NUI Galway breast cancer researcher, Dr Róisín Dwyer, was announced the first ‘Irish Cancer Society Researcher of the Year’ last night at a special Celebration of Research which took place in Dublin’s Bewley’s Hotel. Dr Dwyer scooped the top prize out of three shortlisted candidates for her research that investigated the potential of adult stem cells as vehicles for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to breast tumours, which aims to significantly reduce tumour growth. Dr Dwyer, is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Discipline of Surgery at NUI Galway with the support of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute, and has worked on projects funded by the Irish Cancer Society. Congratulating Dr Dwyer, NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne said: “This is a wonderful endorsement of the work underway at NUI Galway in the area of cancer research and regenerative medicine.  I congratulate Róisín on her award and I look forward to new research developments in these areas in order to support innovative interventions and better outcomes for patients and their families.  Our translational approach is designed to see research moving from ‘bench to bed-side’ and this award-winning work by Dr Dwyer will, I hope lead to further success in the battle against breast cancer.” Dr Dwyer was chosen as the winner for her outstanding research entitled, ‘Adult Stem Cells: Have Tumour? Will Travel’ which used Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) or adult stem cells that play an important role in wound healing and tissue generation, to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to tumours. The study which tracked the migration of the MSCs and used them to activate tumour-killing drugs, resulted in a significant reduction in tumour growth, with no negative side effects observed. The ability to track MSC migration non-invasively before therapy is a major advantage to this novel approach for breast cancer therapy. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Dwyer said: “I am honoured to be announced the first Irish Cancer Society Researcher of the Year. The Society has been extremely supportive of my research project from the outset and I’m very grateful for their funding of this project, without which this study would not have been possible. It’s my hope that this research, in addition to the research projects shared by the other Society scholars, will one day help change the lives of cancer patients for the better in Ireland.” Professor John Fitzpatrick, Head of Research at the Irish Cancer Society, said: “We celebrate, in particular, the outstanding results arising from Dr Dwyer’s research which shows promising data that supports the viability of using this MSC approach as a novel therapy for breast cancer. Last year, a total of 64 publications were produced from Irish Cancer Society-funded research, with 47 of these describing new research discoveries. These results were published in a range of high impact international journals, which means that the research being done here in Ireland is having a global impact on cancer.” -ENDS-

NUI Galway students from the BA in Mathematics and Education programme will host a Challenge Maths competition for Junior Certificate student from secondary schools in Galway. The event will take place on Friday, 23 March from 9am to 3pm at NUI Galway. Challenge Maths is an initiative designed by NUI Galway’s third-year BA in Mathematics and Education students to promote mathematics and applied mathematics to Junior Certificate students in a fun and challenging way. The students have devised a full day of practical hands-on maths based challenges which are closely modelled on the current Junior Certificate maths and project maths curriculum. Teams of students from various secondary schools will compete against each other to be crowned the NUI Galway Challenge Maths champions. Dr Kevin Jennings, Joint Programme Director of the BA in Mathematics and Education at NUI Galway, said: “We are frequently impressed with the initiative and imagination of NUI Galway’s students on this programme, on top of their academic and mathematical abilities. Last year’s students organised two wonderful summer workshops for regional schools, and we expect this year’s events to be very rewarding for the participants. Local maths and applied maths teachers and principals have also been very supportive of this programme. We have high hopes and expectations for when these students graduate and become teachers.” Third-year BA in Mathematics and Education student at NUI Galway and event organiser, Damien O’Connell, said: “My fellow students and I have put in a lot of work in planning the Challenge Maths event and we are confident that the secondary school students who attend will reap the benefits. This is a great opportunity for the participants to interact with mathematics in a fun and challenging environment, while at the same time representing their school. We would like to specifically mention the teachers of the participating schools, NUI Galway and our sponsors, without their help this event would not be possible.” The event is being sponsored by NUI Galway, Engineers Ireland, Casio, Sligo Graph Ltd., Folens, Polydron and Buzzgold. For further information please contact Damien O’Connell at d.oconnell1@nuigalway.ie. -ENDS-

