Three University of Galway academics have been named on the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2024 list from Clarivate. Professors Ines Thiele, Henry Curran and Patrick W. Serruys have once again joined the prestigious list of almost 7,000 researchers from more than 1,200 institutions in 59 countries and regions around the world. The academics who make the Clarivate list have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their research through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. Professor Jim Livesey, Vice President for Research and Innovation, University of Galway, said: “A huge congratulations to our academics - Ines Thiele, Henry Curran and Patrick Serruys - who have been named this year among the world’s most highly cited. To be part of this prestigious global group is testament to the quality and impact of their work and a fitting recognition of their determination to develop breakthroughs and solutions for healthcare and engineering of the future. It also highlights the strong commitment to research excellence at University of Galway.” Professor Ines Thiele, listed in the Cross-Field category, is Professor of Systems Biomedicine and principal investigator of the Molecular Systems Physiology group at University of Galway. Professor Thiele has been pioneering the development of digital metabolic twins for humans and human associated microbes. Her team uses these digital twins to develop innovative approaches to accelerate the diagnosis of inherited metabolic diseases and to enable the prediction of personalised treatment strategies. This is her second year being named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. Professor Henry Curran, listed in the Engineering category, is Director of the Combustion Chemistry Centre at the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science and Engineering and of the Energy Research Centre in the Ryan Institute at University of Galway. His research looks at the study of the chemistry of how fuels burn in combustors to increase efficiency and reduce emissions for a cleaner world. This is his 10th year being named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. Professor Patrick W. Serruys, listed in the Clinical Medicine category, is Established Professor of Interventional Medicine and Innovation, Co-founder and Senior Consultant of the CORRIB Research Centre for Advanced Imaging and Core Laboratory at University of Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Professor Serruys is a world-renowned expert in interventional cardiology and imaging with more than four decades experience in clinical trials and innovation in medicine. He has pioneered several interventional procedures and devices as well as imaging techniques. This is his fifth year being named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher.   Bar Veinstein, President of Academia and Government at Clarivate, said: “We celebrate these Highly Cited Researchers whose exceptional and community-wide influence shapes the future of science, technology and academia globally. We honour not just their scientific achievement but their impact on driving innovation and addressing wider societal challenges to help transform our world.” The full 2024 Highly Cited Researchers list can be viewed at https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/. Ends

A new study by researchers at the University of Galway and the University of Limerick suggests that electrical stimulation might be essential for tendons to maintain their health, offering fresh possibilities in tendon repair and regeneration.   The research took place at the CÚRAM Research Centre for Medical Devices, funded through Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, formerly Science Foundation Ireland.  Tendons resist intense mechanical stress, while facilitating force transmission from muscles to bones. They are also piezoelectric, meaning that when they are stretched, they will produce an electric field, which is thought to be important for regulating tendon cell function. However, when injured, tendons offer limited healing, which often leads to chronic pain and disability, thus affecting patient productivity.   In 2023, major tears or traumatic injuries to tendon, ligaments and muscles affected nearly half a million people in full-time employment in the United States.   Recovery from tendon injuries is slow and often requires extensive rehabilitation, which causes nearly two months of lost work-days per injury. Current regenerative medicine for tendon repair has so far failed to recreate tendon cells' native environment, which ultimately hampers their therapeutic potential.   Led by Dr Marc Fernandez-Yague, who completed his PhD while a researcher with CÚRAM at University of Galway, the research team focused on understanding how electrical and mechanical signals work together to control tendon cell function. Traditionally, tendon cells are extremely difficult to culture in the lab as they rapidly and irreversibly lose their tendon-like functions once isolated from the body.   To address these challenges, the team developed a novel cell culture device - a "tympanic piezoelectric bioreactor" that works in a similar way to the human eardrum and which delivered mechanical vibrations and electrical stimuli to tendon cells.   