Research to diagnose and treat rare Behcet’s Disease recognised in UCD Research Impact awards

Conway Fellow, Professor Gerry Wilson, UCD School of Medicine, UCD Centre for Arthritis Research was shortlisted in the 2024 UCD Research Impact awards for research on a severe inflammatory disorder.

Behcet’s Disease is a rare disease that causes blood vessel inflammation throughout the body. It is an auto-inflammatory disease that can cause a myriad of symptoms including mouth and genital ulcers, rashes, and inflammation in the eye, bowels, large blood vessels and brain. 

Behcet’s Disease has no standard diagnostic test; it is a ‘diagnosis of exclusion’. This means that patients are subjected to a series of tests to rule out other diseases in a process of elimination. 

Professor Wilson’s research has identified an underlying genetic mutation in some patients affected by this disease. The research team figured out what this genetic mutation does in immune cells and identified the treatment most likely to work for patients with this mutation. 

This has led to a new subtype of disease, one that can now be diagnosed using a specific genetic test. This means that patients have a more definitive and faster diagnosis, and a first line of treatment based on evidence. Earlier diagnosis and treatment are better for patients, better for healthcare and better for clinical staff.

The EIRSAT-1 project took first prize for impact among 11 finalists, with the Engaged Research prize going to Prof Patricia Fitzpatrick for her work supporting cancer patients to quit smoking.

The Engaged Research impact prize is awarded to the runner-up whose case study most strongly demonstrated meaningful collaboration with the public and stakeholders.

‘Supporting cancer patients to quit smoking post diagnosis’, led by Professor Patricia Fitzpatrick, UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science showed impressive evidence of patient engagement that led to improved treatment outcomes and positive effects on patients’ health.

Professor Patricia Fitzpatrick and her team partnered with The Patient Voice in Cancer Research (PVCR) initiative led by Conway Fellow, Professor Amanda McCann to bring the lived experience of cancer patients who also smoked to this research. Prof. Fitzpatrick and her team were part of the first Dragons' Den organised by the PVCR with the National Cancer Research Institute (UK) in 2020.  

UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact, Professor Kate Robson Brown announced the winner and ten finalists of the 2024 UCD Research Impact Case Study Competition. The annual competition encourages researchers from all disciplines to share how their work has made a positive difference to wider society.

This year’s winner, ‘Ireland’s first satellite: transforming the national space landscape with the launch of EIRSAT-1’ was led by Professor Lorraine Hanlon, Director of  UCD Centre for Space Research and Professor of Astronomy at UCD School of Physics. 

The case study tells the story of the EIRSAT-1 project, highlighting the team’s historic achievement in building, launching and operating Ireland’s first satellite, and the social, cultural, political, educational, economic and technological impacts of their work. 

Professor Robson Brown commented, “On behalf of UCD Research and Innovation, I’d like to heartily congratulate this year’s awardees. It is wonderful to celebrate their ground-breaking research today and to recognise how this work is influencing policy, building collaborations, enriching lives and inspiring the next generation."

The full story with details of all finalists can be found on the UCD Research website