Secondary school students interested in NUI Galway are invited to a CAO Information Evening in Sligo on Thursday, 29 March. Parents and guardians are also particularly welcome to the event which runs from 7 to 9pm in the The Clarion Hotel, Sligo Town. The evening will begin with a short presentation on college and student life at NUI Galway and will focus on some of the 60 courses the University offers. There will be a number of career talks focusing on different employment options available to students on completion of their studies. These will include talks on Arts, Science, Business and Law, Engineering, Medicine and Health Sciences. Afterwards, current students and NUI Galway staff will be on hand at information stands to answer any individual questions in relation to courses offered by the University and about practical issues like accommodation, fees and scholarships, and the wide range of support services available to our students. The ever-increasing popularity of NUI Galway is in part due to a suite of innovative new programmes, developed in response to the changing needs of the employment market, including an Energy Engineering degree and a Maths and Education degree aimed at training Maths teachers. “NUI Galway has a great deal to offer. Our own students tell us our lecturers are inspirational and challenge them to achieve their full potential. The student experience in Galway is second to none, and we want to bring a taste of that to Sligo, while also providing all the practical information on accommodation, CAO points, fees, scholarships and courses. With so many courses on offer, this event in Sligo is a perfect opportunity to meet current students and our lecturers to see what degree might be the right fit”, says Caroline Loughnane, Director of Marketing and Communications at NUI Galway. To find out more about the CAO Information Evening in Sligo, contact NUI Galway's Schools Liaison Office, Gráinne Dunne, Schools Liaison Office on 087 2440858 or grainne.dunne@nuigalway.ie. -ENDS-

The second annual Graduate Recruitment and Opportunities in the West (GROW) Careers Fair will be held in NUI Galway on Wednesday, 28 March. The fair will showcase many of Ireland’s leading graduate recruiters based in the West of Ireland, including Abbott, KPMG, Fidelity Investments, KBC Bank, Avaya and the newly established local firm SourceDogg. All of the organisations attending are actively recruiting and eagerly seeking applications from talented and qualified NUI Galway students and graduates across a wide range of disciplines including business, science, engineering, languages and IT. Deirdre Sheridan of NUI Galway’s Career Development Centre, said: “It’s refreshing to know that there are opportunities in the West of Ireland and that organisations are actively and enthusiastically recruiting. This event is the perfect opportunity for alumni and current students to meet with local employers, explore graduate opportunities available on our doorstep, and hopefully kick-start a career in the West of Ireland. In order for students to benefit fully from this experience, I recommend that they come prepared, with a CV in hand and ready to network with potential employers.” Organised by the Career Development Centre, GROW will take place in the Bailey Allen Hall at NUI Galway from 5–7pm. GROW is supported by Galway Chamber, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA. For more information, including a full list of exhibitors, visit the Career Development Centre website www.nuigalway.ie/careers/events.html. -ENDS-

NUI Galway’s School of Chemistry will hold a half-day symposium of science, history and psychology. Entitled ‘Alchemy to Chemistry’, the symposium will take place on Friday, 13 April at 2pm in the Dillon Theatre, Arts/Science Concourse at NUI Galway. Peter Forshaw, Assistant Professor for History of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern Period at the Centre for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, University of Amsterdam, will open the symposium with a lecture on early modern alchemy and the Philosopher's stone. John Perkins, Professor Emeritus at Oxford Brookes University will then introduce the social history of chemistry in eighteenth century France. The third speaker, William Brock, Professor of History of Science at the University of Leicester will talk about concepts, experiments and professionalisation in Victorian England. There will also be a discussion session on the future of chemistry. Registration for this free symposium is required by email to peter.crowley@nuigalway.ie. -ENDS-