News & Events

Breast cancer research scientists at University of Galway have secured a new five-year €1.4 million project to drive the next generation of cancer care as part of Precision Oncology Ireland.  The research is funded by €700,000 from the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI), which is matched by Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland.  Supported by the Galway University Foundation, the new commitment by NBCRI to breast cancer research at University of Galway builds on the Signature Partnership with the charity which was announced in May 2025. It also reaffirms NBCRI’s focus on a research-informed approach to improving patient outcomes, delivered by cancer research experts.  The Precision Oncology Ireland programme will support research by Professor Róisín Dwyer, Professor Aoife Lowery and Professor Michael Kerin, all of whom are based at the University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and the Lambe Institute, linking translational and clinical research.  The new investment will enable translational breast cancer research, including: Investigation of the potential for treatment of advanced breast cancer using short sequences of RNA - the molecule in all cells which carries genetic codes. Identification of biomarkers to predict how patients will respond to treatment, to ensure they only receive beneficial treatments. Increasing understanding of factors that impact the quality of life of patients undergoing chemotherapy, such as treatment toxicity, anxiety, exercise. The research partnership is part of Precision Oncology Ireland Phase 2 which was formally launched by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless T.D. Precision Oncology Ireland is a consortium of universities, charities and international companies, collaborating to deliver next generation cancer care in Ireland.  The new commitment, extending to 2030, expands the work progressed in the first iteration of Precision Oncology Ireland, cementing established research collaborations and developing new ones.  Professor Róisín Dwyer, Principal Investigator at University of Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, led the application for the Precision Oncology Ireland research project on behalf of University of Galway and NBCRI.  Professor Dwyer said: “Precision Oncology Ireland-2 provides a unique ecosystem where experts from a broad range of backgrounds come together with a common goal - to improve quality of life and outcomes for cancer patients. “We are delighted to continue our involvement in this impactful consortium and look forward to contributing to development of approaches to ensure patients receive appropriate targeted therapies while minimising side effects.”   Caroline Loughnane, Chairperson of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute, said:  “The mission of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute is to raise funds to support world-class breast cancer research at University of Galway. We are delighted to match the funding from Research Ireland to support the Precision Oncology Ireland breast cancer research programme at the Lambe Institute. Partnering with national research consortia and collaborators is critical for sharing knowledge to improve our understanding of breast cancer, with the goal of delivering better treatments for patients.” Ends  

World-leader in scientific optics Zeiss selects Galway as reference site for its most advanced technologies University of Galway has been announced as the only site in Europe with a unique combination of ground-breaking microscopy and imaging technologies following a landmark agreement with ZEISS, a pioneer of scientific optics. Under the partnership, University of Galway is the first Zeiss Labs@Location in Ireland, having been selected as a reference site for its most advanced technologies. ZEISS is a world-leading technology enterprise in optics and optoelectronics, working with research institutions across the globe to advance innovation in science and industry. The Zeiss Labs@Location partnership was made possible through funding provided by Taighe Éireann-Research Ireland, which brought three state-of-the-art microscopy technologies to University of Galway, facilitating unparalleled high-resolution, high-magnification investigations into tissue, cellular and sub-cellular structures in health and disease. Professor David Burn, University of Galway President, said: “At University of Galway our research community is committed to pushing the boundaries of discovery and innovation. Our new partnership with ZEISS, through the Labs@Location programme, strengthens that commitment by positioning Galway as a unique hub for advanced imaging technologies in Europe. This collaboration not only enhances the resources available to our researchers and collaborators across the island, but also reinforces our reputation as a place where world-class science and industry come together to deliver real impact." Professor Ted Vaughan, Director of the Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation, said: “University of Galway’s partnership with ZEISS represents a transformative moment for research in Ireland. Being recognised as the first Labs@Location site in Ireland underscores our global leadership in microscopy and imaging for biomedical applications. It enhances the capabilities of our University’s Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation and the Institute for Clinical Trials and aligns with our University strategy to deliver distinctive research impact, and open new opportunities for collaboration and innovation across disciplines, sectors, and borders.” Dr Kerry Thompson, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Imaging Scientist Fellow in the Anatomy Imaging and Microscopy Facility and Assistant Professor in Anatomy at University of Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, said: “This initiative not only strengthens Ireland’s research ecosystem but also puts University of Galway at the heart of Europe’s microscopy and imaging community. By combining state-of-the-art infrastructure with expertise, we can accelerate scientific discovery and foster new collaborations across academia and industry.” The Labs@Location partnership creates opportunities for collaboration between academia and industry, including networking, co-development of applications, training and enhanced visibility in the global research community. As a ZEISS reference site, University of Galway will host system demonstrations, training and joint research initiatives with partners across Ireland and internationally.   The three cutting-edge Zeiss systems being added to the University’s Microscopy and Imaging platforms including GeminiSEM 360 with Volutome – the first of its kind in Ireland, Elyra 7 – SIM² Super Resolution Microscope, and the Xradia Versa 620. GeminiSEM 360 with Volutome will be rolled out in partnership with collaborators at University College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast, strengthening all-island research cooperation, with the long-term goal of making these high-end technologies more widely accessible to the broader research community. The agreement will be overseen by the University’s newly established Technology Services Directorate, a joint initiative between the College of Science and Engineering and the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. The Directorate, under the newly appointed leadership of Aoife Duffy, manages core facilities and technologies at University of Galway, with expert technical imaging core staff leading academic engagement at local, national and international levels. Ends

