Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, John Halligan TD, today announced €4.5 million in funding for 38 research projects to support the commercialisation of government-funded research.

The funding is provided through Science Foundation Ireland’s Technology Innovation Development Award (TIDA) programme, which has been running since 2009. The programme provides project development funding and training in entrepreneurship skills to third-level researchers, to support them in exploring commercial opportunities associated with their research.

John was awarded €124,712 which he will use to support the development of a computer-based system that continuously monitors the brain health of preterm infants in intensive care. Worldwide, over 2 million infants born prematurely are at an increased risk (1 in 3) of brain injury. This injury can be fatal or can result in a lifetime of disability. Knowing which infants are at risk ensures that that the right infants get the right medical care at the right time. John and his research group will pursue commercial pathways to transition this technology from academia to industry in order to safeguard the brains of this vulnerable population.

Pictured: Dr John O Toole

Researchers funded through the TIDA programme will also participate in the new SFI Spark Pre-Accelerator, which is an intensive five-day programme delivered by the DCU Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurs. This will support STEM researchers to develop skills in areas such as evidence-based entrepreneurship, innovation and design thinking and facilitates mentoring and networking.

Prof Geraldine Boylan, Director of INFANT, said “I offer my congratulations to John – INFANT is delighted to support this worthy research project. Awards like the TIDA programme allow us to continue to create ground-breaking discoveries and translate them into innovative tests, treatments and solutions that will positively impact mothers, newborn and children’s health outcomes internationally”.

CREATE was launched last night at St. Peters Gallery.

The pregnancy and neonatal journey can be beautiful and scary, joyous and heartbreaking. It can be miraculous, frustrating, sought after or unexpected. It can be straightforward, or it can wind and twist through our lives. We think of it as nine months, but it can be years of trying. It can end unexpectedly. It can resonate for decades afterwards.

Every single pregnancy and neonatal journey is unique.

In this exhibition, the HRB Mother and Baby Clinical Trial Network, a network of obstetricians, neonatologists, midwives and related health professionals brought together to carry out research on women’s and children’s health, hope to highlight common pregnancy and newborn health issues and celebrate the impact of perinatal research on mothers and babies in Ireland and internationally.

The network which brings experts from seven of the largest maternity hospitals in Ireland together are focusing on improving the health and lives of mothers and babies in Ireland and around the world. INFANT co-leads the network.

Featured artist Yonit Kosovske

Speaking at the launch of the CREATE Exhibition, Prof Geraldine Boylan INFANT Director said, “INFANT is delighted that we have the opportunity to host CREATE in Cork and to showcase the exhibition to our local community. It is wonderful to see scientists and artists working together, to share knowledge and to create new ways of seeing and communicating research. INFANT is proud to be part of the HRB Mothers and Babies Clinical Trial Network as our centre echoes the commitment of the network to put women and children at the heart of our research.”

The exhibition will run until the 27^th January, and local breastfeeding groups in particular are invited to meet in the Gallery and explore the exhibition.

The full list of artworks and events is available at http://www.hrb-mbctni.ie/create/ ​

At a launch event yesterday in Dublin, SFI revealed twenty projects are set to be funded by their Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG) in 2019. The prestigious grant for early career researchers supports postdoctoral scientists as they develop the necessary skills and experience required for a fully independent research career.

Two INFANT and UCC researchers were worthy recipients in the areas of maternal and infant nutrition and novel therapies for premature babies.

INFANT researcher Dr Aine Hennessy was awarded €424,898 over four years to develop her project “An exploration of the suitability of thyroid hormones in measuring iodine deficiency during pregnancy and its impact on infant brain development”.

The nutrient iodine plays a central role in the production of thyroid hormones. During pregnancy, iodine deficiency can result in severe and long-lasting consequences for an infant’s developing brain. In Ireland, three-quarters of women have inadequate iodine intake. However, the magnitude of this impact on the brain development of Irish infants is unknown. As there is no reliable measure of individual iodine status, this proposal will test the suitability of thyroid hormones to be used as a proxy measure. The data from previous studies will be used to describe the impact of maternal iodine deficiency on the neurodevelopment of infants.

This funding will allow Aine to continue her research at INFANT, supervise a postgraduate student associated with the project and provide an opportunity for her to work with her mentor, INFANT Principal Investigator Prof Mairead Kiely.

Pictured: Prof Mark Ferguson SFI Director, Dr Fiona McDonald and Minister Pat Breen TD.

INFANT associate Dr Fiona McDonald was awarded a total of €424,913 for the duration of her four year project “A study on the health of premature babies, exploring the development of therapies using a novel protective dietary antioxidant intervention”.

