proud that NUI Galway is at the forefront of this tradition.” Mr Phil Baty from Times Higher Education said: “An institution’s global outlook is one of the key markers of a prestigious university. The top institutions hire faculty from all over the world, attract students from a global market of top talent and collaborate with leading departments wherever they happen to be based. It is great news for all the institutions in the list of the most international universities in the world. It is a sign of great potential, competitiveness and dynamism.” View THE Top 200 Most International Universities 2016 World Rankings here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/200-most-international-universities-world-2016 NUI Galway World University Rankings: http://nuigalway.ie/rankings ENDS

Wednesday, 20 January 2016

NUI Galway are co-authors of an international study that finds stock market crashes can be compared to unexpected ecological disasters and natural calamities An interdisciplinary team of scientists from NUI Galway, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Ecole Normale Supérieure Cachan in France, came together to examine if market crashes exhibited the same early warning signs as natural calamities. Their investigation reveals interesting answers and suggests improved metrics for forecasting a market crash. The study was published in the open access science journal, PLOS ONE. While financial analysts can guide you through the daily ups and downs of the stock market, accurate forecasts of an imminent crash is still difficult to predict. Just like natural calamities, stock market crashes occur frequently and often have repercussions for the global economy. Experts are now looking at natural disasters for clues to understand economic ones. Currently volatility in stock prices is used as a basic risk indicator. However, the recent financial crisis of 2007-2008 that caused global markets to shut down temporarily, reminded experts that this is not enough to prepare for a crash. Are there any other signs that we could watch out for? Whispers of a probable answer came from an unexpected field – ecology. Professor Vishwesha Guttal, Mathematical Ecologist at the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science and lead author of the published study, said: “There is a lot of interest in the exchange of ideas between ecology and economics.” This study sprung from Professor Guttal’s discussions with Dr Srinivas Raghavendra, an Economist at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics at NUI Galway, looking at the behaviour of financial markets as complex systems. Financial markets are suggested to be akin to ecological systems with complex feedback loops and sudden critical transitions, also known as ‘tipping points’. A stock market crash can be compared to unexpected natural transitions such as the onset of the Ice Age, desertification of a fertile area, and the collapse of local fisheries, are just some examples. In recent years, ecologists have been looking for behavioural clues of complex systems in these natural events. It turns out that many complex systems in nature exhibit ‘critical slowing down’ behaviour before reaching their tipping point. This means that just before a critical transition, it takes longer for them to recover from small disturbances because their internal stabilising mechanisms become weak. Hence, the system stays ‘disturbed’ for a longer time than usual, which means that the system becomes highly correlated in the disturbed state. To test this theory on stock market crashes, Professor Guttal and his team rigorously analysed the daily closing data of three major U.S. (Dow Jones Index (DJI), S&P 500 and NASDAQ) and two European (DAX and FTSE) markets spanning the last century. In all cases, they found that variability did increase prior to every known market crash in history. Which means the financial system does get significantly ‘disturbed’ before a crash. But curiously, there was no increase in the autocorrelation of data. Autocorrelation indicates how similar the data is across different time samples. This means that, once markets are ‘disturbed’, market recovery happens as usual without a ‘slowing down’. This trend is consistent for all crashes across all markets studied by the team. “Many papers suggest that financial meltdowns are also transitions near tipping points, but here our research shows that they are not”, added Professor Guttal. Then why do markets crash? Professor Guttal explains, “We suggest this is because the system is dominated by high stochasticity (randomness). Our results indicate that if random disturbances in the market grow stronger with time, they can lead to a financial meltdown even if the market is not close to a tipping point. Variability can therefore be an important statistical indicator in early warning signals (EWS) for market crashes, complementing existing indicators such as volatility.” Could this study have policy implications? NUI Galway Economist, Dr Srinivas Raghavendra and co-author of the study says, “To build robust policies and corrective measures in the future, we need to understand the origin of randomness that drives market meltdowns. This may arise from complex interactions between financial institutions, market microstructure and individual agent behaviour, all adapting at different time scales. Deconstructing such a complex system is necessary for effective policy intervention.” However, there are two major limitations in predictability of such indicators. They don’t indicate when a crash may happen and they only suggest a high probability of a crash. In this detailed study of Dow Jones data, 16 early warning signals emerged from the variability calculations. Of the 16, seven were false alarms. But the good news is that there were no failed alarms and the remaining nine covered every major crash in American market history. Mr Nikunj Goel, an undergraduate physics student who worked with Professor Guttal on this study, has developed a basic web application that provides current trends in markets around the globe. It also shares analysis on historical meltdowns from their published study. The team hopes to add more features to this app and make it more user-friendly. To read the full study in PLOS ONE visit: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0144198 Nature-India, Nature Publishing Group, carried an in-depth article on the paper here: http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2015.178 ENDS

