FutureResearch

Professor Patrick W. Serruys

Professor Patrick W. Serruys | Photo Credit: Martina Regan

Aoise O'Neill & Professor Martin O'Donnell | Photo Credit: Martina Regan

Best Poster - Aoise O'Neill

The winner of best poster - Aoise O'Neill

"Investigating the effects of targeting stromal cell sialylation on the tumour immune microenvironment in colorectal cancer."

Judges commended the project as novel and relevant. They commended communicated the message of the research well and had demonstrated the effects of a potentially translational intervention of her model of disease. Visually she included a mix of easy to follow graphs to support her findings.

Professor Martin O'Donnell and Eileen Reidy | Photo Credit: Martina Regan

Rapid Fire - Eileen Reidy

Congratulations to Eileen Reidy winner of the medal for best rapid fire presentation, entitled:

"The development of a 3D model of colorectal cancer to assess the stromal-medicated effects on t-cells in a stromal-rich colorectal cancer tumour micro-environmental."

Professor Martin O'Donnell and Ruth Tarpey | Photo Credit: Martina Regan

Best Oral Presentation - Ruth Tarpey

Congratulations to Ruth Tarpey winner of the medal for best oral presentation. Her presentation title was:

"Modelling oxygen transfer and durability within a dual chamber system for ambient shipment of therapeutic cells."

The judges commended Ruth's technology, developed in University of Galway, will have a direct and immediate impact on the transport of therapeutic cells worldwide. The technology is applicable to a large number of cell therapies, enhancing the global distribution including to low and middle income countries. Finally, Ruth communicated complex ideas in an accessible and clear manner.

Dr Jacinta Thornton and Professor Faisal Sharif | Photo Credit: Martina Regan

Innovation Champion Award - Professor Faisal Sharif

Winner of the Innovation Champion is Professor Faisal. Sharif
This award recognises his exceptional work in developing new innovation in the medical device space which led to the formation of Lifelet Medical Ltd, a 2023 University of Galway spinout.

Lifelet Medical is pioneering the development of novel biomaterials with a specialised structure that better mimics native heart tissue for heart value replacements, a breakthrough with significant potential to transform cardiovascular treatments.

Dr Jacinta Thornton, Associate Director of the Innovation Office at University of Galway said “We are delighted to recognise Professor Faisal Sharif with the Innovation Champion Award. His success with Lifelet Medical exemplifies the spirit of innovation and collaboration that we strive to support. By transforming cutting-edge research into tangible healthcare solutions, they embody the very best of what we aim to achieve.”

Dr Jacinta Thornton and Francesca McDonagh | Photo Credit: Martina Regan

Innovation Competition - Francesca McDonagh

Winner of best innovation competition is Francesca McDonagh who submitted an IDF related to a Salivary Diagnostic Test, with funding from the GOI IRC PG Scholarship. Co-investors in the IDF were Georgios Miliotis, Brian Hallahan and Elaine Murray.

Dr Jacinta Thornton and Professor Karen Doyle | Photo Credit: Martina Regan

Industry Engagement Award - Professor Karen Doyle

Winner of best industry engagement is Professor Karen Doyle

The Industry Engagement Award was presented for her exemplary collaborative research with industry partners which was supported by CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices. Professor Doyle’s work has incorporated policy creation for government and has led to engagements with a range of industry partners, all focused on enhancing the understanding of the pathophysiology of occlusive stroke and the characteristics of human blood clots that cause these strokes.

Dr Jacinta Thornton, Associate Director of the Innovation Office at University of Galway said "We acknowledge the ground-breaking collaborative research carried out by Professor Karen Doyle by awarding her with the Industry Engagement Award. Her work, in collaboration with her industry partners, is progressing understanding of the causes of neurovascular stroke and progressing novel strategies to protect brain tissue from damage due to stroke."