Immature development of breathing in preterm babies and the necessary interventional treatment in the intensive care unit results in improper unstable oxygen status, which can impact on health even into adulthood. Late onset hospital acquired infection in preterm babies is an urgent unmet clinical need with up to 20% fatality. The combined effects of impaired oxygen status due to immaturity and acquired infection on physiological health will be examined throughout the project. Consequently, a novel protective dietary antioxidant intervention will be explored with a view to the development of therapies for preterm babies into the future.

As a result of the SIRG award, Fiona will now be working collaboratively with the team at INFANT under the guidance of her mentors, INFANT Principal Investigator Prof Eugene Dempsey and UCC INFANT associated investigator and Chair of Physiology, Prof Ken O’ Halloran.

Prof Geraldine Boylan, Director of INFANT commented “The SIRG awards are highly competitive and sought after awards for the next wave of early career post-doctoral researchers. We offer warm congratulations to Aine and Fiona in their success in winning these awards. INFANT are delighted to be partners in supporting this research and these projects. They are both addressing key questions of maternal and early infant health. UCC should be very proud of this emerging talent and we look forward to developing their research and research careers within the INFANT community”.

Congratulation to both Aine and Fiona, we look forward to the impact your research will have in the coming years.

Lack of oxygen to the brain at birth affects almost 200 babies in Ireland each year and results in death  or disability in over 2 million infants each year globally. The condition, known as Hypoxic Ischaematic Encephalopathy (HIE), causes brain injury due to lack of oxygen and can leave newborns with permanent neurological damage or cerebral palsy. HIE can be difficult to detect in newborns; early intervention and treatment is vital to improving outcomes and and reducing the impact and severity of the brain damage.

Researchers at Ireland’s dedicated fetal and neonatal research centre, INFANT Centre, along with collaborators at UCC and the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden have identified two biochemical signals that can be used to aid the detection of birth-related brain injury. These blood biomarkers found in the umbilical cord could provide an early detection system for HIE in newborns. Early intervention in neonatal brain injury is critical so that the successful brain cooling therapy can be initiated immediately to reduce brain injury and improve outcomes.

The findings published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Neurology, validated the involvement of two microRNAs in HIE. microRNAS are small strands of genetic code that can control gene expression and protein production in the cell. They are found throughout the body, and INFANT researchers have found them to be abundant in umbilical cord blood, and significantly decreased in newborns with HIE. They may provide the first clue that significant injury has occurred and help doctors to decide which infants to transfer to a cooling centre for treatment.

Consultant Paediatrician, Principal Investigator at INFANT and UCC Professor Deirdre Murray has led this breakthrough research in the area of HIE and perinatal asphyxia, published in the JAMA recently (28 December 2018).

Consultant Paediatrician and Principal Investigator at INFANT Professor Deirdre Murray.

“The results from this initial study are very promising. In two different cohorts, across two countries we are seeing the same patterns. The next task will be automating this analysis so that it can be done rapidly at the cotside. We are still researching these microRNA to understand if the have an important role in the cascade of injury which occurs in HIE. They are tiny nuclear codes which act like passwords to control the production of proteins in the cell. Some of these proteins may have important roles. We have now been funded by the Irish Research Council to examine whether manipulating these microRNA could reduce or prevent brain injury. This is still a lot of work to be done and we look forward to progressing this important research.” said Principal Investigator at INFANT and UCC Professor Deirdre Murray.

The study was supported by funding from the Health Research Board and the National Children’s Research Centre and is the result of almost 10 years of study in the area of early brain injury.

INFANT Director, Prof. Geraldine Boylan commented “This is a very significant breakthrough in brain injury research and INFANT is delighted that the results of this work are being recognised in such a high impact journal. This is fantastic validation of the excellent work being done at INFANT and our clinical colleagues in Cork University Maternity Hospital. We are very grateful for the funding support from the NCRC and HRB and we will be focussed on developing this as an effective point-of-care test”.

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) remains a significant cuase of neurologic disability all over the world. Identifying infants suitable for therapeutic hypothermia (brain cooling) within a narrow therapeutic time is difficult and up to now, there has been no single robust biochemical marker available to clinicians. This research has been able to identify the microRNA in the umbilical cord and this is a very important step in the early diagnosis and treatment of babies affected by lack of oxygen to the brain.

Babies in Ireland have participated in the research study, which saw umbilical cord blood samples from 170 newborn babies from Ireland and Sweden being collected and analyised over a number of years.

