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Prof Geraldine Boylan Awarded UCC Medical School Medal

By |2025-06-17T21:02:36+01:00June 17th, 2025|

We are thrilled to share that Prof Geraldine Boylan, Director of INFANT & UCC Futures Children, has been awarded the UCC Medical School Medal 2024.

Prof Paula O’Leary, Dean of the School of Medicine at UCC, congratulated  Prof Boylan on receiving the award, “We are hugely proud of Prof Boylan’s achievements and her amazing journey. Her success and leadership at the interface of neuroscience, bioengineering, physiology and neonatology is not only deeply respected by her peers but also serves a powerful inspiration to the next generation of clinical scientists and doctors”.

Her work continues to make a real and lasting impact – improving care and outcomes for many children and their families. CergenX, an INFANT Centre spin out co-founded by Prof Boylan, is translating research into clinical practice with the Wave device—an AI-powered innovation in neonatal neuroprotective care that is revolutionising the assessment of newborn brain function.

Huge congratulations to Prof Boylan on this well-deserved recognition.

 

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People of all ages diagnosed with morphea to take part in research study

By |2025-06-12T08:54:12+01:00June 11th, 2025|

The IMAGINE Study is a nationwide research study led by University College Cork.

Researchers at the INFANT Research Centre, University College Cork and University of Galway are looking for people of all ages who have been diagnosed with morphea to take part.

What is the IMAGINE Study? 

‘IMAGINE’ stands for ‘Imaging Morphea: Advancements for DiaGnosis and INtensive Evaluation’.

Morphea is a rare skin condition that can cause permanent scarring. Because it often appears subtle at first, it can be hard to diagnose and can be very difficult to monitor. It is important for doctors to know when the disease is active, so they can treat it early and help prevent long-term damage.

In order to better track activity, we are performing a research study to look at the blood vessels and inflammation in morphea skin compared to unaffected skin. We are inviting people of all ages with morphea to attend for an assessment and specialised imaging.

The study is being led by a team from:

  • University College Cork – INFANT Research Centre
  • Cork University Hospital
  • South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital
  • Galway University Hospital
  • University of Galway
  • Tallaght University Hospital

Who is it for? 

We are inviting adults and children living in Ireland who have been diagnosed with morphea by a consultant dermatologist or rheumatologist.

What do I need to do?

The study will take place in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Cork University Hospital, Mayo University Hospital, University Hospital Galway and Tallaght University Hospital or their related clinical research facilities. You will be invited to attend the centre where you are currently a patient or the nearest centre to you.

During your visit:

  1. Medical history and questionnaires
    • You’ll be asked about your skin and any treatments (if any) you have received for your morphea.
    • You’ll also be asked to complete questionnaires about how morphea has affected your quality of life.
  1. Skin examination
    • A dermatology doctor will perform a clinical assessment, similar to a routine dermatology visit, to check whether your morphea is currently active.
  1. Specialist Imaging
    • We will take pictures of your skin using 3 different types of cameras to look at the inflammation under the skin. Each camera probe is non-invasive, pain-free and there is no exposure to radiation.
  1. Tape stripping:
    • A small piece of medical tape to your skin (like Sellotape) will be gently applied and removed from your skin to collect skin cells. This is also pain-free. We’ll compare the different inflammatory cells in the affected and unaffected skin.

Why is this study being done?

We hope this study will help us to:

  • Understand morphea more clearly
  • Improve how we monitor it
  • Prevent long term skin damage and scarring

We also hope to raise awareness about morphea in Ireland and encourage more research in this area.

What are the benefits and risks of participating in this study?

Taking part in this study will provide valuable data on this rare condition. The results may help us to detect disease activity more accurately which may improve our understanding and impact the future treatment of this condition. Participating in this study will allow us to learn more about the Irish morphea patients and contribute to further research in this field. You may benefit from this, or it may be that people in the future may benefit.

We are not aware of any risks of taking part in this study. As this study is an observational study, we are collecting data only with no intervention. There will be no changes to your medical care and no changes to your medication. There are no risks to your health. All data collected will be strictly confidential.

What is the time commitment?

  • The initial visit will take about 2 hours, depending on your skin involvement.
  • You may be invited to return every 3 months for follow-up assessments, but this is completely optional.

What will happen to the results of this study?

The results of this study will be published in academic journals and presented at scientific meetings. You will never be identified individually during these presentations or any reports or publications. To ensure confidentiality, the data generated during this study is coded with a unique Study ID Number that will be allocated once you (or your child) is recruited to the study.

University College Cork (UCC) is the study’s Sponsor and will act as the data controller for this study. Any personal data which you provide to the University will be treated with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, in accordance with Irish and European Data Protection legislation.

Where can I get more information?

If you have any further questions regarding this study, please contact Dr Lisa Kiely: lisa.kiely@ucc.ie

Interested in taking part in the study?

Fill out the enquiry form and a member of the research team will contact you: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/zC04NGseKc 

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Four Awards for INFANT Team at UCC Research and Innovation Awards

By |2025-05-30T11:29:54+01:00May 30th, 2025|

We are very proud to announce four INFANT colleagues were recognised at the 2024 UCC Research and Innovation Awards.

UCC is an internationally competitive, research-led university that plays a key role in the development of Ireland’s knowledge-based economy and provides the insight and understanding of the challenges facing our society. The UCC Research and Innovation Awards embrace this excellence in research, innovation, and entrepreneurial activity, across the entire university research community, spanning all disciplines.

Researchers were awarded across twenty-two categories, five of which recognise specific achievements in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Jerry Deasy, INFANT’s Research Systems Manager was awarded with the Research Support Person of the Year.

