The HSE West North West – University of Galway Cancer Network is delighted to announce that it has been accredited by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI). OECI is an organisation of European cancer centres founded in 1979 to provide patients equal access to high quality cancer care through cooperation and knowledge exchange.  HSE West North West – University of Galway Cancer Network is only the 20th such network to achieve cancer centre accreditation across Europe. The highly sought after accreditation follows several years of rigorous review and engagement with the European team including a peer review visit which took place last May. This saw a panel of European experts visit a number of hospitals across our region to assess all elements of the cancer programme. The OECI team evaluated 345 standards across our Regional Cancer Programme. This process has helped to strengthen our clinical pathway, improve patient’s outcomes through enhanced processes and will ultimately help to increase the numbers of patients participating in clinical trials. The European body has now confirmed that the HSE West North West –University of Galway Cancer Network met the quality standards for cancer care and research and has been designated as an OECI Cancer Centre. The OECI Accreditation and Designation programme is considered internationally as the gold standard for cancer care. It focuses on enabling a complete quality system for cancer diagnosis, care, education and research. In gaining this prestigious accreditation the HSE West North West – University of Galway Cancer Network has committed to ongoing quality improvement in cancer care through research, innovation, partnership and patient empowerment. Professor Michael Kerin, Director of the HSE West North West – University of Galway Cancer Network welcomed the announcement adding: “This acknowledgement is a testament to the hard work of our incredible staff. This took an enormous amount of work across our hospitals and a huge amount of support from the voluntary organisations working in our region.  “We were evaluated on 345 standards and we will now focus on the 33 point quality improvement plan which will deliver a fit for purpose cancer centre for the West and North West region. This was a commitment of the National Development Plan and we now need to ensure we have the resources, national support and infrastructure to deliver a fully accredited cancer network.  The fact that we have been given cancer centre status is hugely valuable and our ability to recruit, retain and develop our staff and deliver really good care has been enhanced by this process,” he added. Tony Canavan, Regional Executive Officer, HSE West and North West said: "I want to extend my congratulations and thanks to everyone involved in getting us to this point. This has been a lengthy process but what we have seen over the course of the journey is a level of self-examination of our own services that shines a light on good practice and highlights areas where we need further work. “This is a major programme across Europe and we are the 20th cancer centre to be accredited in this programme.  This acknowledges our ongoing commitment to improving outcomes and delivering better care to our population in a research and education driven environment,” he added. The network is a clinical academic partnership between HSE West North West and the University of Galway and is aligned with the strategic priorities of the National Cancer Strategy (2017-2026) Prof Martin O’Donnell, Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences University of Galway added: “Our collaborative ambition is to create a centre of excellence delivering the highest international standards in cancer treatment, research and education and the OECI accreditation process is critical to achieving this goal. Congratulations to Prof Kerin and HSE West North West for their dedication to developing patient-centred cancer care.” The HSE West North West cancer programme provides a wide range of cancer services to a population of 830,000 people across the region. In line with the national model of care (a hub and spoke model), complex care is located at University Hospital Galway with satellite centres delivering care closer to home in Letterkenny University Hospital, Sligo University Hospital, Mayo University Hospital and Portiuncula University Hospital. Ends

Findings will aid space exploration and earth health   A groundbreaking study by researchers from University of Galway, in collaboration with Arizona State University, has revealed vital molecular insights into muscle atrophy - one of space travel’s most critical health risks.   The findings not only have implications for long-term space missions but can also help with a better understanding of muscle-wasting conditions on Earth.   As space travel becomes more common, the unique environment of microgravity presents challenges to the body, particularly affecting muscles, bones, and the immune system. In microgravity, muscles weaken over time, leading to a condition known as muscle atrophy, which is a significant concern for astronauts, especially on longer missions.   The study, published in Nature Microgravity, investigated the molecular changes in muscle atrophy using data from NASA’s GeneLab, an open-access platform for biological spaceflight data.   The research team was led by Professor Lokesh Joshi and Dr Anup Mammen Oommen of the University of Galway and Professor Phil Stafford of Arizona State University.   The team focused on specific genes linked to muscle loss, that helped refine their analysis and find molecular patterns connected to muscle weakening. By grouping genes with similar activity and analysing their functions, the team uncovered key biological pathways linked to muscle breakdown in space.   One of the key findings was the impact of microgravity on glycosylation—a process vital for protein stability. The study found that alterations in glycosylation under microgravity suggest possible strategies to prevent muscle loss in astronauts by targeting these pathways.   Professor Lokesh Joshi, Stokes Professor of Glycosciences of University of Galway, said: “While these findings address a critical issue for space explorers, the implications extend to terrestrial health. Muscle atrophy also affects aging populations, post-menopausal women and patients with chronic illnesses, such as cancer or heart disease. Understanding how muscle loss occurs in space could lead to better treatments for these conditions on Earth.   “This study underscores the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of platforms like NASA’s GeneLab, which enable global researchers to build on each other's work.   “As humanity ventures further into space, ensuring astronaut health remains one of the greatest challenges. These findings represent a significant leap forward in space medicine, with far-reaching benefits for people on Earth as well."   The research methods applied allowed the team to map out the critical pathways involved in muscle deterioration during extended space missions. It also highlighted the role of glycosylation, a type of post-translational modification where sugars are added to molecules like proteins, which helps stabilise them and influence their functions in the body.   This discovery paves the way for potential interventions aimed at mitigating muscle loss in astronauts through the regulation of glycosylation pathways and provides insights for people on Earth who experience muscle atrophy.   The full study in Nature Microgravity is available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-024-00434-z   Ends  

