A paper led by UCD scientists is currently the No 1 Hot Paper in Nature Medicine, according to Thompson Reuters. The paper has been cited almost 3 times more than any other paper published by the journal over the past 24 months. Broadly speaking, a citation is a reference in a published source which acknowledges the relevance of previously published work to the topic of discussion.

The paper co-led by Professor Ciaran Regan and Professor Dominic Walsh, published in Nature Medicine on 22 June 2008, describes how scientists used a combination of biochemical, behavioural and cell biology techniques to unlock the cascade of molecular events that lead to Alzheimer’s disease which affects more than 40,000 people in Ireland and some 29.8 million people worldwide.

The International Centre for Graduate Education in micro-& nano-Engineering or ICGEE would like to announce its next recruitment drive for funded PhD scholarships. ICGEE is an international, inter-university & inter-disciplinary consortium that brings together eight Irish higher education institutions and five international partners, funded by the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering & Technology (IRCSET). The objective is to create a new type of doctoral engineering graduate, able to not only participate but play a future leadership role in the 21st century society. Engineering scholars will receive technical training in the Design, Fabrication & Characterization of Electronic, Photonic and Electro-mechanical Micro- and Nano-Systems. Furthermore, scholars will also receive training in Transferable Commercialization and Entrepreneurship skills that will provide the added know-how in their becoming future leaders.

These scholarships are intended for the very best national & international researchers who wish to pursue a PhD in engineering at one of the eight Irish partner institutions within the centre. The PhD research must fit within the ICGEE key research areas: Micro- & Nano-Engineering Design and Materials & Manufacturing. The closing date for applications is Aug 13th, however, there’s a possibility that this may be extended by one extra week. Read on...

Researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and Beaumont Hospital have made a major breakthrough in understanding how female sufferers of cystic fibrosis (CF) fare worse compared to male sufferers, due to higher levels of the hormone oestrogen. The new insights into the mechanisms at work in CF revealed from this research, may lead to new treatments for the disease.

Cystic fibrosis is a life threatening inherited disease which primarily affects the lungs and the digestive system. A build up of mucus can make it difficult to clear bacteria and leads to cycles of lung infections and inflammation, which can eventually lead to damage of the lungs.