Jerry’s unwavering commitment, technical expertise, and proactive approach have been pivotal in enabling researchers at INFANT to achieve groundbreaking advancements in maternal and child health research. His contributions are far-reaching, transforming the way we approach data systems, computing infrastructure, and international collaboration.

Dr Cathal O’Connor, INFANT PhD student was awarded Dean of Doctoral Studies PhD Student of the Year.

Cathal is a phenomenal PhD student and dual trained dermatologist and paediatrician with almost 100 peer-reviewed publications. His PhD study assesses sleep in early-onset atopic dermatitis by longitudinal evaluation study. In 2024 he ranked top in Europe and was voted a ‘Future Leader’ by both the European Society for Paediatric Dermatology and the European Society for Dermatological Research. In 2024 he received significant national and international recognition, and was awarded the William Stokes award, which recognises “research of the highest standards carried out by Trainees in Higher Specialist Training” for his PhD study, and he also won the Royal Academy of Medicines in Ireland award for best research in dermatology for research performed as part of his PhD in UCC.

INFANT PI Prof Fergus McCarthy and pHetalSafe team’s “Raman for Lactate” was awarded Invention of the Year. 

The innovation lies in a non-invasive fetal monitoring device that uses Raman spectroscopy to measure fetal wellbeing from the fetal scalp during labor. The device measures the blood biomarker, lactate, to ascertain if the baby is hypoxic (lacking oxygen). The pHetalsafe device addresses the limitations of current fetal monitoring methods like the gold standard cardiotocography (CTG) which often leads to misinterpretation, and Fetal Blood Sampling (FBS) which uses an invasive blade for sampling and separate lab analysis.

INFANT, UCC spin-out company NeuroBell was awarded Spin-out of the Year.

NeuroBell was founded by Dr. Mark O’Sullivan, Dr. Alison O’Shea, and Colm Murphy in 2023, Neurobell is a spin-out from UCC and the Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research (INFANT). The company aims to revolutionise seizure detection in newborns in NICUs, crucial for early intervention in brain injury cases like epilepsy and cerebral palsy. Neurobell is developing the Neurobell Wave; a pocket-sized wireless neonatal brain EEG monitor that utilizes embedded edge-AI, enabling seamless and expert-free monitoring, enhancing care without the need for extensive training. In 2024, Neurobell secured a €2.1 million investment led by Furthr VC, Atlantic Bridge, and HBAN MedTech Syndicate, with additional support from Enterprise Ireland and private investors. This funding will advance the development of their AI-powered medical device for real-time seizure detection in newborns, create 12 new jobs, and facilitate clinical studies in the USA.

Professor John F. Cryan, UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation at UCC said: “We are delighted to celebrate the award recipients of this year’s UCC Research and Innovation Awards. Our awardees’ achievements reflect the exceptional research and innovation culture that exists across the UCC campus. The quality of nominations was outstanding and speaks to the creativity, commitment, and impact of our research and innovation community. These awards not only honour individual excellence but also highlight how UCC research and innovation continues to lead and inspire on both a national and international stage.”

The Awards are sponsored by PurdyLucey, one of Ireland’s top European Intellectual Property (IP) firms working across Irish, UK, European, US and international markets, and specialising in Life Science, Food Tech, Med Tech, High-Tech and Engineering projects.

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Call for New Focus on Children’s Clinical Research as Off-Label Drug Use Remains Prevalent

By |2025-05-30T09:54:02+01:00May 29th, 2025|

  • Over 50% of children received unlicensed or off label medications in a hospital setting
  • A renewed focus on clinical trials for children is urgently needed
  • In4kids is Ireland’s National Children’s Clinical Trial Network; funded by the Health Research Board (HRB)
  • In4kids is hosting a General Assembly Meeting on 6th June to discuss “Shaping the Future of Children’s Clinical Trials in Ireland”

Despite strong European regulations, a global meta-analysis has revealed that over half (56%) of hospitalised children receive unlicensed or off-label medications – including 49% in Europe. These stark findings highlight a systemic gap in safe, regulatory approved, tailored treatments for children.

To close this gap, In4kids – the HRB’s Irish Network for Children’s Clinical Trials is calling for a coordinated national effort to strengthen children’s clinical trial capacity across Ireland to ensure children have the same high-quality, evidence-based medicines and healthcare as adults.

The network, hosted at the INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork (UCC) connects hospitals, universities and clinical research centres to ensure children have access to innovative, evidence-based treatments.

“In4kids is developing the essential infrastructure to ensure that all children in Ireland benefit from world-class research and innovation—regardless of where they live. We are committed to ensuring that children and their families are active partners in shaping this journey”. – says Professor Geraldine Boylan, Lead In4kids, Professor of Neonatal Physiology, Director INFANT Research Centre at UCC

Why Children’s Clinical Trials Matter

Children’s bodies and minds develop differently to adults, requiring treatments that are researched, trialled, and regulatory approved just for them. In4kids supports this mission by helping researchers in Ireland conduct high-quality trials that meet ethical, regulatory and data protection standards.

As the Irish National Hub of conect4children -Stichting (c4c-S) – a large collaborative European children clinical trial network – In4kids is also attracting international studies to Ireland, ensuring that children in Ireland benefit from cutting-edge, international research and innovation.

Empowering Young People Through Research

In partnership with Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), In4kids established Ireland’s first National Young Person Advisory Group (YPAG) – a platform where young people contribute directly to research by shaping clinical trial design, reviewing materials, and advising on how results are communicated.

“This is research driven by children, for children,” says Professor Eleanor Molloy, Co-Lead In4kids, Consultant Neonatologist & Paediatrician, Professor and Chair of Paediatrics, Trinity College Dublin.

“The YPAG empowers young voices to be active research partners, not just participants. It’s a meaningful example of public and patient involvement which is now recognised as an integral part of research when research is conducted ‘with’ or ‘by’ children not ‘to’ or ‘about’ them”, she added.

