A fourth year student at University of Galway has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Hamilton Prize – the top undergraduate mathematics accolade.     Dara Colleran, from Salthill, Galway City, is one of nine students to have been honoured by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) for excellence in their final year of study.    The honour commemorates famed Irish scientist William Rowan Hamilton and his discovery of quaternion algebra in Dublin on October 16, 1843 - a four-dimensional number system which has been used in satellite navigation and video game programming.     The awards ceremony takes place on the anniversary each year in the RIA.     Dara Colleran said: “I am very honoured to receive the Hamilton prize in Mathematics. I had a great day with my family in Dublin, where we did the annual Hamilton walk along the banks of the Royal Canal, retracing Hamilton's steps from Dunsink Observatory to Broombridge in Cabra, and attended a ceremony in the beautiful Royal Irish Academy. I am looking forward to exploring my subject further in a Masters degree.”    In recognition of their mathematical excellence, the awardees each received a cash prize of €500 and a certificate of achievement at an award ceremony in the Royal Irish Academy. They also attended an exclusive masterclass with the 2024 Hamilton Lecture speaker, Professor Laura DeMarco from Harvard University, which was hosted by Ibec.    Professor Aisling McCluskey, Head of the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at University of Galway, said: “The award of the prestigious Hamilton Prize is a tremendous honour, recognising the exceptional talent of Dara and others like him from universities across the country. I am delighted to acknowledge and celebrate Dara’s achievement. This special prize underscores the importance of valuing and encouraging our undergraduate mathematicians as they progress into final year and into future STEM careers. We are proud that Dara joins the list of Hamilton Prize winners, representing our School and our University nationally. Ar son na Scoile, comhghairdeachas Dara!”    The nine 2024 Hamilton Prize winners are Dara Colleran, University of Galway; Daniel Cooper, Dublin City University; Laura Cosgrave, University College Cork; Oisín Davey, Maynooth University; Samual Den Dikken, University of Limerick; Kai Quan Lian, Queen’s University Belfast; Mateusz Mroczkowski, TU Dublin; Brian O'Callaghan, Trinity College Dublin; and Jack Sherry, University College Dublin.    Ends 

New research shows that cooling during the last Ice Age over parts of the North Atlantic was up to 3˚C more severe than estimated An international research team led by University of Galway has discovered a new method to accurately measure past polar sea surface temperature changes and climate change. In a new study published in Nature Communications, Dr Audrey Morley, lecturer in Geography and Ryan Institute and iCRAG scientist at University of Galway, reveals how polar climate history can be detected by analysing the shells of foraminifera - microorganisms no bigger than a grain of sand. The scientists involved in the project describe the research method as invaluable, as it can be applied to new and previously published datasets worldwide to re-evaluate the magnitude and geographical extent of marine polar climate change. Dr Morley, lead author on the research paper, said: “In the future our new method will allow us to evaluate the ability of climate models to simulate polar amplified warming and cooling, which is especially important as climate model simulations targeting warmer than present climates have historically not captured the full extent of polar amplified warming. “This information will enable a major leap forward in our ability to assess the sensitivity of Arctic climate and its role and variability within the global climate system. This will lay the foundation for an improved understanding of climate change.” Foraminifera are small unicellular organisms which build a miniscule shell out of calcium carbonate and other elements available in seawater. In doing so, they record the chemistry and climate of seawater in their shell. At the end of their life, the empty shells sink to the seafloor and are deposited in sediment, like a marine archive year after year, millennia after millennia. Through analysis of the magnesium and calcium (Mg/Ca) preserved in the shells, scientists can get an indirect measure or ‘proxy’ of sea surface temperatures. These climate proxies allow scientists to reveal earth climate history from a few hundred years to billions of years ago and thereby improve an understanding of future climate change. However, in cold polar waters this method doesn’t work because it is compromised by the carbonate chemistry of seawater, leaving us without a tool to measure past marine polar climates. The new research method solves a long-standing problem in Arctic Climate Science. The team set out on several oceanographic cruises, including the Marine Institute’s RV Celtic Explorer in 2020, to collect living polar foraminifera together with the seawater that they lived in. This allowed the researchers to identify exactly how the carbonate chemistry of seawater impacts the temperature signal recorded in the magnesium and calcium Mg/Ca values of the tiny organism. The research showed that for polar foraminifera, the oxygen isotopes preserved in the shells can be used as a proxy for the carbonate chemistry of seawater and when measured together on fossil foraminifera, Mg/Ca and oxygen isotopes can be used to reveal past polar sea surface temperatures globally.  