July 2015 NUI Galway Graduates win European Society for Biomaterials European Doctoral Awards

NUI Galway graduates Dr Shane Browne and Dr Michael Monaghan have both been awarded the European Society for Biomaterials-European Doctoral Award for their research in biomaterials. The award is given annually by the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB) and confers added value to the doctoral degrees of the recipients.

The award serves to recognise a European or international dimension of the researchers’ work. Both Dr Browne and Dr Monaghan qualified for the award by fulfilling a number of requirements, including studying abroad during their doctoral research, publishing in high-impact scientific journals and presenting at international conferences.

The awards also acknowledge Professor Abhay Pandit, supervisor to both researchers during their PhDs and Director of CÚRAM, the Centre for Research in Medical Devices, proving the integration of this group’s research at an international level.

“I would like to congratulate Shane and Michael on their success and achievements”, said NUI Galway’s Professor Pandit. “They are the third and fourth researchers from the team to receive this award, which speaks to the high calibre of professionals we have developed in the biomaterials sector.”

CÚRAM’s core research competencies include cell manufacture, drug delivery and biomaterials. Dr Browne’s research involved the tempering of inflammation and the formation of new blood vessels using a collagen-based biomaterial system. Dr Monaghan’s research focused on the development of microRNA-mediated gene silencing delivery methods, for application in modulating extracellular matrix remodeling, which can help protect and repair internal organs after injury. Both research projects were funded through Science Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.

Dr Browne is now working as an Irish Research Council postdoctoral researcher in Professor Kevin Healy’s laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, on the development of strategies to deliver pro-angiogenic progenitor cells to ischemic tissue using hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels.

Dr Monaghan is currently a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow in Professor Katja Schenke-Layland’s laboratory at the Department of Cell and Tissue Engineering, in the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB. His current research involves studying the formation of cardiomyocytes from fibroblasts using small molecules and exogenous microRNAs.

CÚRAM is a national research centre advancing R&D in the medical device sector. Supported by Science Foundation Ireland and industry partners, CÚRAM enhances Ireland’s standing as a major hub for the global medical devices industry.

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