Working Together for Better Outcomes

Building a strong and long-lasting children’s clinical trial network in Ireland requires collaboration – not just among researchers and clinicians but also with parents and young patients themselves.

By working together, it ensures that children’s voices are heard, evidence-based research is implemented, and families directly benefit from the latest treatments.

Clinical trials aren’t just for adults, they are for children too. Through this network, In4kids are ensuring that children’s needs shape clinical research, their voices influence change and Ireland leads the way in delivering safer, more effective treatment for the next generation.

If you’re interested in learning more about children’s clinical research in Ireland, In4kids are hosting a General Assembly Meeting on Friday 6th June in Trinity College Dublin from 10.00-16.00 to discuss “Shaping the Future of Children’s Clinical Trials in Ireland.” This event will bring together clinicians, researchers, policymakers, industry, and supporters to elevate the voice of children’s research in Ireland. Those interested in attending can register online on the In4kids website: https://in4kids.ie/general-assembly/

ENDS.

NOTES to Editor;

Reference to study:

About In4kids

In4kids is the Irish Network for Children’s Clinical Trials funded by the Health Research Board, hosted at INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork.

In4kids is the Irish Hub in the conect4children-Stichting (c4c-S) network which is a large collaborative European network that aims to facilitate the development of new drugs and other therapies for the entire paediatric population.

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We Are Hiring!

By |2025-05-29T12:12:54+01:00May 7th, 2025|

Applications are open for a number of positions at INFANT, including:

Please visit Job Vacancies | University College Cork for more details

 

 

Old Positions, deadline has now passed:

1. Research Support Officer Admin. Accounting Technician

INFANT is now accepting applications for the post of Research Support Officer Admin- Accounting Technician.  The Accounting Technician will play a central role in supporting the financial management and administration of the INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork.  This position involves financial reporting, budgeting, procurement processing, and compliance with regulatory and funding requirements. The successful candidate will work closely with research teams, UCC finance personnel, and external stakeholders to ensure the efficient financial operations of the centre. This duration of this post is 12 months pending completion of the organisational finance transformation.
We are looking for a progressive, forward thinking Senior Accounting Technician to join the INFANT team and wider finance community, with a dotted line of reporting to the Head of Research Accounting in the Central Finance Office, with the possibility of direct line reporting in the future.

 

2. Senior Research Co-Ordinator – Newborn Brain Test (NBT) project

The INFANT Research Centre is seeking an experienced Senior Research Coordinator to lead the management and implementation of the Newborn Brain Test (NBT) project—an ambitious, three-year initiative funded by the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF), administered by Enterprise Ireland and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Delivered in partnership with UCC spin-out CergenX and cybersecurity company Evervault, the NBT project aims to develop a novel AI-based platform to detect abnormal brain activity in newborns shortly after birth.
The Senior Research Coordinator will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project, ensuring delivery of projects milestones and deliverables, compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and relevant regulatory requirements, and adherence to the INFANT Quality Management System. A central focus will be on clinical data management, including oversight of retrospective and prospective data collection, storage, and governance.
This is a dynamic, cross-sector project requiring close collaboration with academic, clinical, and industry stakeholders. The role demands a highly organised and proactive individual with excellent communication skills and a strong track record in coordinating complex, multi-disciplinary programmes.
Applicants should have a minimum of ten years’ experience in project and programme management, experience in the technology sector, and demonstrable experience working with industry. Experience in team leadership and knowledge of regulatory and quality standards is essential; clinical research experience is an advantage.

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Old Positions, deadline has now passed:

  1. Clinical Research Fellow – Obstetric (18th April) Deadline has now passed
  2. Clinical Research Fellow – Neonatal (18th April)Deadline has now passed
  3. Research Assistant (11th April)Deadline has now passed
  4. Senior Research Coordinator – Clinical Project Manager (28th April)Deadline has now passed
  5. Post Doc Researcher: Signal Processing Engineer (28th April)Deadline has now passed
  6. Clinical Nurse Manager 1 (25th April)Deadline has now passed
  7. Senior Research Co-Ordinator – Software Engineer (28th April)Deadline has now passed
  8. Senior Research Co-Ordinator – Physiotherapist – Part-time (1st May)Deadline has now passed

 Clinical Research Fellow – Obstetric (Deadline has passed)

Applications are invited for the role of Clinical Research Fellow – Obstetric within the INFANT Research Centre.
The INFANT Centre leads the ELEVATE Programme for Programme for Prediction, Early Detection & Intervention in Cerebral Palsy.  This 5-year programme is focused on the prevention, early detection, and treatment of brain injury and cerebral palsy (CP) in infants during the period of maximum neuroplasticity (up to 2 years of age). The ELEVATE Programme has been jointly funded by Research Ireland and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation through the Strategic Partnership Programme. ELEVATE brings together researchers in research centres and tertiary level maternity hospitals across Ireland as well as three academic centres: University College Cork (UCC), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
INFANT is now accepting applications for a Clinical Research Fellow to support the work of pillar 1 of the ELEVATE programme – PREVENT: Intelligent monitoring during pregnancy and labour to identify signals of brain injury.
The Clinical Research Fellow will require significant experience in obstetrics and some clinical research experience.
Project Outline
This study will develop a novel, interpretable, AI-assisted monitoring system that will support healthcare providers in identifying fetal asphyxia accurately and promptly during labour. This will be a real-time AI-assisted decision support system incorporating maternal and fetal heart rate signals, uterine contractions, and clinical risk factors to support prompt and accurate identification of fetal compromise during labour, ultimately leading to better management and prevention of some brain injuries.
The successful candidate will provide clinical insights to the project and expertise in fetal monitoring.  The candidate will work with signal processing engineers to label clinical data to enable AI models learn how to more accurately automate the assessment made by expert clinicians. They will also incorporate other clinical data as required. This role will be working under the supervision of Dr Mairead O Riordan.

