'Engaged Research' award for work supporting cancer patients to quit smoking

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 at an event on January 22, 2025. 

The 'Engaged Research' impact prize was awarded to the finalist whose case study most strongly demonstrated meaningful collaboration with the public and stakeholders. 

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

Prof. Patricia Fitzpatrick and her team partnered with The Patient Voice in Cancer Research (PVCR) initiative led by (opens in a new window)Prof. Amanda McCann, UCD School of Medicine and UCD Conway Institute 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 (opens in a new window)National Cancer Research Institute (UK) in 2020. 

Prof. Fitzpatrick’s research findings impact all patients with cancer who smoke. Patients with cancer who smoke (up to 20% of all diagnosed) are not currently offered sufficient support to quit, despite evidence of the benefits of quitting after a cancer diagnosis. These benefits include improved treatment outcomes, fewer treatment complications, improved survival rates and positive effects on health. The impacts of Professor Fitzpatrick’s research are national and international; the research was adopted in full by the HSE's (opens in a new window)National Cancer Control Programme and is a priority for 2024.

Between 3,744 - 4,959 patients with cancer, and their families, will benefit each year. The research team have published widely in academic and professional healthcare publications, the work was reported in national media and a (opens in a new window)podcast on the research has been released by the (opens in a new window)European School of Oncology. 

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."

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. 
 
The annual UCD Research Impact competition encourages researchers from all disciplines to share how their work has made a positive difference to wider society.The full details including all finalists can be found on the UCD Research website.