Thursday, 28 January 2016

Feature talks from SUSI Grants Authority and NUI Galway graduate Móna Wise NUI Galway will host the Spring Postgraduate Open Day on Wednesday, 3 February, from 12 to 4pm in the Bailey Allen Hall, Áras na Mac Léinn. The Open Day will showcase over 400 of NUI Galway’s full-time and part-time postgraduate programmes, including taught and research masters, as well as doctoral research options. Galway native, award winning blogger of Wise Words, freelance writer, all-round entrepreneur and NUI Galway double-graduate, Móna Wise will give a talk on her experience of graduate studies at the Open Day. Her talk, which will take place at 1pm, will focus on her experience of returning to postgraduate study, and how her Masters qualification furthered her career. SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), the national Awarding Authority for all higher and further education student grants, will deliver their talk at 2pm, providing students with an opportunity with information on the funding opportunities and application process for postgraduate grants. With over 3,500 postgraduate students currently attending NUI Galway, over 100 information stands will provide details on postgraduate opportunities at the University, with academic staff and current students on hand to answer questions about specific courses. The Open Day will focus on the benefits of doing a postgraduate programme and the practicalities of making an application. Josephine Walsh, Head of NUI Galway’s Career Development Centre, said: “Irish graduates are ranked first in Europe in terms of how employers rank graduates, and postgraduate study boosts employability. The number of postgraduates in employment has grown consistently in recent years and NUI Galway’s well-established links with industry allows them to take the first step in building their career. Over 91% of NUI Galway graduates are currently employed or are in further study within six months of graduating, which is higher than the HEA national average for postgraduates.” NUI Galway offers a wide range of fourth-level courses, developing programmes based on its traditional academic strengths of Arts, Social Sciences, Celtic Studies, Commerce, Medicine, Nursing, Health Science, Law, Engineering, Informatics and Science. These areas have been augmented with innovative research centres in areas as diverse as Biomedical Science and Engineering, International Human Rights, Digital Media and Film Studies, and Regenerative Medicine. New courses being introduced for 2016 include an MSc in Biomedical Genomics, a part-time MSc in Medical Technology and Regulatory Affairs and an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience. To view NUI Galway’s new and unique postgraduate programmes and to book your place at the Open Day visit www.nuigalway.ie/postgraduate-open-day  or simply call in on the day. To apply for an NUI Galway postgraduate course visit www.pac.ie/nuigalway or find out more on Twitter using the hashtag #GetTheEdge. -Ends-

Tuesday, 5 January 2016

NUI Galway is hosting a Mature Students Open Evening on Wednesday, 13 January at 6pm in the Aula Maxima, Quadrangle. The open evening is an opportunity to find out more about degree programmes on offer, entry requirements, CAO application procedure, mature scholarships and practical student supports within the University.   The information evening is designed those aged 23 and over who are considering embarking on full-time or part-time undergraduate degree programmes at NUI Galway. In attendance will be representatives from each of the University’s five colleges to answer questions on degree options available, and the University’s Careers Office will also be on hand to provide advice on careers opportunities and CV preparation. Also in attendance will be the Graham Doyle, Communications and Customer Service Manager from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), who will be on hand to advise on application for grants and financial supports. Trish Bourke, Mature Students Officer at NUI Galway, said: “Currently, over 650 Mature Students study at NUI Galway and they play a large part in the student undergraduate population and experience. The Mature Students Open Evening is specially designed for those who wish to find out more about the degree programmes on offer, the services that the university provides, CAO application procedure, funding and life as a mature student on campus. This year, we are particularly delighted to have representatives from the Shannon College of Hotel Management, who is now a college of NUI Galway, and will be exhibiting their range of programmes.” Embarking on third-level education can be quite a challenge for many mature students. Some may have been out of formal education for some time but it is important to highlight that there are routes to university through NUI Galway’s Access courses. Many mature students perform very well academically each year with 30 mature scholarships awarded for excellence in September 2015. For more information on future upcoming public information events see http://www.nuigalway.ie/mature/publicevents.html or email Trish Bourke at maturestudents@nuigalway.ie.  A Mature Students Guidebook is also available with further information at www.nuigalway.ie/mature. -Ends-

Thursday, 28 January 2016

‘A Soldier’s Song’, the second in a series of lectures curated by NUI Galway’s Centre for Irish Studies as part of its programme of commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising, will focus on Peadar Kearney, composer of the Irish national anthem. Kearney survived the struggle for independence and experienced poverty and neglect in the Free State for which so many of his close friends had given their lives. Disillusion led to depression but there seems to have been a conspiracy, involving political parties, families and friends, to mythologise him as a serene patriot rather than reveal him as a damaged veteran. The lecture will be delivered by Colbert Kearney, Professor Emeritus of English at UCC, and author of The Writings of Brendan Behan, The Glamour of Grammar, a study of Seán O’Casey, and The Consequence. The lecture will begin at 6.30pm on Tuesday, 2 February at Galway City Library in Augustine Street. -Ends-