 

3. Clinical Research Fellow – Neonatal (Deadline has passed)

Applications are invited for the role of Clinical Research Fellow – Neonatal within the INFANT Research Centre.
The INFANT Centre leads the ELEVATE Programme for Programme for Prediction, Early Detection & Intervention in Cerebral Palsy.  This 5-year programme is focused on the prevention, early detection, and treatment of brain injury and cerebral palsy (CP) in infants during the period of maximum neuroplasticity (up to 2 years of age). The ELEVATE Programme has been jointly funded by Research Ireland and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation through the Strategic Partnership Programme. ELEVATE brings together researchers in research centres and tertiary level maternity hospitals across Ireland as well as three academic centres: University College Cork (UCC), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
INFANT is now accepting applications for a Clinical Research Fellow to support primarily the work of pillar 1 of the ELEVATE programme – PREVENT: Intelligent physiological monitoring of preterm infants to predict brain injury associated with CP and to help across other pillars of the programme.
The Clinical Research Fellow will be required to have significant experience in neonatology and a keen interest or experience in clinical research.
Project Outline
The aim of PREVENT is to  use the latest advances in AI to identify factors in pregnancy, labour and in the early neonatal period that represent increased risks for CP. We will develop novel AI algorithms for the analysis of physiological data continuously and synchronously in preterm infants beginning at birth – 5 days to determine risk for brain injury. The Clinical Research Fellow will work with a multidisciplinary team to advance this project.
  • Project Title: ELEVATE
  • Post Duration:  24 Months Whole-Time Post
  • Salary: €65,237 – €71,085 per annum (IUA Research Fellow Scale)
  • For an information package including further details of the post see https://my.corehr.com/pls/uccrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=085431
  • Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday, 18th of April 2025
  • Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Prof Eugene Dempsey.  Email: g.dempsey@ucc.ie

 

4. Research Assistant (Deadline has passed)

INFANT Research Centre is now accepting applications for a Research Assistant to work on the Prometeus Project (Preterm Brain-Oxygenation and Metabolic EU-Sensing: Feed the Brain). Prometeus is a project aimed at introducing a new paradigm for personalized nutrition of prematurely born neonates in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It will develop a groundbreaking technology for real-time adjustment of glucose and nutrients intakes to target neonatal brain needs.
The Research Assistant will create a multi-platform Ecological Momentary Assessment mobile app for the purpose of investigating experiences of prematurity by parents.  This is leveraging and improving an earlier app we have already developed, with enhancements to accessibility, functionality, security and data privacy.
Specific tasks include but are not limited to: Evaluation of the existing app; defining requirements for the new app; assessment of appropriate app frameworks; development and testing of the new app; deployment, acceptance testing and evaluation of the new app; and documenting the process with a view to publication.
Participation in workshop with clinical practitioners and selected parents will also be required.
  • Project Title: Prometeus
  • Post Duration: 6 Months, Whole-Time Post
  • Salary: €32,962 – € 42,943 p.a. IUA Salary Scale
  • For an information package including further details of the post see https://my.corehr.com/pls/uccrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=085774
  • Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Professor Fred Adam Email: Fadam@ucc.ie
  • Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday 11th April 2025

5. Senior Research Coordinator – Clinical Project Manager 

INFANT is now accepting applications for a Clinical Project Manager to support the work of the ELEVATE programme. The ELEVATE Programme will recruit infants soon after birth to studies at 3 individual sites in Ireland that require multiple assessments at various timepoints.
The Clinical Project Manager will be responsible for the administrative coordination of clinical research within the ELEVATE Programme. This role involves ensuring that all administrative functions for clinical research are organised, including patient tracking, data entry, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder coordination. The successful candidate will oversee site file maintenance, develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and liaise with families and research teams to ensure seamless follow-up of participants.
This role requires a highly organised individual with excellent communication skills. The Clinical Project Manager will ensure that studies adhere to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and the standards of the INFANT Quality Management System.
The successful candidate may be asked to support other aspects of the ELEVATE Programme work when relevant and the appointee will be expected to have a flexible approach in this regard. The ideal candidate will be proactive, enthusiastic, very organised and capable of managing a diverse workload. The post holder will be required to regularly travel to participating sites across Ireland.

6. Post Doc Researcher: Signal Processing Engineer

INFANT is now accepting applications for a Post Doc Signal Processing Engineer to support the work of the ELEVATE programme.
The ELEVATE programme aims to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to interrogate vast maternal and neonatal datasets already available on thousands of infants through previous INFANT Centre research studies and from data available in the maternal and newborn electronic health record. The datasets will be used to develop models required for early prediction of brain injury associated with CP and to identify the features of pregnancy, labour and the early neonatal period that are commonly associated these injuries.  Early EEG and biomarkers gathered in studies will be assessed for their ability to predict severity of CP motor and cognitive trajectories with the aim of helping to lower the age of diagnoses. Machine learning techniques will be applied to combine datasets to establish the best predictive models for children’s development and potential response to intervention.
  • Project Title: ELEVATE
  • Post Duration: 2 Years
  • Salary: €45,847 – € 52,339 p.a. IUA PD1 Scale
  • For an information package including further details of the post see https://my.corehr.com/pls/uccrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=085773 
  • Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Tom Meade, Programme Manager, INFANT Research Centre Email: tmeade@ucc.ie
  • Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday 18th April 2025

 

