In the News..

University of Galway, in partnership with the HRB Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network, has announced the inaugural A.Menarini Pharmaceuticals Ireland Scholarship.  The successful student is Ruth Alejandra Huerta Sinesio, originally from Mexico City, who was awarded the scholarship for her outstanding achievements and commitment to advancing diabetes research and patient care.  The A.Menarini Pharmaceuticals Ireland Scholarship, supported by Galway University Foundation, provides full financial support for a student in the Master of Science in Clinical Research.  Ruth Alejandra Huerta Sinesio was selected from a highly competitive field of candidates, demonstrating a strong dedication to improving health outcomes through her work and experience. The award will enable her to pursue advanced training and to contribute to pioneering research activities, as well as strengthening her role within the Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network and broader diabetes community.  Professor Fidelma Dunne, Director of the HRB Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network and the Institute for Clinical Trials at University of Galway, said: “We are immensely proud of Ruth Alejandra and all she has accomplished to date in her career. Her passion, drive, and commitment embody exactly what this scholarship stands for. We are deeply grateful to A.Menarini for their generous support, which enables us to nurture the next generation of clinical researchers who will make a transformative difference in Ireland and far beyond. Their investment in education and research ultimately supports the lives of people living with diabetes.”  Ruth Alejandra Huerta Sinesio said: “This scholarship motivates me to keep striving for excellence. I’m grateful to A. Menarini for this award, which supports my professional growth and my mission to address a major public health challenge. It’s an honour to be supported by a community that believes in students’ ability to improve care for people with diabetes. I hope to turn my experience and motivation into lasting impact, honouring my loved ones and improving lives worldwide.”  As part of A.Menarini Pharmaceuticals Ireland support for students at University of Galway, the company will provide three further annual scholarships in the coming years to support students demonstrating academic excellence, leadership, community engagement, or financial need. The company has also pledged support for education and training within the HRB Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trial Network, including professional development, multidisciplinary training and expanded Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) initiatives. The investment will strengthen Ireland’s capacity to deliver world-class clinical research and foster a new generation of leaders dedicated to improving diabetes care across the globe.  Ends

RePEAT research project showcases scale of digitisation of 19th century bog maps University of Galway has announced the launch of the All-Ireland Peatlands Centre of Excellence to lead research and policy development on restoration and conservation of bogland.  The Centre has been established at the University’s Ryan Institute to help address critical challenges linked to peatlands, including decarbonisation, biodiversity loss, just transition and cultural heritage.  Along with academic research and policy development, it will also serve as a hub for innovation and training in relation to protection of peatlands on the island of Ireland and overseas.  The establishment of the All-Ireland Peatlands Centre of Excellence builds on a strong collaborative ethos among multiple universities, government agencies and community groups.  It also follows on from the RePEAT project, a research collaboration involving University of Galway and Trinity College Dublin which identified former peatlands areas that are suitable for alternative management and informs national bog rewetting projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Using Bog Commissioner maps from the 19th century which were originally designed to facilitate drainage, RePEAT researchers digitised the maps and turned them against their initial purpose in order to establish the original baseline extent of peatlands. The maps recorded the large-scale survey of more than 1 million acres of bogs between 1810 and 1814.   The RePEAT project was funded by the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine and the Environmental Protection Agency.  Dr Terry Morley, Lead of the new All-Ireland Peatlands Centre of Excellence and researcher on RePEAT project, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, said: “The All-Ireland Peatlands Centre of Excellence will bring together scientists, policymakers, landowners, and communities.  “We hope that through this new Centre of Excellence we will be able to strengthen national capacity for sustainable peatland management and ensure long-term environmental and societal benefits from restoration and conservation.  “University of Galway is uniquely situated to lead this centre, with blanket and raised bogs at our doorstep and broad interdisciplinary peatland research expertise.”  Dr John Connolly, a researcher on the project from Trinity College Dublin, said: “The RePEAT project has identified more than 200,000 hectares of former peatland, which is now in other land uses. These areas represent emissions many times higher than their baseline and can be used to identify areas that may be suitable for restoration and rewetting under Ireland’s Climate Action Plan.”  A special showcase outlining the findings of the RePEAT research project is being hosted in the Orbsen Building on the University of Galway campus from Monday December 15th-19th while a public lecture will be held on Thursday, December 18th at 5pm in the Michael D Higgins Auditorium.  Ends

New research into the arrangement of sugar chains or ‘glycans’ in the cells of the spine has shed light for the first time on the critical role it plays in the complex process of disc degeneration.   Researchers at CÚRAM - Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices at University of Galway, together with a team of international colleagues, carried out a comprehensive investigation into the different characteristics of glycans in healthy and degenerated intervertebral discs.   It is the first time that the whole human disc glycome in the spine - the entire set of sugar chains that modify human proteins and lipids - have been analysed in this way.    Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a major cause of low back pain, a significant global health issue. While glycosylation is critical for cellular signalling and inflammation, its malfunction can lead to diseases and its role in IVD degeneration has remained poorly understood until the research was conducted.   Dr Kieran Joyce, first author of the paper, said: “From this research, we now know which sugars are expressed in the degenerated or diseased disc states, so we can design therapies to target this.   “We observed distinct alterations in glycan expression, notably an overabundance of sialic acid on the surface of the cells in degenerated discs and decreased branching, which are associated with IVD degeneration. These observed differences have implications for regulating inflammatory responses and other cellular activities.”   Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM and senior author of the research paper, said: “Our findings suggest that there is therapeutic potential in using biomaterial systems to intervene and alter the way proteins and glycans attach to each other to reduce inflammation associated with IVD degeneration. This research significantly advances our knowledge of the glycomic mechanisms underlying IVD degeneration and opens new avenues for developing therapies to restore disc physiology.”   The finding of the research have been published in Advanced Science and can be accessed at https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202506669?af=R.   The project was carried out by CÚRAM researchers at University of Galway in collaboration with colleagues at Maynooth University, University College Dublin, the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), the Medical University of South Carolina and the Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics in Austria.   Ends