Social media conversations about invasive species are driven more by charismatic animals, emotional appeal and celebrity influencers than ecological urgency, an international team of researchers has revealed. An analysis of more than half a million posts over 15 years identified a striking concentration of influence on the platform then known as Twitter - just 1% of users (362 accounts) generated 60% of all retweeted content about invasive species. They showed that charismatic animals, combined with dramatic human stories, generated the highest engagement. The research, published in the journal Ecology and Society, was carried out by analysing posts through then-free API tool for academic research. The focus on social media on megafauna, charming creatures, striking appearances, or unique behaviours and more familiar animals, reflects what ecologists label as "plant blindness." Despite plants comprising 57% of endangered species* and including many highly destructive invasive organisms, they received disproportionately limited attention in online discourse. The research showed that invasive plants are not among the top 15 species mentioned in tweets. The research team, led by Dr Susan Canavan, Honorary Researcher at the School of Natural Sciences at University of Galway, noted that this pattern reflects a broader disparity in conservation. Plants receive less than 4% of conservation funding*, an imbalance that social media trends both reflect and may even reinforce. Dr Canavan said: "Some of our most damaging invasive species are plants, but they don't capture public imagination the way animals do. And when invasive plants are invisible in public discourse, building support for their management becomes exponentially more difficult.” The social media accounts, which drove so much engagement on issues related to animals, included major news outlets such as The New York Times and CNN as well as government agencies, and invasion biology experts, along with celebrity and social media influencers with little or no expertise in conservation science. YouTuber Logan Paul’s viral video about spearfishing for lionfish in Belize was a perfect illustration of how a celebrity influencer can sway public understanding and interest in ecological issues, despite a perceived lack of scientific credentials. The team also noted it has potential benefits and risks for accurate information dissemination. Dr Canavan said: "We had a unique opportunity with Twitter's free academic access to understand what drives public attention to invasive species at a scale that had not been done before and where the gaps lie relative to scientific priorities. The patterns we found have important implications for conservation communication and policy. The concentration of influence is significant with a small number of voices shape how millions of people understand invasive species.” The research team included Dr Canavan and Dr Kevin Healy from University of Galway; Newcastle University and University of Sterling in the UK; the Czech Academy of Sciences and Charles University in the Czech Republic; Rhodes University and University of the Free State in South Africa; Université Paris-Saclay, France; Pennsylvania State University, U.S.; and Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Spain. What gets attention and what doesn't? The researchers tracked spikes in tweet activity to see what people actually talked about: Cats topped the list of most-mentioned species. Despite being beloved pets, the researchers noted that cats have contributed to 63 species’ extinctions globally** and kill more than 1 billion birds in the US each year***. Managing cat populations remains deeply contentious, balancing wildlife conservation with ethical questions about the cats themselves. Other mammals followed a similar pattern. Dogs, squirrels, goats, rats and horses were frequently mentioned, as were pigs, with domestic pigs that have gone feral being an alien species in the US and a particular economic and environmental issue. Charismatic animals combined with dramatic human stories generated the highest engagement – a prime example being hippos in Colombia, which were imported illegally by the late drug cartel boss Pablo Escobar for his private zoo in 1980s. Following his death, the population bred freely in Rio Magdalena waterways. Media coverage of the animals spread widely across social media, and public opposition to culling the creatures proved so strong the plan was abandoned. In 2020 the "mystery seeds" issue went viral, in which thousands of Americans received unsolicited seed packages, apparently from China, sparking widespread biosecurity concerns. The U.S. Department of Agriculture ultimately identified the shipments as a "brushing scam", a practice where vendors send inexpensive items to generate fraudulent reviews. Nevertheless, the episode generated substantial public engagement and prompted Amazon to prohibit imported plant and seed sales in the US. The research team said the findings quantify previously anecdotal observations about which species and narratives resonate with non-specialist audiences. They noted concerns about social media data and how losing it could leave scientists blind to public perceptions in the future. They researchers stated: “We appeal to social media platforms to maintain accessible data policies for academic researchers, as the insights gained from such analyses can benefit both conservation efforts and public understanding of environmental issues. As the landscape of social media platforms evolves, it is imperative that researchers remain adaptive to these changes to ensure the continued progress of research and knowledge in our field.” The full study, published in Ecology and Society, is available at https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-16508-300413. Ends * https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/endangered-species-expenditures-report-fiscal-year-2011.pdf ** https://abcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Doherty-et-al.-2016-Invasive-predators-and-global-biodiversity-loss.pdf *** https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380