Thursday, 28 January 2016

New Entrepreneurship programme for NUI Galway Community NUI Galway has this week announced the appointment of Mary Carty as Executive Director of Blackstone LaunchPad at the University to coincide with the opening of the program to students and staff on campus.  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 further expanded by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation. Blackstone LaunchPad is co-funded by the Galway University Foundation and Blackstone Charitable Foundation. Speaking of the appointment, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mary Carty as Executive Director of Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway. Helping students to become innovators and entrepreneurs is a vital part of the student experience and important for the Irish economy. With the arrival of Blackstone LaunchPad all students will now be encouraged to develop their creative ideas.  This initiative, under Mary’s leadership will play a critical role in the delivery of NUI Galway’s Vision 2020 strategy. In addition, the programme will build mutually beneficial relationships with other Blackstone LaunchPad sites at University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin; along with the Blackstone LaunchPad network in the USA.”  Prior to joining Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway, Mary cofounded of Outbox Incubator; the first ever Incubator for girls in STEM aged 11-22, launched by HRH Princess Anne in March 2015. In its first year, Outbox worked with 115 girls from 6 countries, with 35 companies established. Mary brings a decade of experience working in the technology and startup space, founding two multi-award winning technology startups and was a BAFTA Interactive finalist. She has worked extensively across the public, private and non-profit sectors as an advisor, program developer, keynote speaker and lecturer in Ireland, the UK and Scandinavia.  In 2015, she was listed on Ireland's 'Talented 38', Ireland's Sci-Tech Top 100 and Image Magazine Business Woman of the Year Award finalist for Social Entrepreneurship. Mary has served on the board of the Irish Internet Association, is an adviser to STEMettes, a UK social enterprise, encouraging more young women into STEM careers. A graduate of Ulster University, with an MA in Material Culture and an Advanced Diploma in Management; Mary also holds a BA in Fine Art from Limerick School of Art and Design.  “We could not be more thrilled to welcome Mary to the Blackstone LaunchPad team,” said Amy Stursberg, Executive Director of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation. “Her vast experience as an entrepreneur and in the start-up community uniquely qualifies her to lead Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway as we build the program and work towards its official opening in February.” ENDS Stiúrthóir ceaptha ag OÉ Gaillimh ar Blackstone Launchpad  Clár nua fiontraíochta do phobal OÉ Gaillimh  D'fhógair OÉ Gaillimh an tseachtain seo gur ceapadh Mary Carty mar Stiúrthóir Feidhmiúcháin ar Blackstone Launchpad san Ollscoil agus ag an am céanna go bhfuiltear ag cur tús le clár nua do mhic léinn agus don fhoireann ar an gcampas.   Clár taithí fiontraíochta ar an gcampas é Blackstone Launchpad (BLP) atá oscailte do mhic léinn, alumni, comhaltaí foirne agus na dámha; cuirtear oiliúint, idéú agus tacaíocht do chruthú fiontar ar fáil ar an gclár. Tá sé bunaithe ar chlár a thosaigh in Ollscoil Miami agus a d'fhorbair an Blackstone Charitable Foundation ina dhiaidh sin. Tá Blackstone Launchpad cómhaoinithe ag Fondúireacht Ollscoil na Gaillimhe agus ag an Blackstone Charitable Foundation.  Tá Blackstone Launchpad dírithe ar gach mac léinn san Ollscoil agus beidh ról lárnach aige i straitéis d'Fhís 2020 OÉ Gaillimh a bhaint amach. Chomh maith leis sin, tógfaidh an clár ar an gcaidreamh maith le hionaid eile BLP in Ollscoil Chorcaí, agus i gColáiste na Tríonóide; agus leis an líonra BLP i Meiriceá.   Ag labhairt dó faoin gceapachán, dúirt an Dr Jim Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh: “Cúis áthais dúinn a fhógairt gur ceapadh Mary Carty mar Stiúrthóir Feidhmiúcháin ar Blackstone Launchpad in OÉ Gaillimh. Tá Blackstone Launchpad dírithe ar gach mac léinn san Ollscoil agus beidh ról lárnach aige i straitéis d'Fhís 2020 OÉ Gaillimh a seoladh in 2015 a bhaint amach. Chomh maith leis sin, tógfaidh an clár ar an gcaidreamh maith le hionaid eile BLP in Ollscoil Chorcaí, agus i gColáiste na Tríonóide; mar aon leis an líonra BLP i Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá.”   Sular ceapadh Mary in Blackstone Launchpad in OÉ Gaillimh, bhí sí ar dhuine de bhunaitheoirí Outbox Incubator; an chéad Ghorlann do chailíní in STEM idir 11-22 bliain d'aois, a sheol an Banphrionsa Anne i mí an Mhárta 2015. Sa chéad bhliain, d'oibrigh Outbox le 115 cailín as 6 thír, agus bunaíodh 35 cuideachta.  Chaith Mary deich mbliana ag obair le gnólachtaí nua-thionscanta agus teicneolaíochta, bhunaigh sí dhá ghnólacht teicneolaíochta a bhfuil gradaim go leor bainte amach acu and bhí sí féin san iomaíocht do ghradam BAFTA Interactive. Tá obair fhorleathan déanta aici san earnáil phoiblí, phríobháideach agus san earnáil neamhbhrabúis mar chomhairleoir, forbróir clár, príomhchainteoir agus léachtóir in Éirinn, sa Ríocht Aontaithe agus i gCríoch Lochlann.   In 2015, áiríodh í ar Talented 38 (liosta de na 38 Bean is fearr i saol na Teicneolaíochta in Éirinn), Ireland's Sci-Tech Top 100 agus bhí sí san iomaíocht don ghradam Bean Ghnó na Bliana Image Magazine don Fhiontraíocht Shóisialta. Bhí Mary ar bhord Chumann Idirlín na hÉireann, tá sí ina comhairleoir do STEMettes, fiontar sóisialta sa Ríocht Aontaithe a spreagann níos mó ban óg le dul le gairm STEM. Céimí de chuid Ollscoil Uladh í a bhfuil MA aici i gCultúr Ábhartha agus Ard-Dioplóma sa Bhainistíocht; tá BA ag Mary sa Mhínealaíon as Scoil Ealaíne agus Dearaidh Luimnigh.   “Tá ríméad an tsaoil orainn fáilte a chur roimh Mary chuig foireann an Blackstone LaunchPad,” a dúirt Amy Stursberg, Stiúrthóir Feidhmiúcháin ar an Blackstone Charitable Foundation. “Tá an-taithí aici mar fhiontraí agus leis an eolas atá aici ar ghnólachtaí a thosú níl aon duine eile chomh cáilithe léi le tabhairt faoin Blackstone LaunchPad in OÉ Gaillimh agus tús á chur leis an gclár ag súil go mbeidh an oscailt oifigiúil againn i mí Feabhra.”  CRÍOCH

