Breast cancer research in Ireland has received a major boost with the announcement of more over half a million euro of funding by leading British research charity Breast Cancer Campaign. In a first for the charity, the funding of three projects in Ireland, including one at NUI Galway, forms part of €3 million awarded to 29 research projects throughout the UK and Ireland and represents a fantastic opportunity to tap into a talented group of researchers who can make a real difference to the lives of people with breast cancer. Dr Adrienne Gorman, NUI Galway, has received more than €100,000 for a three year study into why a particular molecule, nerve growth factor (NGF), which is produced in 80 per cent of breast cancers, may prevent some people from responding well to chemotherapy. NGF kick-starts a chain of events that enable cancer cells to avoid destruction by chemotherapy and Dr Gorman aims to fully understand this process in order to develop ways to prevent it from happening. Dr Gorman said, "I am grateful to Breast Cancer Campaign for funding my research and to be the one of the first scientists in Ireland to receive a grant from the charity is very exciting. I hope my project will provide vital information on how breast cancer evades chemotherapy so that we are able to overcome this resistance, giving patients the best chance of survival." Frank Fahey TD said: "The National Breast Cancer Institute in Galway under the directorship of Dr Michael Kerrins has been doing wonderful work in breast cancer research. The fact that such a prestigious group such as Breast Cancer Campaign has awarded a research grant to Dr Adrienne Gorman at NUI Galway is a significant recognition of the wonderful work being done at University College Hospital and NUI Galway." Arlene Wilkie, Director of Research and Policy, Breast Cancer Campaign said, "We are delighted to fund our first three projects in Ireland and we hope they are the first of many. "Each year in Ireland more than 2,300 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed and around 700 women will die from the disease. We hope that people in Ireland will raise funds to support even more of these talented scientists with innovative research ideas to ensure progress is made in finding a cure for breast cancer. "Research is already making a huge difference to the lives of those with breast cancer and we hope that by funding high quality, innovative projects, such as Dr Gorman's, it will bring us ever closer to beating this disease." -Ends-

(Leagan Gaeilge) NUI Galway's 2009 Alumni Awards were presented at the tenth annual Gala Banquet and Alumni Awards ceremony on Saturday, 7 March, 2009 in the Radisson SAS Hotel, Galway. The Alumni Awards recognise individual excellence and achievements among the University s more than 65,000 graduates worldwide. At the Gala Banquet, eight alumni awards were presented to: Aer Arann Alumni Award for Sports Achievement and Leadership Ciaran FitzGerald BComm 1973 International Rugby Captain and Triple Crown Winner AIB Alumni Award for Literature, Communication and the Arts Dr Brendan O Connor BSc 1982, PhD 1985 Founder, Cois Cladaigh Choir Bank of Ireland Alumni Award for Business and Commerce Mike Higgins BComm 1982 Managing Director, CIBC Real Estate Finance Group Duais Hewlett-Packard don Ghaeilge Pádraig Ó Ceithearnaigh HDip in Education 1976 Leas-Ardstiúthóir Chomhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge Medtronic Alumni Award for Healthcare and Medical Science Professor Michael O Brien MB, BCh, BAO 1971, BSc 1973 Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine; Chief, Department of Anatomic Pathology, Boston Medical Center NUI Galway Alumni Award for Law, Public Service and Government John Hegarty BSc 1969, PhD 1976 Provost, Trinity College Dublin Alumni Award for Engineering, IT and Mathematics Finian O Sullivan BSc 1976 Founder and Former CEO, Burren Energy Seavite Alumni Award for Natural Science Dr Catherine Caulfield BSc 1976, HDip in Ed 1977, PhD 2008 Chief Executive - Charles River Laboratories Preclinical Services Irl. The awards programme boasts an impressive roll call of 57 outstanding graduates who have gone on to honour their alma mater, including, for example, Michael D. Higgins, the late Seamus Brennan, Sean O Rourke, Professor Frank Gannon and Dr Luke Clancy. Special guest and NUI Galway graduate Siún Nic Gearailt was compère for the evening. (View in English) Bronnadh deichiú Duaiseanna Alumni 2009 OÉ Gaillimh ag Mórfhéasta agus Searmanas na nDuaiseanna Alumni, Dé Sathairn, an 7 Márta 2009 in Óstán an Radisson SAS, Gaillimh. Tugann na Duaiseanna Alumni aitheantas do