AI is helping babies at risk of brain injury

Time is critical for doctors treating newborn babies with suspected brain injuries. The sooner treatments such as whole body cooling can be used, the better the outcomes are likely to be.

Doctors rely on the results of EEG brain monitoring to give them crucial information. But these brain scans are so detailed they can only be interpreted by an expert, and there aren’t enough experts for someone to be at every cot side.

Wellcome-funded researchers at the INFANT Centre at University College Cork are developing the first ‘smart’ system to recognise patterns in electrical brain activity, which will help to identify babies who need treatment quickly.

Read the full article here: https://wellcome.ac.uk/news/10-ways-remarkable-research-protecting-health

Since its establishment through a research Centre award from Science Foundation Ireland,  and under the continuous leadership of Professor Geraldine Boylan, the INFANT Centre at UCC has been responsible for a number of innovative breakthroughs that are saving lives and improving outcomes for babies and their families every day, as well as shaping perinatal medicine around the world.

With a national and international focus, INFANT is now collaborating with over 35 industry and academic partners in more than 30 countries. INFANT research is continually published in top-ranking international journals, while pioneering research in pre-eclampsia, newborn brain injury, infant nutrition, and infant allergy is solving global clinical challenges.

INFANT Director Geraldine Boylan commented on the high impact research emanating from Ireland’s perinatal research centre, saying “INFANT has grown rapidly in its first 5 years. Not only have we grown in scale, industry collaborations and partnerships, but also in ambition and innovation. The INFANT team are responsible for internationally significant breakthroughs in perinatal and paediatric medicine, as well as research that is influencing and positively changing lives and outcomes for families every day.

“We are currently working on frontline research in areas such as early autism diagnosis, supporting newborn brain health and cognitive function, to treating the causes of allergy, eczema and asthma, among several other key projects.  INFANT will continue to break new ground, as well as seeing current breakthroughs mature and move from ‘the bench to bedside’ whilst also developing the next wave of research to deliver better outcomes for mums and babies. We are grateful for all the support we have received from funding agencies,  donors and industry partners  since our launch in 2013 and we will continue to work tirelessly to deliver for all the families who generously support the work we do”.

Having grown from a team of 5 in 2013, the INFANT research team now exceeds 100 researchers, innovators, paediatric clinicians and experts, based at University College Cork, Cork University Hospital (CUH) and Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) in 2018.

In these 5 years, researchers at INFANT have developed a number of key scientific breakthroughs, many of which are world 1^st innovations such as an AI powered clinically validated seizure detection algorithm for newborns. This system automatically analyses and identifies seizures in newborn babies using EEG readings of the brain. Using artificial intelligence that detects brain seizures in newborns, INFANT has developed a new medical device for seizure detection in neonates that sets off an alarm at the cotside when baby seizures occur.  This technology, uniquely, has been validated in a clinical trial and licensed to a global patient monitoring company, which means that the INFANT device will soon be available to babies worldwide. This breakthrough is already changing patient care for the better and the INFANT team are recognised internationally for their leadership in the area of neonatal seizure detection.

INFANT has also developed the world’s first early predictive biomarkers for pre-eclampsia. Affecting 5% of first-time mothers, preeclampsia is one of the most common complications of pregnancy and is a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. Using the latest technology to study metabolites, INFANT researchers discovered a set of molecules (biomarkers), which identify women at risk of developing the disease.  A screening test has now been by a Cork-based start-up, Metabolomics Diagnostics who are leading a clinical study to commercialise the test to screen at risk first-time mothers to be easily identified leading to better pregnancy outcomes.

Newborn brain injury due to oxygen deprivation (HIE) remains a leading cause of acquired brain injury. INFANT researchers have identified biomarkers which could predict the occurrence of brain injury using INFANT’s extensive biobank. Using the data INFANT has collected on infants with HIE, the research centre has identified predictive markers found in umbilical cord blood. INFANT is working to develop a point-of-care diagnostic test which will help clinicians to predict HIE, which must be treated very quickly. The Clinical Risk Algorithm for Neonatal HIE is a real breakthrough for neonatal care. The aim of this work is to ensure all babies who require resuscitation at birth would be screened so that the narrow time available for treatment is maximised, saving large numbers of infants from long-term disability.

Most recently, INFANT’s allergy research has been part of a breakthrough treatment for peanut allergy. Without any treatment available, peanut allergy has put children and adults at risk of unpredictable and occasionally life-threatening reactions.  Clinical trials co-led by an INFANT principal investigator and supported by the Clinical Research Facility in Cork  , have found that a new oral treatment, can successfully reduce sensitivity to peanuts, offering a real lifeline to those affected by the most common food allergy and the single cause of most food allergy deaths. The immunotherapy is being fast tracked through the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Assuming FDA approval, the therapy could be available to patients around the world by late 2019.