Thursday, 28 January 2016

New €6 million EU Horizon 2020 research project ‘AUTOSTEM’ at NUI Galway will launch state-of-the-art, robotic stem cell production, offering new therapies for a range of diseases NUI Galway’s Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) has launched a new €6 million research project AUTOSTEM to develop pioneering manufacturing systems for stem cell therapy. Funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, AUTOSTEM will go a long way towards meeting the demand for these new treatments, by transforming the way stem cells are manufactured. Stem cells offer exciting prospects of new therapies for a range of diseases, including cancers, diabetic complications and arthritis. However, current manufacturing protocols are relatively inefficient and require highly-skilled teams of technicians operating in a clean-room environment. As clinical trials progress, efficient and high throughput manufacturing remains a major challenge with the risk that supply will not meet demand. AUTOSTEM will develop a robotic cell production factory, the StromalCellFactory, which will minimise manual operations while producing large batches of cell product in a closed, sterile environment. The process involves extraction of adult stem cells from tissues such as bone marrow or fat followed by efficient purification and culture expansion in large-capacity bioreactors, finally packaging the product in a format ready for delivery to the patient. The research project will be led by Dr Mary Murphy, senior lecturer in Regenerative Medicine and principal investigator at REMEDI at NUI Galway. REMEDI is a European leader in therapeutic stem cell research with investigators leading major EU-funded programmes that develop and test treatments for osteoarthritis, diabetic kidney disease, diabetic wound repair and corneal transplantation. Dr Murphy comments: “This is an exciting interdisciplinary project that will take us beyond the state-of-the-art in stem cell manufacturing. The outcome will be a highly automated and efficient production technology that will allow patients worldwide to benefit from efforts to develop stem cell therapies.” Other essential contributions will come from: NUI Galway’s Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland (CCMI) - the only licensed stromal cell manufacturing facility in Ireland, which will verify regulatory compliance and patient-readiness. Orbsen Therapeutics, a NUI Galway spin-out company that brings novel stem cell isolation procedures. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology in Aachen, Germany, which provides robotic and control system expertise. The University of Aston, UK and the German company Zellwerk, who contribute optimal bioreactor technology for cell culturing within the ‘StromalCellfactory’. Crospon, another Galway SME, who will develop novel devices for sterile marrow harvesting and cell delivery to patients. The Tyndall Institute at UCC, who will develop a mobile sensor, building on existing ‘SmartPill’ sensor systems that will patrol the cell culture surface to enable remote real time process monitoring. The UK-based Cell Therapy Catapult research organisation, which will monitor cost-effectiveness and regulatory compliance. Professor Frank Barry, REMEDI’s Scientific Director and technology leader on the research project said: “This project will be game-changing and will lead to remarkable new efficiencies in manufacturing, making the entire process more industrially relevant and cost-effective.” The project is funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. ENDS

Friday, 29 January 2016

Two world leaders in the field of Biomedical Engineering, Professor Elazer Edelman, M.I.T and Harvard Medical School, USA, and Professor Gerhard Holzapfel, Technical University of Graz, Austria, delivered Keynote Lectures at the 22nd Bioengineering in Ireland Conference, which was recently hosted by NUI Galway. In their inspirational lectures both speakers illustrated how their research teams have combined engineering analysis and computer modelling with biological investigation to transform the current understanding and treatment of heart disease. Both speakers also praised the internationally leading quality of biomedical engineering research in Irish universities, while also remarking positively on the vibrancy of the Irish medical device sector. Conference Chair, Dr Patrick McGarry from Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway stated: “This year’s conference attracted a record 250 delegates from across all leading Irish research groups in the field of Biomedical Engineering Science, with a record 185 scientific presentations. Several medical device companies actively participated in the conference, further highlighting the strong interaction between Irish research institutes and the medical technology sector.” A highlight from the event was the presentation of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland Bioengineering Section Silver Medal to Professor Timothy O’Brien, Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Director of the Regenerative Medicine Institute, at NUI Galway. In his keynote lecture Professor O’Brien described the ground-breaking development of Ireland’s first Centre for Cell Manufacturing in Ireland (CCMI) a centre located at NUI Galway manufacturing culture-expanded stem cells for clinical trials. The Conference took place at the Salthill Hotel, Galway and was sponsored by Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Aerogen, Hollister, Stryker, DePuy, Zwick, CadFem, Neuravi, and the Irish Medical Devices Association. To learn more about the Conference programme visit: http://bini2016.ie/ ENDS