 Twelve teaching, learning and research collaboration projects at University of Galway are to be supported by the European University Alliance - ENLIGHT and the Higher Education Authority (HEA).      ENLIGHT is an alliance of 10 universities, in 10 European countries, including University of Galway, which is supported by the European Commission and the HEA as it works towards the creation of a European University.    As part of the 12 ENLIGHT projects at University of Galway, academics will work in collaboration with their counterparts in eight countries on areas such as ageing, plastic pollution impacts, decolonising higher education, human rights and sustainability.    The projects are a result of a €4m fund being made available by ENLIGHT for collaborative projects in teaching, learning, research and outreach across the alliance, with more than €500,000 funding being allocated to support the 12 initiatives involving University of Galway and our ENLIGHT partners.     The funding was announced as part of the ENLIGHT general meeting which took place last week at the University of Bern in Switzerland. The focus of the meeting was on embedding the alliance in each partner institution.       Presidents from all ENLIGHT universities participated in discussions on priorities for the first half of 2025, including key topics such as increasing mobility, embedding education initiatives, supporting research and education collaborations, lifelong learning including Micro Credentials, sustainability, and impact of the alliance as a whole.      Interim President of University of Galway Professor Peter McHugh said: “ENLIGHT is a hugely positive initiative and one that has gone from strength to strength in the last few years, not least with the significant support of the European Commission and the HEA. As our meeting last week sought to embed the opportunities for collaboration in excellence in teaching, learning and research it is a tremendous statement to be able to combine that agenda with the announcement of support for 12 research projects in partnership with our ENLIGHT partners.”      Interim Deputy President and Registrar Professor Becky Whay said: “The focus of the ENLIGHT general meeting in Bern is on embedding the European University in each partner institution and in each country - our 12 projects are a wonderful symbol of just that, and the opportunities that our membership can bring. We look forward to seeing the collaborations with thanks to support at both the European and national level.”      The 12 collaboration projects supported are:   Kasia Whysall, College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, in collaboration with Bern, Groningen, Ghent, Tartu, University of the Basque Country - REACT - Research and Education in Ageing Collaborative Team   Olivier Thomas, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science & Engineering in partnership with Gent University; Groningen, University of the Basque Country on H2OPE: Human Health, Ocean Preservation and Food Ecosystems     Liam Morrison, School of Natural Sciences, College of Science & Engineering, in partnership with University of the Basque Country, Bordeaux, Ghent, Groningen, Bern, Tartu – on Fate and Impact of Plastics - from Macro to Nano - on Planetary Health     Manigandan Chockalingam, College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, in collaboration with Uppsala University on - ECCHOT: Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Intercultural Competence and Cultural Humility in Occupational Therapy     Illan Wall, School of Law, College of Business, Public Policy & Law in partnership with Ghent University, Bordeaux, Tartu on - CLS: Educational Network Teaching and Studying the Basics     Muriel Grenon, Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Science & Engineering in partnership with University of Bordeaux and University of the Basque Country on SHARE: Supporting Higher Education and Research through Engagement     Laura Loftus, Office of the Vice-President Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, in partnership with Comenius University Bratislava and University of the Basque Country, on GELIE: Gender Equality and LGBT+ Inclusive Environments     Dr Helen Maher, Vice-President Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, with Ghent, Groningen, University of the Basque Country and Bordeaux, on DecCur: Decolonising and Diversifying our Curriculum, Research and Partnerships     Roisin Mulgrew, School of Law, College of Business, Public Policy & Law, with Uppsala, Groningen, Ghent, on WoSHuR2025: Workshop on the Online School on Human Rights 2025     Emma Holian, School of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences, College of Science & Engineering with Gottingen, Comenius University Bratislava on FOY (Figuring Out Y)     Michelle Comber, School of Geography and Archaeology, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies with Uppsala and University of the Basque Country on ITEM: International Training Excavation Module   Richard Manton, Director Sustainability, Office of the Deputy President and Registrar, with Gottingen, Bordeaux, Comenius University Bratislava on GreENLIGHT: Engaging Students on Sustainability.     In 2023, the European Commission announced ENLIGHT would be supported with a four-year, €14.4 million investment, with the intention that a significant portion of the funding would go towards academic initiatives, emphasizing the project’s commitment to supporting scholars.     University of Galway’s involvement in the European University Alliance is also supported nationally by the HEA.     The ENLIGHT alliance is made up of of 10 universities, in 10 European countries, with the shared goal of the creation of a European University. It includes: University of Galway; Comenius University, Bratislava (Slovakia); University of Groningen (Netherlands); University of Bordeaux (France); Gent University (Belgium); University of Tartu (Estonia); University of Gottingen (Germany); University of the Basque Country (Spain); Uppsala University (Sweden); and University of Bern (Switzerland).   Ends