7. Clinical Nurse Manager 1

INFANT Research Centre is now accepting applications for an enthusiastic and committed Clinical Nurse Manager to work within the INFANT team based at Cork University Hospital and Cork University Maternity Hospital.  As a large maternal and child health research centre, INFANT’s studies include pregnant women and children.
The Clinical Nurse Manager will work on clinical research studies related to maternal and child health at the INFANT Research Centre. The Clinical Nurse Manager will assist INFANT Principal Investigators in the day-to-day management of the research studies including obtaining informed consent to participate, data collection and data entry to research databases, co-ordinating follow-up appointments, assisting in follow-up clinics, and conducting family surveys. The Clinical Nurse Manager will work closely with the INFANT Quality Team to maintain good documentation practices and to ensure compliance with quality and regulatory standards.
Two part time candidates can also be considered for this role.
  • Project Title: Various INFANT Projects
  • Post Duration: 24 Months
  • Salary: Clinical Nurse Manager 1 Scale (€56,081- €66,045)
  • For an information package including further details of the post see https://my.corehr.com/pls/uccrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=085734 
  • Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Professor Geraldine Boylan, Director, INFANT Telephone: +353 (0) 21 4205061. Email: g.boylan@ucc.ie
  • Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday 25th April 2025

 

8. Senior Research Co-Ordinator – Software Engineer

The INFANT Centre is leading the ELEVATE Programme which is a 5-year programme focused on the prevention, early detection, and treatment of brain injury and cerebral palsy (CP) in infants. The ELEVATE Programme has been jointly funded by Research Ireland and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. An integrated research database and register for people that suffer from CP will be developed as part of the programme. Families of children with CP cite access to accurate and individualised information as a barrier to participating in the latest research trials and obtaining cutting-edge healthcare information. When registers have been implemented in other countries, they have led to massive reductions in chronic pain and invasive surgeries to manage that pain in children with CP. There is a well-defined foundational dataset at the core of CP Registers that is well understood that will be built on.
The register will integrate with hospital electronic health record systems and will also integrate with a research database that collates data from clinical studies. A data manager and data analyst will be part of the team and will help understand and access this data.
The software engineer will have the responsibility for the design and implementation of the register. They may need to apply themselves to different technologies and domains – there is the opportunity to get experience in a wide range of interesting tools.
There is a great opportunity to evolve sound development practices such as configuration control and continuous integration. A register manager and principal investigator will work with multiple stakeholders to identify and prioritise their requirements during the lifetime of the project. The software engineer will be able to support this work with incremental development that allows stakeholders to visualise solutions.
The successful candidate will have a can-do attitude and will be prepared to support other research projects within the INFANT Centre.
  • Project Title: ELEVATE
  • Post Duration: 3 Years, Whole-Time post
  • Salary: €77,500 gross p.a. Personal Rate
  • For an information package including further details of the post see https://my.corehr.com/pls/uccrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=085775 
  • Candidates should apply, in confidence, before 12 noon (Irish Local Time) on Friday 25th April 2025
  • Informal enquiries can be made in confidence to Tom Meade, Programme Manager, INFANT Research Centre Email: tmeade@ucc.ie

9. Senior Research Co-Ordinator – Physiotherapist (Part-time)

INFANT Research Centre is now accepting applications for an enthusiastic and committed individual to work with the team. Many of our studies require a physiotherapy assessment of infants and older children.Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common lifelong physical disability. The Elevate programme aims to improve both the Early Detection of Cerebral Palsy, and the outcomes for those with CP. The Elevate program will also include several intervention studies for those identified as high risk for CP or who have developed CP.
A Research Physiotherapist is sought to support the Elevate programme of research. The individual will be involved in the follow-up of high-risk infants and will be required to perform specific standardised assessments including the General Movements assessment, the HINE exam, AIMS and Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Knowledge of these assessments would be an advantage. Additional responsibilities will include supervision and administration of therapy in the intervention studies. Training will be provided on the specific techniques used in the intervention studies, but experience in providing therapy interventions for children with CP is preferred.  Additional responsibilities will include data collection and data entry to research databases.
All researchers involved in the ELEVATE programme will actively participate in PPI and EPE activities and we will provide training for these activities.
This is a part time (0.5) role and will necessitate travel between sites involved in the studies.
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CanVas consortium receives €10.7m DTIF grant to advance new class of cell therapy to clinic for early brain injury

By |2025-04-10T12:06:25+01:00April 10th, 2025|

University College Cork’s INFANT Research Centre forms part of the CanVas consortium which has recieved a €10.7M non-dilutive grant from the Disruptive Technology Innovation Fund (DTIF).  The grant will help develop one of the first ever therapeutics for early brain injury by advancing CanVas-001 to clinic. CanVas is led by HAON Life Sciences, a leading cell therapy biotech.

Announced by Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless : Minister Burke announces €17 million for innovative cancer and neonatal treatments – DETE

CanVas-001 is an allogeneic investigational product containing two placentally sourced cell types; ECFC (Endothelial Colony Forming Cells) and MSC (Mesenchymal Stromal Cells). CanVas-001 has demonstrated significant therapeutic benefit in large animal preclinical models of early brain injury. The CanVas platform is also developing drug candidates for adult neurodegenerative diseases.

The lead indication is Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), a devastating rare disease occurring when a baby’s brain does not receive enough oxygen or blood flow just before or shortly after birth. It is the principal cause of infant mortality and long-term neurologic disability, including accounting for a fifth of all cerebral palsy cases.

The CanVas consortium is a multidisciplinary team of experts, made up of the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) who will carry out analytical development, Hi-Tech Health who will facilitate development and manufacture of CanVas-001 for clinic and University College Cork’s INFANT Research Centre, who will provide clinical development expertise in early brain injury and in particular, neonatal HIE. The consortium is led by HAON Life Sciences.

