Systems Biology Ireland

Investigating new therapeutic approaches to disease, with a focus on cancer at a systems level. SBI use a combination of traditional wet-lab and computational modelling approaches to understand cellular signalling networks.

Precision Oncology Ireland

Consortium of 5 Irish Universities, 6 Irish Charities, and 7 industry partners based at UCD, aiming to develop new diagnostics and therapeutics for personalised cancer treatment. Part-funded by Science Foundation Ireland under their Strategic Partnership Programme, and is co-ordinated by Systems Biology Ireland. 

NIBRT

Innovative collaboration between Industry, Government and Academia, world-class facility helping the growth and development of the biopharma manufacturing industry by providing cutting edge training and research solutions. NIBRT offers a training and research experience not previously possible anywhere in the world.

UCD Clinical Research Centre

HRB-funded Centre supporting clinician-led research at St Vincent’s and Mater University Hospitals. Enhancing patient-focused research and increasing opportunities for patients to participate in clinical trials and driving the quest for clinical trials to be delivered as part of usual care in the health system.

Patient Voice in Cancer Research

Cancer research has led to significant advances in our knowledge of the disease, but there are still many challenges. Through public and patient involvement, the Patient Voice in Cancer Research is shaping the research agenda, improving the quality of research, and its relevance to society. Cancer research groups focus on understanding how this disease develops and progresses, they aim to identify new targets to help diagnose cancer earlier and improve treatment options.

UCD Diabetes Complications Research Centre

Advancing knowledge of the initiation, progression and regression of vascular complications of diabetes and obesity, based in the Mater Misericordiae University, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Wellcome Trust, the National Institutes of Health.

Atturos

UCD spin-out company founded to commercialise technology developed by the founder Professor Stephen Pennington. With patient wellbeing at its core, Atturos is developing cutting edge diagnostic tests based on advanced targeted proteomics methods and machine learning analytics.

Oncomark

A spin-out from the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and the UCD Conway Institute, OncoMark is a diagnostic company developing novel panels of cancer biomarkers to aid treatment decisions, allowing more tailored patient management and improving quality of life for cancer patients. The company was acquired by Cepheid Inc, a US molecular diagnostics company.

UCD Plasmonics and Ultrafast NanoOptics Research Group

Work spans across the field of nanotechnology, from plasmonics to carbon nanotubes, using a number of specialised techniques. 

BUCCAL-PEP

UCD-led consortium designing medical delivery system to be worn on the cheek, that will provide alternative to injections. Funded by EU’s Horizon Europe RESILIENCE programme, this project combines academic and industry partners across the EU, combining skills to develop a multifunctional biomaterial patch which allows, for the first time ever, delivery of peptide therapies across the cheek (buccal). 

HIPPOCRATES

UCD-led collaboration of research partners, pharmaceutical companies, SMEs and patient organisations funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI 2). The 5-year project will examine the clinical, genetic and environmental factors that lead to psoriatic arthritis, in order to evaluate and validate newly discovered biomarker signatures and identify those at risk of developing the disease.

Dynamic Digital Resilience for Medical and Allied Professions in Health Services

Consortium of 15 European partners, including HEIs, NGOs, health authorities, and health insurers, as part of the EU4 health program, developing new training provision for healthcare professionals, focused on mastery of new digital technologies in the delivery of care services. 

One Health UCD

UCD is uniquely positioned in Ireland for One Health research. It is home to the only School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of Ireland and is located on the same campus as a School of Medicine and a School of Agriculture and Food Science under the overarching College of Health and Agriculture Science. One Health UCD solves problems and drives innovation through multi-disciplinary teams that are solution focussed and use their diversity of thought as a strength. 

UCD Centre for Arthritis Research

Programme based across the UCD CRC providing whole tissue biopsy explant cultures for research that is an entirely unique resource. Developing translational experimental approaches including training and performance of mini-arthroscopy and tissue biopsy.

CRYSTAL3

International consortium led by UCD and funded by EU Horizon 2020, to investigate a specific cell signalling process seen across a range of human diseases: cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs). The consortium is determining how CysLT signalling links to human diseases, and will then explore potential targeted therapies and how any products and services co-developed can be commercialised.

