UCD researcher awarded Royal Society Fellowship to investigate immune system evolution
16 April 2025
Dr Laura Hayes (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), Dr Boris Galkin (Tyndall National Institute) and Dr Anthony Redmond (UCD) have all been awarded University Research Fellowships
(opens in a new window)Dr Anthony Redmond from the UCD School of Medicine has been awarded a prestigious University Research Fellowship by The Royal Society.
Three early-career researchers from various institutions were selected to receive the funding, totalling €5.25 million, to establish independent scientific research programs over the next eight years.
Dr Redmond’s project, titled ‘Immunity in the Fast Lane: Reconstructing the Evolution of the Animal Immune System and Prospecting for Novel Antimicrobials’, will uncover the origins of animal immune systems by studying unique marine invertebrates.
It will aim to find the core building blocks of – and the subsequent evolutionary steps along the way to – the complex immune system we have today, in order to help understand its most important parts.
The work has the potential to identify novel antimicrobial compounds, which could lead to new treatments in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
Dr Redmond plans to focus on marine invertebrates species that have never had their immune systems studied in detail before.
Some of these species – such as comb jellies and xenacoelomorph flatworms – split off from other animals hundreds of millions of years ago, and evolve very quickly. This makes them likely to be one of the best places to look for immune strategies and molecules not found in other species.
“By looking in animal species like these, I believe we stand the best chance of discovering both truly novel antimicrobial peptides [which help to kill infections], as well as highly distinct variants of the immune molecules seen in other animals,” said Dr Redmond.
“Using unusual animals to search for new antimicrobials is likely to be a long process. That is what this funding means for me – the chance to build a team to pursue an open-ended research project like this for eight years – and I am deeply honoured to have been selected.”
Dr Laura Hayes from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and Dr Boris Galkin from the Tyndall National Institute were also awarded fellowships.
“Long-term funding for early career researchers to pursue novel and exciting scientific questions is vital to attracting talent and ensuring we are developing the next generation of word-leading scientists,” said Sir Adrian Smith, President of The Royal Society.
“It is gratifying to see the Royal Society – Research Ireland University Research Fellowships supporting such an array of outstanding research and researchers.”
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