Dr Morley said: “For example, when applied to the last ice age, this method shows that current estimates of cooling over North Atlantic mid-latitudes have been underestimated by up to 3˚C. “Direct observations of sea surface temperatures in the Arctic are short and at best 150 years long. These short records leave us with a gap in our understanding and large uncertainties when predicting how future climate change will respond to rising greenhouse gas emissions. “To improve our understanding and reduce uncertainties we look to the past using climate proxies – such as the foraminifera. Yet, most proxies of essential climate variables, such as sea surface temperatures, suffer from limitations when applied to cold temperatures that characterise Arctic environments. “These limitations prevent us from constraining uncertainties for some of the most sensitive climate tipping points that can trigger rapid and dramatic global climate change. For example, the enhanced warming or cooling at high latitudes - also called Arctic/Polar Amplification; the disruption of heat transport by surface and deep ocean; sea ice loss; and permafrost melting, that are intrinsic to the polar regions.” The research was funded by MSCA-IF Project ARCTICO funded by the European Research Council, the Marine Institute of Ireland Research Programme 2014-2020, Science Foundation Ireland Frontiers for the Future Project, and Grant in Aid funding from the Marine Institute for research expedition CE20009 on the RV Celtic Explorer. Read the full study in Nature Communications here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53424-w Ends

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan T.D., has announced five University of Galway research projects. The projects are funded under the Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future Programme and are part of a €26 million investment for 40 research projects nationwide. The University of Galway projects include: Professor Nicholas Allen, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Dr Kathleen Gorman, Children’s Health Ireland. The research aims to develop novel therapies for severe, currently untreatable childhood neurological disorders. Award - €638,566. Dr Róisín Dwyer, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. The project will focus on breast cancer and aims to decipher how microRNAs sequences function and develop an approach to deliver them directly to tumour tissue, for targeted treatment of patients with advanced disease. Award - €764,657. Dr Alexandre de Menezes, College of Science and Engineering. Dr de Menezes’ project aims to offer novel ways to predict and control nitrous oxide emissions from soil, to support low emissions, sustainable agriculture. Award - €788,421. Dr Linda Howard and Dr Siobhan McMahon - College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Research focuses on gene therapy combined with tissue engineering to reduce scarring and help promote nerve regeneration after spinal cord injury. Award - €554,562. Dr Angela Carnevale and Dr Tobias Rossmann - College of Science and Engineering. This project will involve machine learning and explicit computations of zeta functions in algebra. Award - €582,635.              Minister O’Donovan said: “I am pleased to announce the Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future projects, which support high-risk, high-reward research endeavours. The selected projects, spanning 12 research institutions, bring fresh and innovative ideas that will help boost business and benefit society. “I would also like to commend Research Ireland and the Children’s Health Foundation for their great partnership and their great partnership and their focus on advancing children’s health through this funding program. I encourage others to create similar partnerships and collaborations.”             Professor Jim Livesey, Vice-President Research and Innovation at University of Galway, said: “I would like to congratulation our researchers who have successfully secured funding today through the Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future Programme. These prestigious awards are a testament to the depth and quality of the research expertise across our campus and will provide solutions and opportunities in areas that impact Irish society.”             Celine Fitzgerald, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Research Ireland, said: “The Research Ireland Frontiers for the Future programme helps to build research capacity, expertise and reputation. This latest round of grants will support a diverse range of research positions and represents a strong commitment to developing future talent in key areas. It has been a pleasure having Children’s Health Foundation as a funding partner in that drive to strengthen Ireland’s research pipeline.” Ends