Posted: 03 Dec 2012
UCD Philosophy Professor awarded Royal Irish Academy Gold Medal
European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan–Quinn has presented Royal Irish Academy Gold Medals to UCD Professor of Philosophy, Dermot Moran and TCD Professor of Biochemistry, Luke O’Neill in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Humanities and Life Sciences.
“These awards are hard earned. Each one is a testament to a lifetime of passionate commitment to the highest standards in scholarship. And they are well-deserved recognition of scientific excellence,” said EU Commissioner, Máire Geoghegan–Quinn.
“The Academy Committees charged with the responsibility of shortlisting candidates for this year's awards were faced with a demanding task. I am pleased about this because it shows that there was a rich pool of deserving candidates.”
Professor Dermot Moran, UCD School of Philosophy, University College Dublin, is one of Ireland’s most distinguished philosophers (metaphysics and logic). He first received international acclaim for his pioneering work on the ninth-century Irish philosopher John Scottus Eriugena.
In recent decades he has become equally acclaimed for his ground-breaking contribution to the understanding of the phenomenological tradition and for his efforts to mediate between the competing traditions of analytic and continental philosophy.
His book Introduction to Phenomenology, was awarded the Ballard Prize for Phenomenology in 2001, and has been translated into Chinese and Spanish. It broke new ground in its account of the phenomenological tradition and is now a standard reference work in the field. Professor Dermot Moran has been a member of the Royal Irish Academy since 2003.
Pictured at the awards (l-r): Prof Eugene Kennedy, Secretary for Science, RIA; Mrs. Máire Geoghegan–Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science; Prof Luke O'Neill, TCD School of Biochemistry and Immunology; Prof Dermot Moran, UCD School of Philosophy; Prof Luke Drury, President, RIA; Prof Colm Lennon, Secretary for Humanities, RIA;
Professor Luke O’Neill, TCD School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, is recognised as a world leader in the fields of immunology and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
His basic discoveries helped redefine the field of innate immunity and were a key aspect of the emergence of new insights into this important process for host defence and inflammation.
He carried out important work in the late 1980s on the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1, which was highly relevant to the subsequent discovery of Toll-like receptors (TLRs). He is a co-founder and director of Opsona Therapeutics, a drug development company working in the area of Toll-like receptors. He has brought his work on TLRs to the point where therapeutic intervention in multiple diseases is a real possibility. Professor Luke O’Neill has been a member of the Royal Irish Academy since 2004.
At the official award ceremony, President of the Royal Irish Academy, Professor Luke Drury, said the Academy Gold Medals recognise two of Ireland’s foremost contributors to the world of learning and science. Such public recognition of excellence is important, especially in the current climate, and the Academy is delighted to be able, with the generous support of the HEA and the Independent Group, to honour the recipients.
The Royal Irish Academy Gold Medals are awarded to two outstanding academics each year and are recognised as a truly national expression of celebration for scholarly achievement. The medals are sponsored by The Higher Education Authority and The Irish Independent.
Previous Medal winners include:
- 2005 Professor John Dillon and Professor Michael Coey
- 2006 Professor Peter Neary and Professor James Dooge
- 2007 Professor George Eogan and Dr John Fuller Atkins
- 2008 Professor David Livingstone and Professor Charles Hepworth Holland
- 2010 Professor Cormac Ó Gráda and Professor Samson Shatashvili
- 2011 Professor William Schabas and Professor John O Scalan
(Produced by UCD University Relations)