Thursday, 28 January 2016

NUI Galway has announced the winners of the 2016 Alumni Awards to be presented at the 16th annual Alumni Awards Gala Banquet on Saturday, 5 March, 2016 in the Bailey Allen Hall located in Áras na Mac Léinn on campus. The Alumni Awards recognise individual excellence and achievements among the University’s more than 80,000 graduates worldwide. The Awards programme boasts an impressive roll call of outstanding graduates who have gone on to honour their alma mater, including, for example, President Michael D. Higgins, Olympian Olive Loughnane, Rugby great Ciarán FitzGerald, RTÉ broadcaster Sean O’Rourke, Attorney General Máire Whelan, former Creganna CEO, Helen Ryan, Tony Award-winning actress, Marie Mullen and broadcaster Gráinne Seoige. The winners of the six alumni awards to be presented at Gala 2016: Award for Arts, Literature and Celtic Studies - sponsored by AIB  - Siobhán Ní Ghadhra, Owner/Producer at Danú Media. Alumni Award for Business and Commerce – sponsored by Bank of Ireland   -  Ruth Curran, Managing Partner in MERC Partners and Global Chair IIC Partners. Alumni Award for Law, Public Policy and Government – sponsored by Galway University Foundation   -  Dr Mathilda Twomey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Seychelles. Alumni Award for Engineering, Science and Technology – sponsored by Aramark  - Gearóid Faherty, Former CEO and Chairman of Eurand NV. Alumni Award for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences – sponsored by Medtronic  - Professor Joe Murray, Professor of Medicine and Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic. Alumni Award for Contribution to Sport – sponsored by Bank of Ireland  - Dr Paul Hession, Olympic and world champion sprinter and junior doctor in Tallaght Hospital.                     Speaking on the announcement of the Awards recipients, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said: “Our Alumni Awards programme recognises the many Galway alumni who are leaders in their professions and excel in their pursuits at national and international levels. These awards celebrate the life-long value of an NUI Galway education and recognise individual achievements among the University’s more than 80,000 graduates worldwide. I congratulate each of the Award winners and look forward to welcoming them back to their alma mater for the Gala Banquet in March.” For ticket and booking information contact the Alumni Office on 091 494310 or email alumni@nuigalway.ie. Online bookings at www.nuigalway.ie/alumni-friends -Ends- Buaiteoirí Ghradaim Alumni 2016 fógartha ag OÉ Gaillimh  Tá buaiteoirí Ghradaim Alumni 2016 fógartha ag OÉ Gaillimh; bronnfar na gradaim ag an 16ú Mórfhéasta bliantúil de na Gradaim Alumni Dé Sathairn, an 5 Márta 2016 i Halla Bailey Allen atá suite in Áras na Mac Léinn ar an gcampas. Tugann na Gradaim Alumni aitheantas d’fheabhas agus d’éachtaí cuid den 80,000 céimí atá ag an Ollscoil ar fud an domhain. Go dtí seo tá gradaim Alumni bronnta ar chéimithe den scoth – céimithe a bhfuil a n-alma mater fíorbhródúil astu, lena n-áirítear an tUachtarán Micheál D. Ó hUiginn, an tOilimpiach Olive Loughnane, an t-imreoir rugbaí Ciarán FitzGerald, an craoltóir le RTÉ Sean O’Rourke, an tArd-Aighne Máire Whelan, iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach Creganna, Helen Ryan, an t-aisteoir a bhfuil gradam Tony bainte amach aici, Marie Mullen agus an craoltóir Gráinne Seoige. Seo a leanas buaiteoirí na sé ghradam alumni a bhronnfar ag Mórfhéasta 2016: Gradam Alumni do na Dána, an Litríocht agus an Léann Ceilteach - urraithe ag AIB  - Siobhán Ní Ghadhra, Úinéir/Léiritheoir Danú Media. Gradam Alumni don Ghnó agus don Tráchtáil – urraithe ag Banc na hÉireann   -  Ruth Curran, Páirtí Bainistíochta in MERC Partners agus Cathaoirleach Domhanda ar IIC Partners. Gradam Alumni don Dlí, an Beartas Poiblí agus an Rialtas – urraithe ag Fondúireacht Ollscoil na Gaillimhe   -  An Príomh-Bhreitheamh Mathilda Twomey, Príomh-Bhreitheamh Chúirt Uachtarach Phoblacht na Séiséal. Gradam Alumni don Innealtóireacht, an Eolaíocht agus an Teicneolaíocht – urraithe ag Aramark  -Gearóid Faherty, Iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach agus Cathaoirleach Eurand NV. Gradam Alumni don Leigheas, an tAltranas agus na hEolaíochtaí Sláinte – urraithe ag Medtronic  -An Dr Joe Murray, Ollamh le Leigheas agus Comhairleach, Rannóg na Gaistreintreolaíochta agus na Heipiteolaíochta, Mayo Clinic. Gradam Alumni don Spórt – urraithe ag Banc na hÉireann  - An Dr Paul Hession, Curadh Oilimpeach agus domhanda sa ráibeáil agus dochtúir sóisearach in Ospidéal Thamhlachta.             Agus buaiteoirí na nGradam fógartha, dúirt Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne: “Tugann na Gradaim Alumni aitheantas d’alumni na Gaillimhe atá ina gceannairí ina ngairmeacha agus atá ag déanamh gaisce ar leibhéal náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta. Déanann na Gradaim seo ceiliúradh ar an luach fadsaoil a bhaineann leis an oideachas a fhaightear in OÉ Gaillimh agus tugann siad aitheantas do chéimithe a bhfuil éachtaí suntasacha bainte amach acu as breis is 80,000 céimí de chuid na hOllscoile atá lonnaithe ar fud na cruinne. Tréaslaím leis na buaiteoirí ar fad agus táim ag súil le fáilte a chur rompu ar ais chuig a n-alma mater don Mhórfhéasta i mí an Mhárta.” Chun ticéid agus eolas faoi áirithintí a fháil téigh i dteagmháil leis an Oifig Alumni ar 091 49 4310 nó seol ríomhphost chuig alumni@nuigalway.ie. Áirithintí ar líne ar www.nuigalway.ie/alumni-friends -Críoch-

Wednesday, 6 January 2016

Students of NUI Galway’s Masters in Literature and Publishing programme are currently looking for submissions for this year’s ROPES. Submissions for ROPES 2016 Journal are now being accepted. ROPES (Review of Postgraduate English Studies is a literary journal produced by the students of the MA in Literature and Publishing at NUI Galway. The theme of the journal this year is independence, and the ROPES team is seeking poetry, prose and artwork that explore gaining, losing, rejecting and sustaining independence. ROPES 2016 will be the journal’s 24th volume and is due out in spring 2016. All proceeds of ROPES 2016 will benefit the Galway Simon Community, a charity that provides housing, support and health care services for people who have become homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless in the West of Ireland. Submissions can be sent to ROPES2016.submissions@gmail.com by 11 January 2016. The max word count is 1,700 words and the format accepted is .doc for text files and .png, .jpeg and .eps for artwork. For more info about ROPES 2016, follow the MA Literature and Publishing on Twitter @NUIG_MALP and find the MA programme on Facebook at facebook.com/NUIG.MALP. -Ends-

