In this feature, Cois Coiribe is delighted to share the insights of Professor Abhay Pandit, Established Professor of Biomaterials at University of Galway and the Founding Director of CÚRAM, the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices. Prof Pandit discusses the programme and its significant impact, including its fostering of direct applications and development of breakthrough medical devices. He demystifies CÚRAM and its crucial contribution to MedTech in the West of Ireland and beyond. 

Complementing Cois Coiribe‘s article on Finding Ways to Live Well as We Age from Prof Abhay Pandit, Founding Director of CÚRAM, this spotlight feature on Dr Catalina Vallejo Giraldo explores her unique research and motivations. Read on to find out more about both her academic insight as well as her vision for the years to come.

Cois Coiribe talks to Professor Ted Vaughan, Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Interim Director of the brand-new Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation at University of Galway. The new Institute consolidates a huge amount of the activity across the University in the fields of biomedical science, biomedical engineering, regenerative medicine and beyond, bringing researchers together to work in health discovery and innovation. Prof Vaughan explains how the Institute looks to tomorrow’s healthcare by focusing on gaining new understanding of disease and developing disruption solutions to health-based challenges, while benefitting from the support of Galway’s close MedTech community. Read on as we get a glimpse into Prof Vaughan’s experience as a researcher and Institute Director. 

In this article, Cois Coiribe connects with Prof Colette Kelly and Prof Saoirse Nic Gabhainn, both Personal Professors of Health Promotion at University of Galway. They lead the University‘s Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Ireland team, based in the Health Promotion Research Centre, a World Health Organization Collaborative Centre. Founded in 1990, the Centre is now based in the School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.    Over the last 30 years, University of Galway has made major contributions to research in child and adolescent health policy and practice through the Irish HBSC study. This national study has been repeated seven times, every four years since 1998. Over time, it has had a substantial impact on policy and strategy around children’s and young people’s health and wellbeing. As a long-term project, it has established, monitored and shaped national indicators of child health. Through the Irish HBSC team’s leadership, it has significantly enhanced youth participation in European policy making.

How do you get fantastic ideas that will improve people’s health from the university lab to the local clinic? This is the challenge BioInnovate has been tackling for 12 years as part of the MedTech sector in Galway. In this article Prof Martin O’Halloran, Established Professor in Medical Electronics at University of Galway and Executive Director of BioInnovate, explains the unique recruitment process BioInnovate uses to find the health champions of the future, and his passion for bridging the gap between research and patient care through innovation. 

Complementing Cois Coiribe‘s article on Finding Ways to Live Well as We Age from Prof Abhay Pandit, Founding Director of CÚRAM, this spotlight feature on Dr Andrew Daly explores his unique research and motivations. Read on to find out more about both his academic insight as well as his vision for the years to come.