The UCD Conway Institute is an interdisciplinary research centre providing a dedicated research environment for over 400 researchers exploring mechanisms of health and disease towards the development of preventative strategies and novel diagnostic & therapeutic solutions.
Health and Well-being
By advancing disease prediction, prevention and treatment, UCD supports healthier communities as a key pillar of sustainable development.
Overview
UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 focuses on good health and well-being for all, which is clearly linked to a wide range of other SDGs, such as clean water and sanitation, poverty and hunger and also to life on land, life on water, climate action and indeed quality education. All must be considered collectively.
One Health recognises the interconnection of human, animal and environmental health. The philosophy of One Health is fundamental to how our university operates by demonstrating that problems can best be solved by using multi-disciplinary, diverse and solution-focussed teams, as embodied in the UCD One Health Centre directed by adjunct Professor Tony Holohan. We aim to solve problems and drive innovations that benefit not only human health but also animal health and the environment.
Our experts are dedicated to improving disease prediction and treatment while collaborating with patients, communities, practitioners, and policymakers. Together, they work to enhance health systems and develop technologies to promote healthy lives and well-being for all, at all ages.
Research, Innovation and Impact
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 it is located on the same campus as the UCD School of Medicine, the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science and the UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, all of which contribute research and innovation to the UCD One Health Centre. A national leader in infectious diseases, UCD hosts the country’s largest (opens in a new window)medical virology lab and its only veterinary education centre, making it uniquely positioned to address global health challenges.
UCD is engaged in a wide range of intensive, multi-disciplinary research exploring physical, mental, cognitive, psychosocial and physiological health from infanthood to later life.
UCD researchers work across all aspects of nutrition from molecular to public health, including biomarker research and lifecourse studies to examine the impact of diet and lifestyle factors on disease risk and precision nutrition and 'Healthy Ageing' intervention strategies.
A range of Institutes and Research Centres promote research excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration and facilitate wider engagement and impact:
The UCD Institute for Sport and Health was founded in 2006 with the specific aim of “optimising sporting performance and health for UCD and its wider community through the generation, application and sharing of scientific knowledge.” It provides a portfolio of world-class sports science services designed to support performers of all abilities, from Olympic athletes to enthusiastic novices. For the general public, the Institute also offers a range of health-related assessments and remedial advice for improving fitness and health, weight-loss and ‘active ageing’.
The UCD Institute of Food and Health brings together researchers from different disciplines across UCD with industry partners to combine perspectives on primary production systems, innovative approaches to food processing and food quality, food safety, food sustainability and nutrition and health.
The Youth Mental Health Laboratory (YMH lab), established in 2013, promotes research in youth mental health. It looks at areas of risk and resilience in adolescent mental health, stigma and use of technology to promote positive mental health.
The UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems has a strong tradition of delivering exceptional education and impactful research. Its Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Education and Innovation in Health Systems (UCD IRIS Centre) has three main themes: Equity and Access, Culture and Organisation and Quality and Outcomes.
The UCD Centre for Biomedical Engineering explores the application of traditional engineering principles to healthcare and medicine.
Innovation Case Study
Among a wide range of health related spin-outs, (opens in a new window)OncoMark is focused on the development of novel panels of cancer biomarkers to aid treatment decisions and allow more tailored patient management, ultimately improving the quality of life for cancer patients. It developed a test for early stage breast cancer with potential to reduce the unnecessary application of chemotherapy and has been acquired by a US molecular diagnostics company. OncoMark founder and Chief Scientific Officer Professor William Gallagher was awarded the prestigious Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Entrepreneurship Award at the annual SFI Science Summit in 2019.
Education
With its School of Medicine and being home to the only centre for veterinary education in Ireland, UCD plays a vital role in training professionals who can address both human and animal health issues. Relevant undergraduate degree programmes include Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Biomedical, Health and Life Sciences.
The university’s wide range of graduate programmes pertaining to health and wellness include an ME in Biomedical Engineering, an MSc in Healthcare Informatics, a GradDip in Leading and Innovating in Health Systems and a HDip in Safety, Health and Wellbeing at Work.
Campus Initiatives
The Healthy UCD Strategy (2022 - 2026) developed under the Healthy UCD initiative aims to establish UCD as a model for a healthy campus by introducing a series of initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of our campus community.
Along with promoting healthy eating, Healthy UCD signposts a range of sexual health and mental health campus services. The (opens in a new window)Healthy Living map pinpoints the locations of water fountains, microwaves and Fit Food vending machines.
UCD is a smoke free campus, which means smoking and vaping are not permitted. The Healthy UCD Walk encourages our campus community to get into nature while keeping fit. More supports are listed here.
UCD students have access to (opens in a new window)SilverCloud, a flexible, effective and easy to use online mental health support system. Providing immediate access to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), SilverCloud supports people experiencing stress, anxiety and/or depression to learn the skills to manage and cope with what they are experiencing and bring balance into their life.