Wednesday, 6 January 2016

It is with sadness that NUI Galway noted the passing of legendary golfer, Christy O’Connor Jnr. today (06 January 2016) at the age of 67. In 2006 Christy O’Connor Jnr. was awarded an honorary degree by NUI Galway in recognition of his sporting achievements as a golfer of the highest international renown. The Galway-native is best known for his famous 2-iron approach shot to the 18th hole that secured a Ryder Cup victory for Europe at the Belfry in 1989. President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne paid the following tribute: “On behalf of NUI Galway I extend condolences to Christy’s wife, Ann and to his family and wide circle of friends. Our University is honored to be associated with the late Christy O’Connor Jnr. We recall with great fondness the occasion of Christy’s honorary conferring, along with that of his uncle, Christy Senior in 2006. On that occasion, we were privileged to honour his success as an international golfer and his achievements as one of Ireland’s best sporting ambassadors. Mike Heskin, Director of Sport & Physical Activity at NUI Galway, said: “We are shocked at the news of Christy's passing, our thoughts are with his family at this time. Christy was a proud Galwegian and a wonderful ambassador for Galway, Irish golf and Irish sport in general. We will all remember his great performances in the Ryder Cup but also his inspirational leadership in Irish sport and his performances on the World stage, which set the pathway for so many others to follow. Christy will be remembered fondly by all for his kindness showed to everyone he engaged with. May he rest in peace.” Christy O’Connor’s most notable of 17 events won world-wide included the Irish Open (Woodbrook, with a record score of 22 under par) in 1975, and the British masters in Woburn in 1992. He also won the Nigerian and Kenyan Opens. He had many excellent performances in the British Open and was 4th to Johnny Miller in 1976, tied with Jack Nicklaus, 5th in 1983, and 3rd in 1985, beaten 2 shots by Sandy Lyle. He represented Ireland 6 times in the Dunhill Cup, and was twice a member of the Ryder Cup team. Mr. O’Connor won the British Seniors Open consecutively in 1999 and 2000. On the American PGA Seniors Tour, he won twice in 1999, the Home Farm Classic in Baltimore and the Foremost Insurance Classic in Michigan. In 2006 NUI Galway conferred Christy O’Connor Jnr. and his Uncle Christy O’Connor Snr. with an honorary degree, a Doctor of Arts, honoris causa. To read the text of the full citation, given by then President of NUI Galway, Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, see Notes to Editors below. ENDS

Friday, 1 January 2016

NUI Galway lead an international collaboration consisting of astronomers from the US and France to take optical and gamma-ray observations of the Crab Nebula The Centre for Astronomy at the School of Physics in NUI Galway are the lead researchers and authors of a recent international study published today (01 January 2016) in one of the world’s leading primary research journals in astronomy and astrophysics, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS). A joint Irish-French-US set of observations have led to a better understanding of the unexpected flaring activity seen coming from the Crab supernova remnant. The project led by Irish astronomer Professor Andrew Shearer from the Centre of Astronomy at NUI Galway, involved using the NUI Galway developed, Galway Astronomical Stokes Polarimeter (GASP) polarimeter on the 200” Palomar telescope in California. Their work for the first time tied together changes in the optical polarisation with apparent changes in the gamma-ray (high energy x-ray) polarisation. A supernova remnant occurs when a star explodes and spews its innards out across the sky, creating an expanding wave of gas and dust known as a supernova remnant. Arguably, the most famous of these remnants is the Crab Nebula, which exploded in 1054. The Crab Nebula has been studied extensively over the last fifty years and recently found to be the source of gamma-ray and X-ray flares. It is not yet known where the flares are coming from and in an effort to understand their origin NUI Galway led the research programme of optical observations, which were carried out in association with gamma-ray observations using the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Integral gamma ray observatory. Uniquely both studies looked at the polarisation of both the light and the gamma rays in order to understand the origin of these flares. For many years, the flux from the whole Crab Nebula was expected to be constant, in such a way that the Crab was always thought of as a ‘standard candle’ (known brightness). Some doubts were cast on this status from high energy gamma-ray and hard X-ray observations made by the Fermi and INTEGRAL satellites, both European Space Agency satellite missions used to detect energetic radiation that comes from space. Since 2007 strong high energy flaring activities have been detected by the Agile and Fermi gamma-ray telescopes at a rate of about 1 per year. Although, currently they have no clear origin, these high energy flares show the complex timing behavior of this source. The NUI Galway team published observations of the polarisation of optical and hard X-ray photons from the Crab Nebula and pulsar system using the GASP, which was installed on the 200” Hale telescope at Mount Palomar in California, the Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) and the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory satellite, Integral. The NUI Galway study when compared to the Integral observations show that the polarisation of the optical light and gamma-ray seem to change in the same way, which was an unexpected result. Professor Andrew Shearer from the School of Physics at the Centre of Astronomy in NUI Galway, said: “Our studies show how Galway’s GASP polarimeter will be important for future observations of these high energy astronomical sources. After the recent Government announcement that Ireland will join the European Southern Observatory (ESO) we hope to contribute to future world class telescope projects such as the European Extremely Large Telescope.” Indeed, a change in the optical polarisation angle has been observed by this work, from 109.5° in 2005 to 85.3° in 2012. On the other hand, the gamma-ray polarisation angle changed from 115° to 80° during a similar period. Strong flaring activities at higher gamma-ray energies have been detected in the Crab nebula during this period and magnetic reconnection processes have been suggested to explain these observations. The change in the polarised optical and gamma-ray emission of the Crab Nebula/pulsar system as observed, for the first time, by GASP and the Integral satellite may indicate that magnetic reconnection is possibly at work in the Crab Nebula. The study also reported for the first time, a non-zero measure of the optical circular polarisation from the Crab pulsar + knot system. These results outline the strong scientific potential of polarimetric studies in particular in systems like the Crab Nebula where magnetic fields play a key role. The research was part-funded by a Ulysses grant for Irish-French collaboration. To read the study published in MNRAS visit: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1511.07641v1.pdf ENDS