UCC’s INFANT Research Centre will lead the clinical development of the CanVas project bringing extensive expertise in newborn brain injury and supported by in4kids, the HRB Irish Network for Children’s Clinical trials. INFANT will be responsible for the recruitment of healthy mothers interested in taking part in the study. The INFANT team led by Prof Deirdre Murray will design a Phase 1b clinical study of CanVas 001 in HIE neonates which will be ready to start at the end of this project in 2028. The Phase 1b study will be the first-in-human clinical trial of the therapy which aims to decrease the risk of Cerebral Palsy and disability following newborn brain injury.

In4kids is a key partner in the pan-European conect4children clinical trials network which provides access to international clinical trial sites and expertise. INFANT offers a unique multidisciplinary team and deep clinical research experience essential to the CanVas project.

Professor Geraldine Boylan, Director of the INFANT Research Centre at UCC, said: “We are thrilled the CanVas project has received a DTIF grant to advance new class of cell therapy to clinic for early brain injury. This partnership between INFANT, HAON, NIBRT, HIH combines world-class research and industry expertise all working together to improve outcomes for neonates and their families. This funding by the Government is a very positive and welcome investment in children’s health research.”

Notes:

About the INFANT Research Centre, UCC:
The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health (INFANT), hosted at University College Cork, is the hub of world-leading research and innovation, working to provide better outcomes in pregnancy, birth and early childhood.

About DTIF

The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) is a €500 million challenge-based fund established under Project Ireland 2040.  The objective of DTIF is invest in the development and deployment of disruptive technologies and applications on a commercial basis, driving collaboration between Ireland’s research base and industry to foster economic growth and innovation.

It is managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland.

About HIE

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), a devastating rare disease occurring when a baby’s brain does not receive enough oxygen or blood flow just before or shortly after birth. It is a leading cause of infant mortality and long-term neurologic disability including accounting for a fifth of all cerebral palsy cases.

It is estimated one to three in every 1,000 births in Europe and the United States will be impacted by HIE resulting in 30,000 babies affected in these regions, each year. The incidence is far higher in low incomes countries with an estimate 1 million babies affected annually.

 

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New information resources to improve services and supports for miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage

By |2025-04-04T14:55:05+01:00April 2nd, 2025|

Today, the Pregnancy Loss Research Group at University College Cork is launching a suite of resources to improve the care of people who experience miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage.

Developed as part of the Health Research Board-funded RE:CURRENT study, with the involvement of people with lived experience, health professionals and decision-makers in the maternity services, resources include information booklets on miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage. With the support of the National Women and Infants Programme within the HSE, printed copies of the information booklets have been distributed to all 19 maternity hospitals/units in Ireland and they can also be viewed or downloaded from the national Pregnancy and Infant Loss Ireland website: www.pregnancyandinfantloss.ie.

Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, Consultant Obstetrician and Principal Investigator of the RE:CURRENT study highlighted:

The resources launched today are primarily aimed at people who experience miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage, as well as care providers. We continue to advocate for the structural changes required to improve care by enhancing supports for miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage nationally.

Almost one in four women who participated in the RE:CURRENT care experience survey rated their overall recurrent miscarriage care experience as poor and almost one in five said the care they received was much worse than expected. Participants were more likely to report a good overall care experience if they received verbal information, written information and answers they could understand regarding investigations. Interviews with service providers and people with lived experience highlighted the need to provide women/couples with information about miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage in advance – to prepare them for what might happen around the time of loss, decisions around miscarriage management, clinic appointments, and/or to set their expectations of pregnancy and how one in four pregnancies can end in miscarriage.

Jennifer Uí Dhubhgáin, Chair of the Miscarriage Association and Member of the RE:CURRENT Research Advisory Group, welcomed the resources, adding:

“These resources that are being launched are very welcomed. They are the culmination of a lot of work and they will be a great resource for those going through or having experienced pregnancy loss. Pregnancy loss and miscarriage is such a difficult, traumatic and heartbreaking time. People are often left feeling very lost, alone and unsure where to turn for information and answers, but these resources are a very welcome source of information.”

Speaking about the launch of the resources, Dr Cliona Murphy, Clinical Director of the National Women and Infants Programme said:

The information booklets launched today – developed in line with national clinical guidance – will enhance service provision and care experiences by addressing the lack of information provided in hospitals regarding miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage. We are currently developing a suite of booklets for other forms of pregnancy loss.

Multi-lingual videos regarding information and supports around recurrent miscarriage are also now available in a range of languages, including Arabic, Catalan, English, French, Greek, Irish, Irish Sign Language, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian and Spanish. More languages will follow.

An appointment letter template for recurrent miscarriage clinics has also been launched, which aims to provide people with more information and details of supports in advance of their first appointment. As part of efforts to improve miscarriage services more broadly, the team has also created a checklist for use within emergency rooms/departments for staff to use when people initially present with signs or symptoms of miscarriage. The impact of inappropriate physical spaces within maternity hospitals/units on people as they experience pregnancy loss or return for appointments was evident in interviews conducted as part of the RE:CURRENT study. While structural improvements are needed, a suite of exemplar case studies is also now available to assist maternity services to enhance spaces, on a small or larger scale.

All of the resources are now available on the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Ireland Website (www.pregnancyandinfantloss.ie), with information booklets and videos also available on the Cork Miscarriage Website (www.corkmiscarriage.com).