chéimithe a bhfuil éachtaí suntasacha déanta acu as breis is 65,000 céimí de chuid na hOllscoile atá lonnaithe ar fud na cruinne. Ag Mórfhéasta na bliana seo, bronnadh Duais Alumni ar na daoine seo a leanas: Duais Alumni Aer Arann d'Éachtaí agus do Cheannaireacht Spóirt Ciaran Fitzgerald BComm 1973 Captaen Fhoireann Rugbaí Idirnáisiúnta na hÉireann agus Buaiteoir Chorn na dTrí Náisiún Duais Alumni AIB don Litríocht, an Chumarsáid agus na hEalaíona An Dr Brendan O'Connor BSc 1982, PhD 1985 Bunaitheoir, Cór Chois Cladaigh Duais Alumni Bhanc na hÉireann don Ghnó agus an Tráchtáil Mike Higgins BComm 1982 Stiúrthóir Bainistíochta, CIBC Real Estate Finance Group Duais Hewlett-Packard don Ghaeilge Pádraig Ó Ceithearnaigh Ard-Dioplóma san Oideachas 1976 Leas-Stiúrthóir Chomhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge Duais Alumni Medtronic don Chúram Sláinte agus an Eolaíocht Mhíochaine An tOllamh Michael O'Brien MB, BCh, BAO 1971, BSc 1973 Ollamh le Paiteolaíocht agus Leigheas Saotharlainne, Scoil an Leighis, Ollscoil Bhostúin; Príomhoifigeach, Roinn na Paiteolaíochta Anatamaíche, Ionad Leighis Bhostúin Duais Alumni OÉ Gaillimh don Dlí, an tSeirbhís Phoiblí agus an Rialtas John Hegarty BSc 1969, PhD 1976 Propast, Coláiste na Tríonóide, Baile Átha Cliath Duais Alumni don Innealtóireacht, an Teicneolaíocht Faisnéise agus an Mhatamaitic Finian O'Sullivan BSc 1976 Bunaitheoir agus iar-Phríomhoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin, Burren Energy Duais Alumni Seavite don Eolaíocht Dúlra An Dr Catherine Caulfield BSc 1976, HDip in Ed 1977, PhD 2008 Príomhoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin – Charles River Laboratories Preclinical Services Irl. Go dtí seo tá duais alumni bronnta ar 57 céimí den scoth – céimithe a bhfuil a n-alma mater fíorbhródúil astu – Michael D. Higgins, Seamus Brennan nach maireann, Sean O'Rourke, an tOllamh Frank Gannon agus an Dr Luke Clancy ina measc. Ba í céimí OÉ Gaillimh, Siún Nic Gearailt, a bhí ina hóstach don oíche. -Críoch-

'Integrated Approaches to Offshore Renewables' is the subject of an upcoming lecture at NUI Galway by Seamus Garvey, Professor of Dynamics at the University of Nottingham. During his talk, Professor Garvey will propose that a collaborative approach should be adopted in relation to the research and development efforts of Ireland and the UK in the area of offshore renewables. The lecture takes place at 1pm, on 13 March, in Room AC204, Arts and Science Building, NUI Galway. Professor Garvey argues that not only do Ireland and the UK have abundant marine renewable resources, they have much more in common besides. While neither country has sufficient fossil-fuel resources to make them energy-secure even if climate change were not an issue, both have impressive engineering capabilities that are not fully exploited at present. In addition, Ireland and the UK have high aspirations for the proportion of energy to be sourced from renewables by 2020, yet neither has any substantial indigenous renewable-energy industry - compared with countries such as Denmark, Germany and the USA. Professor Garvey also proposes that wind, wave and tidal resources not be used to directly generate electricity, but to collect available power in the form of compressed air. That compressed air can be stored and later expanded to develop electrical power in large-scale, cost-effective, and efficient generators. According to Professor Garvey: "The deep Atlantic waters accessible from the west coast make this particular energy-storage scheme especially attractive to Ireland. Far from Ireland potentially using the UK as a major component in resolving its future energy-intermittency issues (as has been suggested), it is entirely likely that Ireland can provide precisely this service to the UK". The event will be attended by several engineering experts and representatives from Irish industry. Sean Leen, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at NUI Galway says: "Galway's Atlantic coast location provides an excellent opportunity to act as a hub for ocean and renewable energy technology development. The University plans to work closely with local industry and research institutes to facilitate this. One example of this is the collaboration with successful global subsea engineering consultancy, MCS, which is a spin-out company from NUI Galway". With headquarters in Galway, MCS offers advanced engineering and software solutions to the subsea industry. NUI Galway is already active in developing a number of sustainable energy technologies. For example, researchers at the Power Electronics Research Centre have developed novel battery charging and monitoring principles with engineers from Convertec Limited in Wexford, funded by Enterprise Ireland. This new technology plays a key role in improving safe and reliable operation of wind turbines in the North Sea. The recently established Energy Research Centre at NUI Galway, which operates within the University's Environmental Change Institute, provides an ideal framework for energy research at the University. For further information, contact Professor Sean Leen, sean.leen@nuigalway.ie -ends-