In Ireland, 1 in 100 babies are born preterm and very low birth weight (under 5.5lbs). INFANT’s BabyGrow study has developed a way to measure nutritional support and growth rate in preterm infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The earlier a baby is born, the lower the birthweight may be and this can have knock-on effects for health at birth and beyond. Very low-birthweight babies are more likely to have health problems as a new-born and will need special care in the hospital’s NICU. As a result of the BabyGrow project, two new nutrition products were introduced to Cork University Maternity Hospital. The PiNPoINT (Personalised Nutrition for the Preterm Infant) project is now observing the babies who are receiving the new nutrition product and conducting detailed assessments in these babies throughout their hospital stay and during infancy. This collaborative project has delivered innovative, evidence-based solutions to a long-standing unmet need for the benefit of the most vulnerable people in society.

In collaboration with UCC, Science Foundation Ireland and Cork University Maternity Hospital, INFANT opened Ireland’s first Integrated Clinical Academic Research Unit for Paediatrics.  The first of its kind in ireland, the new paediatric academic unit focuses on improving health outcomes for children, from infancy through to adolescence through teaching, research and innovation.

Applauding INFANT’s achievements over the last five years, UCC’s Head of the College of Medicine and Health, Professor Helen Whelton, said, “INFANT has built the research infrastructure, capability and projects that are delivering the vision to create an internationally renowned Maternal and Child Health Research Institute. We, at UCC, are very proud of the INFANT Centre and all that the Centre has already achieved. We look forward to many  more breakthroughs in maternal and child health research research.”

We’ve reached a milestone!

The ENRICH team recently reached a significant milestone in the study completing all the 4-month appointments.

The Infant Baby Enrichment Research Programme, is better known as ENRICH. The programme – co-funded by Johnson & Johnson and Science Foundation Ireland – is focused on understanding how sleep contributes to the healthy development of infants. Studies have shown that brain development and learning are heavily influenced by sleep. Regular, quality sleep helps to optimise physical growth and brain plasticity, while a lack of sleep has been linked to long term negative impacts on behaviours and learning ability.

The ENRICH programme is examining the effect of massage, delivered by the parents, trained according to a structured programme, on both the quality and quantity of sleep and on subsequent neurodevelopment.

Baby Conor and his mom Colleen pictured with Sean Mathieson, ENRICH senior clinical physiologist.

Since October 2017, a total of 182 participants attended the 4-month appointment in Cork University Hospital. Each appointment included a standardised development assessment (known as the Griffiths III assessment), a tool that is used to assess developmental ability in children. Following this assessment, infants then undertook a sleep EEG study. The EEG study was used to record a full sleep cycle which typically lasts 40 minutes for 4 month old infants.

What next?

The developmental outcome recorded will allow researchers to compare developmental performance with quality of sleep, massage and maternal wellbeing. Repeat assessment at 18 months of age will allow the ENRICH team to see how development progresses and if any improvements in performance are sustained.

Well done to all the team!

Last Friday, Fáilte Ireland honoured 83 of its leading Conference Ambassadors at a glamourous award ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral. The recipients – from a variety of backgrounds, including academia, medical science, technology, environment, and culture amongst others – were nominated for an award by the Irish conference and meetings industry.

INFANT Director Prof Geraldine Boylan pictured with Fáilte Ireland Chairman Michael Cawley and Chief Executive Paul Kelly.

INFANT Director Professor Geraldine Boylan was given special recognition on the night for her significant contribution to international conferencing in Ireland, taking home the Conference Ambassador of the Year Award. In 2015, Geraldine won her bid to host the 9th International Conference on Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection in the Newborn in Cork. Having hosted a successful conference, Geraldine won it again for 2017, this time bringing the delegates to her home county of Kerry. Delegates came from Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan.

INFANT Principal Investigator Dr Keelin O’Donoghue was also presented with a Conference Ambassador award, recognising her contribution to conferencing in Ireland. Keelin was instrumental in delivering the International Stillbirth Alliance Conference in Cork last year.

Dr Keelin O’Donoghue (bottom left) pictured with fellow Medical Sciences Conference Ambassador Awardees.

Geraldine said, “Bringing scientific conferences to Ireland is hugely important for showcasing Irish science and innovation internationally. It is also a very strong endorsement of the quality of research and science we do as a country – you need to be credible, excellent and have international standing in your field to attract International Conferences to Ireland as a host. There are many direct and spill-over benefits that arise as a result. International delegates and sponsoring companies get to visit the region often as first time visitors. They also visit local academic centres and businesses as part of the event and develop new relationships for further partnerships all of which serves to boosting scientific standing, bring economic benefit and hopefully show the way for more conference opportunities.