Notes to Editor

  • Conducted from 2020 to 2023, the RE:CURRENT (Recurrent Miscarriage: Evaluating Current Services) study evaluated recurrent miscarriage services in Ireland to inform efforts to standardise and improve the quality of these services. Through a subsequent knowledge translation award, the team developed resources to enhance the uptake of the RE:CURRENT findings into practice and policy. Key impacts were highlighted in the Health Research Board’s Health Research in Action 2025 report, available at: https://www.hrb.ie/publication/health-research-in-action/
  • The RE:CURRENT study was conducted with the support of a 22-person Research Advisory Group, including people with lived experience of recurrent miscarriage, health professionals, and people involved in the administration, governance and management of maternity services.
  • Research studies quoted:
  • The information provided within the booklet on recurrent miscarriage is based on the first national clinical guideline for recurrent miscarriage, which was informed by the RE:CURRENT study findings and published in 2023. This new guideline redefined recurrent miscarriage within the Irish context as the loss of two or more consecutive pregnancies in the first trimester. This is now more in line with evidence and other European and international guidelines, and the needs of people with recurrent miscarriage who previously had to wait until they had three miscarriages to access public services. The content in the miscarriage booklet aligns with the new clinical guideline on miscarriage which was published in March of this year. The Group collaborated with Amy Lauren on illustrations for the booklets which highlight key themes from the research.
  • The National Clinical Guidelines are a programme of work agreed between the National Women and Infants Health Programme and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland. Professor Keelin O’Donoghue was appointed as the new Clinical Lead for Guideline Development (Maternity and Gynaecology) in 2021. All national clinical guidelines are available here: https://www.rcpi.ie/Faculties-Institutes/Institute-of-Obstetricians-and-Gynaecologists/National-Clinical-Guidelines-in-Obstetrics-and-Gynaecology

About the Pregnancy Loss Research Group

The Pregnancy Loss Research Group (PLRG) leads national research to better understand pregnancy loss experiences and impacts, and the development of resources and evidence-based advice and interventions, to improve health care (quality) and health and social outcomes for women, babies and their families. This includes all types of pregnancy and infant loss, including first trimester miscarriage, second trimester miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, multiple pregnancy complications, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy, neonatal death and pregnancy after loss.

Resources for individuals, families, health professionals, and anyone who needs information and support about pregnancy and/or infant loss

For more on this story contact:

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Cerebral Palsy advocate Lily Collison receives honorary doctorate from UCC

By |2025-03-28T16:53:12+00:00March 28th, 2025|

Renowned cerebral palsy (CP) advocate Lily Collison today received an Honorary Doctorate from University College Cork in recognition of her pioneering work.

Motivated by her son Tommy’s diagnosis of spastic diplegia, Lily has been dedicated to improving outcomes for those affected by CP. A member of the board of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and has played a pivotal role in securing funding for CP initiatives in Ireland.

Lily is the author of Spastic Diplegia–Bilateral Cerebral Palsy, a groundbreaking resource for families and healthcare professionals and co-author of Pure Grit: Stories of Remarkable People Living with Physical Disability.

The campaigner is one of the authors of the Gillette Children’s Healthcare Series, a series of books launched this week that are designed to aid the parents of children childhood-acquired physical and/or neurological conditions. These books not only provide critical insights into childhood-acquired physical and/or neurological conditions, but all proceeds support research.

Each book provides a detailed medical explanation of the condition and the evidence-based, best-practice treatments and includes the lived experience of families. The goal of the series is to empower families and help optimise outcomes for those living with these conditions.

Speaking ahead of her Honorary Conferring, UCC President Prof. John O’Halloran said:

“Lily’s work continues to influence the lives of individuals with disabilities worldwide, empowering families, shaping research, and improving the care available to people with CP.  Lily’s advocacy has led to transformative partnerships, including a significant collaboration with us here in UCC, where we established the ELEVATE Programme to improve early detection and treatment of brain injury and CP. Her many years of tireless advocacy, makes her a very worthy recipient of an Honorary Doctorate,” he said.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lily asked the new medical and health graduates present not to forget children and those with disability, as they tend to be more underserved in medicine and health.

“Success is not about personal achievement–it’s about impact. Use  your power of one to uplift others, challenge the status quo, and contribute to a better world,” she said.

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International Women’s Day 2025

By |2025-03-10T10:15:55+00:00March 8th, 2025|

Today, 8th March 2025 is International Women’s Day, a day where we celebrate the achievements of our female research team at INFANT. All of whom play a key role in transforming the future of maternal and child healthcare.

Led by Director Professor Geraldine Boylan, and hosted at University College Cork(UCC), INFANT is the hub of world-leading research and innovation, working to provide better outcomes in pregnancy, birth and early childhood. Since 2013, INFANT has established a national and international reputation for leadership in their areas of research and have a strong track record of clinical innovation with year-on-year growth of active research projects, spinouts, and funding.

The team comprises of a strong diverse multidisciplinary team of over 115+ staff and students including PIs, clinicians, physiotherapists, dieticians, pharmacists, psychologists, research scientists and engineers and administrators.

Here is a glimpse into some of our female research team, all striving to provide better outcomes in pregnancy, birth and early childhood

Dr. Aine Hennessy, B.Sc., Ph.D

Áine is a Lecturer in Nutrition at the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences in UCC, Principal Investigator at the Cork Centre for Vitamin D and Nutrition Research and a Lead Investigator at the INFANT Research Centre, UCC.

Her research to date has been in the areas of maternal and child nutrition, with a particular interest in the role of micronutrients, especially iodine, in health outcomes. Her other areas of interest include the dietary patterns and eating behaviours of young children.

Jean Conway – Senior Clinical Project Manager

With over twenty years’ experience, Jean works as a Senior Clinical Project Manager at INFANT Research Centre, UCC and divides her project management expertise between the EU Horizon Health funded ETHEREAL project which is investigating mental health issues with adolescents diagnosed with Autism, EDI-CPI project funded by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation investigating Early Detection of Cerebral Palsy in Ireland and the RCSI led Cystic Fibrosis(CF) Study ENHANCE – Establishing Natural History in an Advanced New CF Care Era.