This dual stimulation caused cells to better retain their healthy, tendon-specific properties, while being expanded in the lab, allowing them to be utilized in tissue repair and regeneration approaches.  Dr Fernandez-Yague said: “Our work is rooted in a deep understanding of how cells sense and interact with their environment. Until now, tendon cells are grown in the lab in a specialised device which stretches them to mimic the effects of body movement. However, this approach overlooks that tendon tissues are piezoelectric – they generate electrical signals when subjected to mechanical stress. Our research project engineered a dynamic electrical-mechanical stimulation systems, which provides cells with the specific signals they need to successfully guide their development, thereby recreating key environmental conditions observed during normal tissue formation and repair.”  Dr Manus Biggs, Associate Professor at University of Galway and principal investigator of the study, outlined some wider implications of the research: “While our approach shows great potential for ultimately growing tendon tissues in the lab, it also has significant implications for generating other tissues that respond to dual electrical and mechanical forces, such as cartilage, bone, and even cardiovascular tissues. This study opens up new possibilities for developing therapies that promote tissue reinforcement and offer alternative or complementary strategies to current physical rehabilitation methods.  “We understand that traditional musculoskeletal therapies often rely on physical therapy which provides mechanical signals to the cells of regenerating tissues. In contrast, incorporating electrical stimulation provides greater precision in controlling how cells respond, offering a more effective approaches for applications in regenerative medicine. Critically, tendon piezoelectricity has long been alluded to have physiological functions. This study is one of the first of its kind that shows that piezoelectric signals can regulate cell differentiation and development.”  The full paper is available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202405711   Ends 

Dámhachtainí Oinigh le bronnadh ar dheichniúr daoine clúiteacha Beidh breis agus 3,300 mac léinn ag filleadh ar an gcampas chun go mbronnfar a gcáilíocht acadúil orthu ag searmanais bhronnta an gheimhridh in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. Cuirfear tús leis an gceiliúradh ar an gcampas inniu agus leanfar leis go dtí Dé Céadaoin, an 27 Samhain. I rith na seachtaine freisin bronnfaidh an Ollscoil céimeanna oinigh ar an deichniúr seo a leanas mar aitheantas as a bhfuil bainte amach acu agus as an obair atá déanta acu: Martin Griffiths, Fo-Ard-Rúnaí na Náisiún Aontaithe le haghaidh Gnóthaí Daonnúla agus Comhordaitheoir na Fóirithinte Éigeandála – Dochtúir le Dlíthe Tony Connelly, iriseoir agus údar, agus Eagarthóir Eorpach Nuacht RTÉ – Dochtúir le Litríocht Keith Finnegan, craoltóir agus iarláithreoir an chláir Galway Talks ar Galway Bay FM – Dochtúir le Litríocht Dolores Keane, amhránaí tíre Éireannach den stíl thraidisiúnta a bhfuil cáil idirnáisiúnta uirthi – Dochtúir le Ceol An tOllamh Paul Yock agus an Dr Joshua Makower, bunaitheoirí Stanford Biodesign a thug tacaíocht do bhunú BioInnovate Ireland – Dochtúir le hEolaíocht Owen Reidy, Ard-Rúnaí Chomhdháil na gCeardchumann (ICTU) – Dochtúir le Dlíthe An Dr Éanna Ní Lamhna, luibheolaí agus feithideolaí, láithreoir agus craoltóir – Dochtúir le hEolaíocht Marina Fiddler agus Tara Nic Dhiarmada, bunaitheoirí MADRA – Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue and Adoption – Dochtúir le Dlíthe                 Dúirt Uachtarán Eatramhach Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, an tOllamh Peter McHugh: “Tá lúcháir orm a bheith in ann aitheantas a thabhairt don ghrúpa daoine eisceachtúla seo, agus an gradam seo a bhronnadh orthu agus muid ag déanamh ceiliúradh chomh maith ar a bhfuil bainte amach ag 3,350 mac léinn dár gcuid i gceithre Choláiste na hOllscoile. Tréaslaím leis na daoine clúiteacha seo ar fad, agus beimid ag teacht le chéile mar phobal ollscoile le hómós a léiriú dóibh sin, agus do na daoine a bhfuil a gcéim le bronnadh orthu, ag searmanais bhronnta an gheimhridh. Is ócáidí iad seo a bhfuil tábhacht leo. Meabhraíonn siad dúinn go léir an chúis a bhfuilimid ann agus an méid a dhéanaimid ar son mhic léinn na hOllscoile seo.”             Bhí an méid seo le rá ag an Ollamh Becky Whay, an tUachtarán Ionaid agus Meabhránaí Eatramhach: “Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le gach céimí as a gcéim a bhaint amach. Is léiriú é ar a gcumas, a saothar agus a ndúthracht le blianta fada. Ba mhaith liom freisin comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis na daoine eisceachtúla a mbronnfar céimeanna oinigh orthu. Tá a chion féin déanta ag gach céimí oinigh díobh sna réimsí éagsúla seo a leanas: forbairt pobail, an saol poiblí, cultúr agus taibhiú, cearta an duine, agus taighde. Thar ceann Ollscoil na Gaillimhe tá áthas orm ómós a léiriú dóibh as a bhfuil bainte amach acu.” Tá sceideal iomlán shearmanais bhronnta an gheimhridh 2024 le fáil ag  https://www.universityofgalway.ie/conferring/   Críoch