A technology to enable integration between hospital IT systems has been developed by researchers at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), NUI Galway. The breakthrough technology has now been licensed to Irish company Slidepath, which specialises in software solutions for capturing clinical research data. The integration of electronic patient records in a healthcare setting has so far proved problematic. Healthcare professionals have long been concerned that electronic patient record systems have become islands of information, with little or no interoperability. DERI's solution is called Plug and Play Electronic Patient Records (PPEPR) and uses the latest application of semantics, in which over 100 researchers at DERI specialise. It is planned to utilise PPEPR to optimally interface between Slidepath's Distiller solution and other Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems in the live clinical setting. Slidepath's Distiller is a web-enabled clinical research solution which is ideal for the requirements of clinical research data management and hospital led clinical trials. "Slidepath is very excited by this technical collaboration", says Donal O Shea, CEO of Slidepath. "As a rapidly developing technology company in the clinical research support domain, this development will enable Slidepath to optimally capture clinical data from existing laboratory information management system and electronic patient record environments. It is a great development to collaborate with DERI, one of Ireland s leading research institutes, to help commercialise part of the innovative technologies under development at NUI Galway". Ronan Fox, leader of the Health Care and Life Sciences research group in DERI, NUI Galway, said: "Solutions to date have been shown to be technological dead-ends, limiting the reuse of the business knowledge inherent in integration projects. With PPEPR, not alone is codeless integration possible, knowledge is encapsulated through the use of semantics, enabling its reuse in other applications. Funding by Enterprise Ireland has brought PPEPR to this stage of maturity and through our association with Slidepath we will continue to advance the use of semantics as a valuable tool in the provision of healthcare". -ends-

NUI Galway will host the Irish University Sailing Association intervarsity competition in Oranmore's Galway Bay Sailing Club this weekend. The four-day event, starting on Thursday, 5 March, will bring together over 200 students, from 13 third-level institutions, to compete in the team racing event. The weekend will provide NUI Galway's Sailing Club with a chance to take to the water ahead of May's Volvo Ocean Race in which the Club will be playing a supporting role. The round the world yacht race stops off in Galway toward the end of May, and NUI Galway's Sailing Club has volunteered to help in ensuring a safe and enjoyable racing fortnight. According to Kathy Hynes, Development Officer for Clubs and Participation at NUI Galway: "The intervarsity is a great event for NUI Galway. It gives our Sailing Club a chance to illustrate their skills in what will be a hotly contested event. The growth and success of Irish sailing is assured if the tenacity and dedication of the Galway students involved in this club is as prevalent in all the other university clubs. We are also really looking forward to the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race, which is such a prestigious round-the-world competition". NUI Galway's Sailing Club has around 30 active members and takes advantage of the many local sailing facilities, including those on Lough Corrib. Student Charlie Carlisle is a member of NUI Galway's Sailing Club: "Anybody with an interest in sailing, whether as a beginner or regular ocean-goer, is advised to pay a trip to Galway Bay Sailing Club this weekend. We are inviting people to meet the teams and find out about the best ways to get involved in this summer's highlight sport in Galway". The intervarsity will feature fancy dress nights out and a black tie dinner reception. For more information email sailing@clubs.nuigalway.ie. -ends-