Monday, 11 January 2016

Researchers at the Apoptosis Research Centre led by Professor Afshin Samali at the SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM) at NUI Galway are embarking on a new research project, aimed at understanding a disorder known as Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and identifying new therapy targets for emphysema and liver disease. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a rare genetic disorder that affects the lungs and/or the liver and is caused by abnormal expression of the alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein. Prevalence of the disease is higher in Ireland than in most other countries. Alpha-1 antitrypsin is a protein that is made in the liver and released into the bloodstream. AAT protects the lungs so they can work normally, but without it, lungs can be damaged and breathing becomes difficult. Symptoms range from shortness of breath with mild activity, to repeated respiratory infections, fatigue, rapid heartbeat upon standing, vision problems and unintentional weight loss. Some individuals with AATD have advanced lung disease and emphysema and other common diagnoses include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma or chronic bronchitis. Liver disease is another symptom of AATD which occurs in 10% of affected children and 15% of affected adults. CÚRAM post-doctoral researcher Mila Ljujic, who secured grant funding for the project through the global healthcare company Grifols, explains that autophagy, the degradation of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components, plays an important role in the development of AATD. Dr Ljujic explains, “Beclin-1, a protein produced by humans, is a key initiator of autophagy. A previous study on a similar form of the Beclin-1 protein in yeast has shown that it helps dispose of the harmful version of the AAT protein (Z-AAT). However, studies on its role in mammalian cells are lacking and we would like to find out more about it. Our aim is to identify how autophagy affects and regulates the cells response in AATD and to explore whether changes in Beclin-1 expression affect the response to Z-AAT overexpression.” Congratulating Dr Ljujic on her success in being granted funding for the project, Professor Abhay Pandit, Director of CÚRAM said: “Our researchers are exploring the disease mechanisms of a wide range of clinical targets to design ways of working with the body to overcome and manage the effects of chronic illness and increase quality of life for patients and continue to attract top level funding to tackle these important issues.” Based at NUI Galway and backed by Science Foundation Ireland and Industry funding, CÚRAM works with industry and clinical partners to radically improve health outcomes for chronically ill patients through the development of the next generation of ‘smart’ implantable medical devices. ENDS

Wednesday, 6 January 2016

A Research Fellow from the School of Physics and Centre for Climate Change and Air Pollution Studies at NUI Galway has received an award for ‘World Class Research Excellence and Collaborative Efforts with Lithuania’. The award was presented to Dr Darius Ceburnis from NUI Galway by the Minister for Education and Science of Lithuania, Minister A. Pitreniene, who said: “It is a great pleasure to congratulate Lithuanian scientists who have achieved research excellence and maintained connections with their homeland, acting like true ambassadors by representing their country in the global scientific community and supporting Lithuanian colleagues in establishing scientific networks.” This national award was introduced by the Ministry of Education and Science in Lithuania several years ago to recognise and strengthen relations with Lithuanian scientists abroad. Dr Ceburnis received his award for excellence in research services provided to his home country and for shared collaborative publications with Lithuanian colleagues, and the outreach and support of young scientist visits to Ireland and NUI Galway. Dr Darius Ceburnis, who is among the top 1% of cited authors in the geosciences discipline, joined the Atmospheric Research Group at the Department of Experimental Physics at NUI Galway in 2001, now called the Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies (C-CAPS) where he has been working to date. The NUI Galway researcher provides critical technical and research support for Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station in Carna, Co. Galway, which has significantly contributed towards the Station becoming the top atmospheric research infrastructure in the world. He provided critical scientific information during the Volcanic Ash crisis in 2010, highlighting the stations capabilities of providing 24/7 observational data. Darius Ceburnis graduated from Vilnius University, Lithuania in 1992 and received his PhD degree in Natural Sciences in 1997 from the Institute of Physics in Lithuania. He received a Young Scientists Award from the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in 1999 before joining NUI Galway in 2001. Dr Ceburnis co-founded the Lithuanian Community in Ireland and also co-founded the Association Futura Scientia journal for the promotion of scientific reform in Lithuania. He sits on expert panels evaluating proposals for the Lithuanian Science Council. His research excellence has been recognised with a Lithuanian National Science Award in 2012, the most prestigious award in the country. For more information about NUI Galway’s Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies visit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/c-caps/ ENDS