UCD Centre for Precision Surgery

Unique in Ireland, the Centre contributes to significant advances in training, personalised medicine and the future of digital health. Home to Ireland's first Digital Surgery, breaking new medical ground through world-class research into future modes of human-machine collaboration in the surgical theatre. 

OPATHY

The EU-funded OPATHY (from Omics of PATHogenics Yeasts) is a translational research training network exploring the potential of next-generation high-throughput technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, to study the interactions of yeasts that cause disease to humans with their host, and to develop new diagnostic tools to monitor yeast infections in the clinic. These tools will be validated in a clinical study of key patient cohorts, and new diagnostic protocols will be assessed and disseminated to clinicians across Europe. 

UCD Centre for BioNano Interactions

Leading research centre advancing the knowledge and application of nanoscale structures that interact with living systems. CBNI is pioneering new techniques and approaches, in collaboration with academic institutions, industry, and regulatory bodies worldwide.

UCD Centre for Bioinformatics

Supporting researchers in the areas of bioinformatics, genomics and molecular evolution, focus on sequence alignment, short peptides, protein structure prediction, cancer and pathogens.

UCD Centre in Translational Oncology

A centre for fundamental and clinical research dedicated to fostering excellence in cancer research and improving personalised patient treatment and care.

All-Island Cancer Research Institute

All-island consortium focused on data-driven discovery science, aiming to improve cancer prevention, develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic solutions and aid those living with and beyond cancer.

ATXA Therapeutics

UCD Conway spin-out company, following over 20 years of extensive research of the biology and signalling of the human prostanoid receptors in the cardiovascular disease and oncology setting. ATXA Therapeutics is developing novel therapeutic drugs to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and other related cardiovascular conditions, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Programme.

CLUSTAL: The software at the heart of a biological revolution

EpiCapture: A Urine Test to Catch Prostate Cancer

#WeAreNotWaiting: tackling diabetes through patient-led research and open-source innovation

BREAST-PREDICT has carried out world-class research to benefit cancer patients for generations to come

Oncomark: novel panels of cancer biomarkers to aid decision-making and tailored patient treatments

Prof Catherine Godson

Full Professor of Molecular Medicine and Director of the UCD Diabetes Complications Research Centre, leads a group of investigators focusing on innate immunity and chronic complications of diabetes, co-founder of Attenuate Therapeutics.

Prof Brian Glennon

Professor of Chemical Engineering,co-Founder of APC Ltd, where he is Chief Technology Officer, leading the company’s internal research programmes in AI-enabled digital design.

Prof Walter Kolch

Director of Systems Biology Ireland (SBI) and leading international proponent of precision medicine, specialised in quantitative proteomics to characterise dynamically changing signalling complexes in response to mitogenic stimuli.

Prof Geraldine Butler

Professor of Genetics in UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, her lab uses next generation sequencing, comparative genomics and gene editing approaches to study evolution and virulence of fungi. 

Prof William Gallagher

Director of BREAST-PREDICT, Co-Lead of AICRI, Deputy Director of Precision Oncology Ireland & co-founder of Oncomark, specialised in identification and validation of molecular determinants of tumour progression in breast cancer and melanoma.

Dr Siobhán McClean

Associate Professor at UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and Fellow at UCD Conway Institute, invented a vaccine candidate for melioidosis.

Prof Orina Belton

Head of Pharmacology at UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, specialises in  investigation of the fundamental mechanisms governing atherosclerosis regression.

Prof Carel Le Roux

Professor of Experimental Pathology at UCD DCRC, specialist in metabolic medicine, at the forefront of exploring the causes, consequences and treatment of obesity.

Prof Des Higgins

Recognised as Ireland's most cited professor, leads the Higgins Laboratory maintaining and developing the Clustal Omega, Clustal W and Clustal X packages for multiple sequence alignment.

Prof Niall Barron

NIBRT PI and Professor of Biochemical Engineering at UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, was instrumental in growing the mammalian cell engineering group.