She has coordinated multinational and national studies as part of her role within INFANT and is the administrator for Clinical Trials .gov registration for all INFANT studies, taking an active role in ethics requirements for the group.

Dr Lisa F Kiely – Dermatology Specialist Registrar & Irish Clinical and Academic Training (ICAT) Fellow

Lisa is a specialist registrar in Dermatology with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and is currently completing her PhD at INFANT Research Centre, UCC, titled “IMAGINE: Imaging Morphea – Advancements for DiAGnosis and INtensive Evaluation”. IMAGINE is a multi-centre longitudinal observational study of patients with Morphea (Localised scleroderma).

Lisa’s area of interest is Morphea, a rare scaring skin condition affecting both adults and children. Lisa’s PhD aims to explore new ways to monitor disease activity using specialised imaging and artificial intelligence. Improved monitoring can result in more accurate treatment decisions improving outcomes for patients.

Sabrina Ziefer – Data Analyst

Sabrina is working as a Data Analyst at the INFANT Research Centre, UCC.
She’s working on the ELEVATE programme and focuses on all things data analysis. She’s managing various studies in INFANT’s data capture tool RedCap and is focused on facilitating efficient data collection. She’s also implementing machine learning algorithms on existing data to help predict cerebral palsy in high-risk new-borns.

Claire O’Halloran – Clinical Research Nurse

Claire is a Clinical Research Nurse at INFANT Research Centre, UCC and is involved in various aspects of INFANT’s research including study participant follow-up, data collection, sample processing and documentation control.

Her current projects include the STOP AD study – Short-term Topical Application to Prevent Atopic Dermatitis which aims to determine if short term postnatal skin barrier protection may impact on rates of both eczema and other allergic conditions at 4-5 years of age, the RCSI led Cystic Fibrosis(CF) Study ENHANCE – Establishing Natural History in an Advanced New CF Care Era and the EU Horizon Health funded ETHEREAL project which is investigating mental health issues with adolescents diagnosed with Autism.

Dr Mary Anne Ryan – Research Support Officer

Mary Anne is a Research Support Officer at INFANT Research Centre, UCC and is involved in the recruitment; coordinating follow-up and data management for the Early Detection & Intervention for Cerebral Palsy in Ireland study (EDI-CPI) – which aims to try and reduce the age of diagnosis of CP by assessing children in high risk out-patient clinics using specific clinical exams.

She also leads a national parent’s advisory group which provides parental input into all areas of research. Mary Anne’s research interests also include neuro development, neuromonitoring and neuroprotection of preterm infants and term born infants. She also supports research relating to AI developments within the NICU.

Iyshwarya Stapleton -Clinical Research Fellow / Neonatal SpR

Iyshwarya is a medical graduate of UCC. She is currently a Specialist Registrar in Neonatology with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI), a PhD student at UCC and a Clinical Research Fellow with INFANT.

Her areas of interest are neonatal haemodynamics and diastolic cardiac function. Her PhD titled: “A Longitudinal Observational Assessment of Diastolic Function during the Transitional Period and Infancy using Serial Echocardiography (The DiFuSE Study)”. DiFuSE will assess diastolic function during the neonatal transitional period and long-term into infancy. This will be a prospective, single-centre, observational study on neonates born at 35 weeks’ gestation or above. The goal is to create reference values for diastolic function parameters and to assess the influence of pre-defined antenatal, intrapartum, maternal, and neonatal factors on cardiac function.

Sonia Lenehan

Sonia is the Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Coordinator for the Irish Network for Children’s Clinical Trials (In4kids) and the Education and Public Engagement (EPE) Manager on the ELEVATE programme at the INFANT Research Centre, UCC.

Her roles have two different titles, but they have the same aim – to ensure that the public gets a chance to understand, engage with, and be the driving force behind Irish research. Along with the team at In4kids and INFANT, she runs young person’s advisory groups, set up PPI advisory groups, develops educational content, visits science fairs and festivals, and spends a good proportion of it talking to and engaging with the public.

Clodagh Brennock – In4kids Network Manager

Clodagh’s role as the Network Manager for in4kids, is to help establish and grow a children’s clinical research network in Ireland. The goal is to carry out research focused on children so that children in Ireland can access clinical trials and benefit from the research that is specifically designed for them and not just adults.

Clodagh also supports and guides researchers who want to take part in or run their own studies and helps identify and evaluate potential clinical trial sites that can participate in the trials and provide high-quality data. In4kids is the National Hub for a larger European children’s clinical trial network called c4c (connect4children), Clodagh works with c4c to ensure Ireland is included as a place to conduct research and attract international partners.

Danielle Clifford – Clinical Research Fellow and Paediatric Specialist Registrar

As a clinical research fellow, Danielle works between the neonatal or paediatric units (clinical settings), and the INFANT Research Centre. This involves meeting patients and families, liaising with the clinical doctors and nurses and carrying out research assessments or examinations for babies and children.

Danielle’s research is part of the ELEVATE programme and is focused on the early detection of cognitive and motor difficulties in high-risk infants. Danielle also has an interest in the influence of social factors on development. She is working with biomarkers, EEGs and various developmental assessment tools for predicting outcome in babies and young children.

Elaine Kennedy

Elaine is a Paediatrician in Cork University Hospital, and a Clinical Research Fellow in INFANT Research Centre, UCC.

Her area of interest is the development of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in children. Her MD is entitled ‘Biomarkers of Evolving Paediatric T1D’. This research aims to identify novel gut microbes that may play a role in T1D progression and control. The goal of this work is to identify new treatments that could potentially slow down disease progression and improve diabetes control. Her work is also supported by APC Microbiome Ireland.

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