TCD Researchers Win Cancer Research Awards
Posted on: 01 December 2009
Trinity College researchers were awarded with all three research scholarships and one of three research fellowships recently (November 24th) from the inaugural Irish Cancer Society’s scholarship and fellowship award schemes. The awards, which are part of the Society’s commitment to funding cancer research in Ireland, seek to cultivate the next generation of cancer researchers and reward exceptional people with outstanding research ideas in the area of cancer research.
The six awardees beat off competition from researchers from all areas of cancer research including biomedical, epidemiology, nursing, psycho-oncology and social research. All applicants were rigorously assessed by an international panel of pre-eminent scientists and clinicians and were presented with their awards at a special ceremony by President Mary McAleese.
Dr Patrick Kiely, UCC; Christine White TCD/CWUH; Dr Eva Szegezdi NUIG; President Mary McAleese; Dr Claire Donohoe TCD; Maria Pertl TCD; Dr Antoinette Perry, TCD
Commenting on the awards TCD’s Dean of Research, Dr David Lloyd said: “I am delighted that TCD researchers have been successful in this rigorous peer review process. It demonstrates the talent and capacity we have in cancer research in our university and associated teaching hospitals and emphasises the importance of investing in young talent to allow it to flourish.”
The TCD winners include Dr Antoinette Perry in the Research Fellowship category. Dr Perry who is based in the Institute of Molecular Medicine, St James’s Hospital, is working on ways to harness abnormalities in human DNA which act as an early warning system for the presence of aggressive prostate cancer. The Research Fellowship awards were established to assist cancer researchers develop their research ideas and offer them the support they need to direct their own research teams. Awards in this category were also made to Dr Patrick Kiely of UCC and Dr Eva Szegezdi of NUI Galway.
The three Research Scholarship awards, established to fund young postgraduate students starting out on a career in cancer research, went to TCD researchers.
Dr Claire Donohoe of the Trinity Health Sciences Centre at St James’s Hospital is currently researching the link between obesity and gastrointestinal cancers. The links between obesity and cancer are particularly important given the rising incidence of obesity in Ireland and abroad.
Ms Maria Pertl’s research represents an innovative psychology let multidisciplinary collaboration between the School of Psychology and the Psychological Medicine Service in St James’s Hospital. Ms Pertl’s research will explore the causes of cancer related fatigue and examine the interactions between psychological, behavioural and biological factors in the development and maintenance of this pervasive and debilitating condition.
Ms Christine White of Trinity College Dublin/ Coombe Women’s and Infant’s Hospital based her research on the role of the human papillomavirus and the effect of smoking in the development and progression of cervical pre-cancer and cancer. Her research has the potential to not only benefit patients with cervical cancer but also assist in identifying women who have a high risk of developing cervical cancer.
The Irish Cancer Society, the single largest voluntary supporter of cancer research in Ireland, is now inviting applications for the 2010 Fellowship and Scholarship Awards scheme. The Fellowship and Scholarship scheme is open to all scientific, medical and paramedical disciplines that are committed to cancer research. Each Fellowship award is worth €75,000 per annum for up to three years and each Scholarship award is worth 40,000 per annum for up to three years. The closing date for entries is Wednesday February 10th, 2010 and applications must be submitted online.