“The support provided by Fáilte Ireland was incredible and instrumental in my decision to bid for a second conference in Ireland. Sincere thanks to Fáilte Ireland for all of their support, along with the Cork Convention Bureau and Science Foundation Ireland. I had certainly not appreciated how much support was available until I hosted the first conference; as a result the second one was much easier. I would encourage anyone thinking of hosting a conference to just take the plunge and contact Failte Ireland – they will guide you all the way and it’s a fantastic win for all national stakeholders.”

Our Phd researcher, Sonia Lenehan, was voted the winner of Neon Zone’s I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! I’m a Scientist is an online STEM engagement event where students chatted and interacted with scientists through online chats and forums. The students then voted for their favourite scientist.

Sonia was asked a variety of questions such as ‘what got you into brain development’, ‘what are you hoping to achieve with your eye-tracking assessments’, and ‘which do you prefer, Ravenclaw or Gryffindor’ (Gryffindor!!). The students were incredibly engaging and Sonia really enjoyed being a part of the event. The questions were incredibly thoughtful and insightful. Sonia had an amazing experience and would encourage scientist at all stages of their careers to consider taking part in this event.

Sonia wins €500 to be used for a public engagement project of her choice. Sonia plans to work with the National Council for the Blind with the intention of setting up an interactive science programme for children with visual impairments or blindness.

The world’s largest peanut allergy treatment trial, involving more than 30 Irish children, has found that a new oral treatment can successfully reduce senstivity to peanuts, and offers a real lifeline to those affected by the most common food allergy and the single cause of most food allergy deaths.

Through his work as Principal Investigator at the INFANT Centre, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at University College Cork, Jonathan Hourihane has been leading the revolutionary immunotherapy trial in Ireland, which has shown that more than two thirds (67%) of those on the treatment could tolerate peanuts after the trial. This tolerance gives peanut allergy sufferers real safety, and the ability to cope with accidental exposure in the community.

“Up to now, without any treatment available, peanut allergy has put children and adults at risk of unpredictable and occasionally life-threatening reactions.  The AR101 immunotherapy is a real breakthrough for those affected by peanut allergy.  It works by introducing initially minute controlled amounts of peanut protein, with escalation over a sustained period of 6 to 12 months, building up a patient’s tolerance to peanut. We have seen patients go from being highly allergic to very small doses, like one tenth of a peanut, to being able to manage to eat the equivalent of 2 or 3 peanuts without a significant reaction. This is a game changer for anyone living with this allergy,” said Prof. Hourihane of the INFANT Centre.

This industry-sponsored research and clinical trial has resulted in the publication of Prof. Hourihane’s co-authored paper in the world’s leading medical journal, The New England Journal of Medicine this week.

INFANT Director Geraldine Boylan said, “This is an example of the excellent, world leading clinical research ongoing at the INFANT centre at UCC, which is making a huge difference to lives of children and their families, not just in Ireland but all over the world. We are delighted to be a significant player in bringing this new therapy to fruition and acknowledge the incredible work of our INFANT allergy research team, and particularly the incredible work of our colleague, Prof.Jonathan Hourihane.”

UCC President Pat O’Shea said “We applaud the development of a new immuno-therapy for peanut allergy by Professor Jonathan Hourihane.  This research has the potential to have a positive effect on patients globally and is a wonderful example of the hugely relevant research being carried out at the INFANT research centre.  University College Cork’s College of Medicine and Health (CoMH) is committed to the development of excellent and impactful clinical research and, in that regard, INFANT is of strategic importance to the CoMHand to UCC.

The AR101 trial has been ongoing around the world for almost 2 years in total. The double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge saw participants go from allergic reactions, such as immediate vomiting, swelling of the throat, blisters on tongue, stomach pain and other signs of hypersensitivity,   after exposure to 1mg of peanut protein, to being able to safely injest up to 600mg of peanut protein. The AR101 treatment has been developed for daily dosing so that patients continue to take the oral immunotherapy on an ongoing basis to remain desensitised to peanuts.

The AR101 immunotherapy will be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a Biologics Liencse Application by the end of 2018, and is expected to be fast-tracked on the FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for peanut allergic patients from ages 4 to 17 years. Assuming FDA approval, and subsequent approval by the European Medicines Agency in 2019, AR101 could be available to patients around the world by late 2019.

Original Article: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1812856