NEWS & MEDIA LATEST

soloPEP is an innovative product for patients with respiratory conditions such as cystic fibrosis or COPD who need help clearing mucus from their airways.

Designed to disrupt the existing market, where such devices are used typically for months at a time, soloPEP is manufactured from 100% recyclable materials and for daily use. 

This removes the need to spend time cleaning devices and reduces risk of the device harbouring bacteria that may be harmful to the user.

A medical device developed by a team from GEMS, Professors Colum Dunne and Deirdre McGrath, Engineering in UHL, and Dr. Barry Linnane, has made it to the final three of this year’s Cleveland Clinic – Enterprise Ireland Clinical Innovation Award. Dr. Linnane is director of the pediatric cystic fibrosis program at UHL. True bench to bedside translation and a great example of the synergies between UL and UHL.

PhD Scholarship Opportunities

Professor Colum Dunne, GEMS Director of Research and Director of 4i, was invited to deliver two keynote presentations at the COST Action conference in Pori Finland (6th & 7th June) targeting “Anti-Microbial Coatings in Healthcare: from Innovation to the Market”.

GEMS Professor of Primary Healthcare Research and 4i Principle Investigator, Anne Mac Farlane, led a successful bid to receive a €350k ‘PPI Ignite’ award under a new scheme offered by the Health Research Board and Irish Research Council to help researchers involve the public at the very start of the health research process.  The bid was co-designed with representatives of the Limerick City Community Development Project, University Hospital Limerick Patient Liaison Group, HSE Community Care and Care Alliance

A network of European experts has begun examining the potential of antimicrobial coatings to prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals.

A medical device for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) sufferers which lessens their exposure to infections resulting in fewer doctors’ visits, reduced antibiotic usage and shorter hospital stays, is expected to be market ready within two years.

At the Sylvester O Halloran Perioperative Scientific symposium held in the GEMS on the 4^th and 5th of March 1016 Dr Leon Walsh, a GEMS PhD student and Clinical Tutor was awarded the ASGBI/Sylvester O’Halloran Published Paper prize for his paper titled, “An appraisal of the computed axial tomographic appearance of the human mesentery based on mesenteric contiguity from the duodenojejunal flexure to the mesorectal level

At the UHL Symposium held in the Strand Hotel Limerick on the 9th of October 2015, Miranda Kiernan, a GEMS PhD student gained the prize for best presentation for her abstract titled, “Relationship of mesenteric disease manifestations in Crohn’s disease with mucosal and systemic manifestations”. Miranda is supervised jointly by Professor Calvin Coffey and Professor Colum Dunne, both of whom form part of the 4i Executive team. 

The Partnership for Health Equity at UL GEMS, directed by Professor Anne MacFarlane, GEMS Professor of Primary Healthcare research, launched a report into the health of the homeless on Wednesday September 23rd 2015.  This was attended by HSE Deputy Director General Laverne McGuinness, and the HSE National Director of Primary Care, John Hennessy.

Professor David Meagher and his team organised a second Annual Study Day in Psychiatry at the GEMS on May 28th 2015. This was attended by 75 Psychiatrists from across the region who are involved in medical student and post-graduate education and training.

GEMS Professor of Psychiatry David Meagher and former GEMS Professor of General Practice Walter Cullen both demonstrated their prowess on guitar at the UL ‘Songs of Social Protest’ conference evening event band session on April 30th.  Professor David Meagher spoke on the topic of 'Punk Rock Made Me a Psycho-Therapist' at the main conference event. 

The cost of prescription drugs in Ireland was on the agenda of the Oireachtas  Joint Committee on Health and Children when it met with representatives from pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers and academic voices.

GEMS Foundation Professor of Surgery, J Calvin Coffey delivered three invited lectures at 

Professor Clodagh O'Gorman, Foundation Professor of Paediatrics, was lead author for a paper on ‘Children’s Television and nutrition’ published in the Irish Medical Journal in February 2015.   This attracted coverage in The Sun newspaper, and radio interviews on Newstalk Breakfast and Radio Longford on 10th February.