Monday, 11 January 2016

With the CAO deadline fast approaching on 1 February, NUI Galway will host a CAO Parents’ Information Evening for parents and Leaving Certificate students. The event will take place in Aras Moyola on campus on Tuesday, 19 January from 7–9pm. NUI Galway recognises the key role that parents play in supporting students as they take this important next step, and the CAO Information Evening will ensure that parents have access to all of the information needed in supporting their child through their University career. With over 50 degree courses on offer by NUI Galway, the evening will begin with an exhibition where lecturers and staff will be available to answer any questions. This will be then followed by College specific talks on Arts, Business, Law, Engineering and Informatics, Science, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. NUI Galway’s Student Recruitment Officer, Celine O’Donovan, said: “This is an excellent opportunity to talk to representatives from all NUI Galway’s Colleges about the subjects your son or daughter is interested in and to find out about practical issues and the wide range of support services available to our students.” If you would like to find out more about the CAO Parents’ Information Evening contact Celine O’Donovan on 087 2391219 or email celine.odonovan@nuigalway.ie -Ends-   

Tuesday, 19 January 2016

NUI Galway researchers study the culture of antibiotic prescribing and consumption for Urinary Tract Infections and find the need for more dialogue among GPs and Patients Researchers from NUI Galway’s School of Medicine have carried out a study to explore the culture of antibiotic prescribing and consumption in the community for Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), from the perspective of the General Practitioners (GPs) and community members. Their results were published in the medical journal BMJ Open. This research provides insight into the decision-making processes contributing to the continued prescription and consumption of antibiotics for Urinary Tract Infections. An antibiotic is not a satisfactory outcome from every UTI GP consultation. As a result of this qualitative research, behavioural interventions should focus on: Improving the quality of antibiotic prescribing for UTI by encouraging GPs to reflect on their current antibiotic-prescribing practices, including when they prescribe and what antibiotics they choose. Supporting a dialogue between the GP and the patient within the consultation about the positive and negative aspects of antibiotic treatment for UTI particularly when symptoms are non-specific. Building changes into routine care without elongating the consultation. As part of the study the NUI Galway researchers carried out in depth interviews with 15 GPs practicing in rural and urban locations in Ireland, and six focus groups were held with community members who had direct or indirect experiences with urinary tract infection. The study found that decisions made to prescribe or consume an antibiotic for a UTI is a set of complex processes. It includes recognising that you are unwell (need recognition), seeking advice from various sources like the web and family members prior to visiting the GP (information search), and deciding whether to go to the GP (evaluation process). All of these processes are governed by the relationship and interactions between the GP and the patient. Different GP and patient decision-making profiles emerged, emphasising the diversity and variety of general practice in real-life settings. The GP findings showed a requirement for more microbiological information on antibiotic resistance patterns to inform prescribing decisions. Focus group participants (patients) wanted a conversation with the GP about their illness and the treatment options available. Dr Sinead Duane from the School of Medicine at NUI Galway and co-author of the study said: “Many patients are open to delaying antibiotic treatment if the GP takes time to explain the reasons why and provides advice on which symptoms they should look out for. This research highlights that patients visiting their GP often only want reassurance and advice on how to manage their symptom, and not necessarily an antibiotic.” Collectively, this research identified the consultation as a priority intervention environment for stimulating change in relation to antibiotics. The BMJ Open paper demonstrates how qualitative research can identify the interacting processes which are instrumental to the decision to prescribe or consume an antibiotic for a suspected UTI. Qualitative research empowers researchers to investigate the what, how and why of interventions in a real-life setting. Qualitative research can play a critical and instrumental role in designing behavioural change strategies with high impact on practice. The results of this research were used to design a complex intervention informed by social marketing. To view the full BMJ Open paper visit: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/1/e008894.full.pdf+html ENDS

Monday, 11 January 2016

NUI Galway’s School of Education will host the Second International Conference on Mobile Technology in Teacher Education (MiTE) on 15 and 16 January in the Ardilaun Hotel, Galway. On Friday, 15 January, the conference will provide an academic platform for emerging research, and on Saturday, 16 January, the focus will be on the practitioner application of mobile technology in the classroom, in the form of hands-on workshops and showcases on mobile apps for teaching, learning and assessment. NUI Galway’s School of Education is aware of the potential that mobile technology has for improving the teaching and learning experiences of pupils in the classroom. This two-day conference will celebrate the possibilities and explore the challenges of integrating mobile technology in teacher education and in the broader field of education in order to promote best practice by teachers, students and schools. Contributors include experts in the field of mobile technology, including representatives from mainland Europe, the US, Nordic countries and Asia. Seán Ó Grádaigh, NUI Galway’s School of Education, and Co-Chair of the MiTE 2016 Conference, said: “Mobile Technology has the ability to change how we Teach, Learn and Assess. Students can now learn when, where and how suits them best and Teacher Education can play a central role in the integration of this technology in the classroom.” Keynote Speaker Stephen Heppell is a Professor at Bournemouth University, Chair in New Media Environments, Emeritus Professor Anglia Ruskin University, and Visiting Professor of the University of Wales, Newport. Professor Heppell is best known for his work at Ultralab, part of Anglia Polytechnic University. There, he worked on education projects such as ‘Learning in the New Millennium’, ‘Schools OnLine’, development of ‘Think.com’ and ‘Talking Heads’. In 2003, he left UltraLab and is now CEO of the education consultancy firm, Heppell.net, a global and flourishing policy and learning consultancy, which now has an enviable portfolio of international projects all around the world. Dr Mary Fleming, Head of School of Education at NUI Galway, said: “My colleagues and I are delighted to be involved in this conference again this year. Mobile Technology is a significant and growing area of educational research and we welcome this opportunity to build on the School of Education’s engagement with new teaching and learning practices and approaches in the classroom.” MiTE 2016 is open to parents, teachers and students who are interested in seeing and hearing how mobile technologies, for example, smartphones/tablets, can contribute positively to the learning processes within our classrooms today. To find out more see http://www.gratek.ie/mite2016/index.php -Ends-