Research completed at the University of Limerick’s Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS) has been highlighted by the influential Generics and Biosimilars Initiative (GaBI). The initiative, founded in 2008, has become an authoritative resource for global news on the recent developments in the field of generics and biosimilars, a repository of worldwide guidelines and an archive of related scientific information.

Ground breaking anatomy findings lead to less invasive surgeries.
 
New research led by Professor of Surgery, J. Calvin Coffey, Graduate Entry Medical School, UL and Colorectal Surgeon, University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has refuted a century of mistaken abdominal anatomy by remapping the human mesentery in a way never described before. This research has significant implications for patient outcomes, leading to less invasive surgeries, fewer complications, faster patient recovery and lower overall costs.
 

The All Ireland Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) recently held a research programme symposium for the All Ireland Palliative Care Research Network (P.C.R.N.) in Dublin.
The purpose of the event was to review existing research projects and expertise within the Network, develop relationships with new and potential research partners, provide opportunities to progress research potential and foster strategic leadership for future projects and to develop targeted grant proposals for submission to national and international funders.

In a new study, led by researchers at the University of Limerick Graduate Entry Medical School, high levels of plasma “fibrinogen” – a clotting factor that can be measured in the blood stream - were associated with higher death rates in patients with kidney disease. The study evaluated data of 9,184 US adults, age 40 and over who were followed for up to 15 years as part of the US-based Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

Professional Competence Guidelines have been distributed to all Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to inform them of the new requirements for continuous professional competence introduced for the first time in Ireland. Since November 2013 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), Paramedics (Ps) and Advanced Paramedics (APs) must be registered with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council in order to legally practice in Ireland. The new guidelines will enable practitioners to update and develop knowledge, skills and attitude thereby supporting professional competent practice.

UL researchers have been awarded €175,000 by Ireland’s Health Research Board (HRB) and the All Ireland Institute of Hospice & Palliative Care (AIIHPC).
Left to right – Dr Sonja McIlfatrick (University of Ulster and Director of Reseach, AIIHPC), Dr Karen Ryan (Mater Misericordiae Hospital & St Francis Hospice), Prof David Meagher (University of Limerick), Prof Charles Normand (Trinity College Dublin and Network Lead, AIIHPC).

A paper published by a research team from the Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS), UL won the General Practice category at the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (RAMI) Doctor Awards on 21st March.

The University of Limerick is set to host a major national conference exploring policy-practice links in primary care. The Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association of University Departments of General Practice in Ireland, will take place on Friday 8th March and is being organised by Professor of Primary Healthcare Research Anne MacFarlane and Professor of General Practice Walter Cullen.

On December 3rd, Professor MacFarlane, Chair of Primary Health Care Research at UL’s Graduate Entry medical School, led a workshop that showcased the European Union-funded “RESTORE” project at the North American Primary Care Annual Conference in New Orleans, USA.

Professor Calvin Coffey, Foundation Chair of Surgery at the University of Limerick’s Graduate Entry Medical School and Consultant Surgeon at University Hospital Limerick has been honoured by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), having been chosen to deliver this year's 35th Annual Millin Lecture.
 

Professor Stewart Walsh, Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Limerick has been appointed editor of the International Journal of Surgery. Professor Walsh is a Consultant Vascular Surgeon, Mid-Western Hospitals Group, HSE.

As a general surgical journal, covering all specialties, the International Journal of Surgery is dedicated to publishing original research, review articles, and offering significant contributions to knowledge in clinical surgery, experimental surgery, surgical education and history.

The University of Limerick, welcomes the appointment of Anne MacFarlane as Professor of Primary Healthcare (Research) at the Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS). Professor MacFarlane is the first social scientist to hold a Chair in academic primary care in Ireland and the first woman Professor in this discipline in Ireland.

Researchers at the Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick (GEMS) have been awarded €175,000 funding to develop a portable automated device that can be used in any clinical or community setting to allow early diagnosis and treatment of delirium.