Seven Trinity research projects secure HRB investment
Posted on: 23 September 2026
The funding comes as the HRB is investing €12 million in 29 investigator-led research projects to support innovative and internationally competitive research across patient-oriented research (POR), population health research (PHR) and health services research (HSR).
Seven projects hosted by Trinity College Dublin have secured investment from The Health Research Board (HRB) in a scheme designed to address some of the most pressing challenges in health and social care.
Two projects from the Dublin Dental University Hospital were also funded.
The funding comes as the HRB is investing €12 million in 29 investigator-led research projects to support innovative and internationally competitive research across patient-oriented research (POR), population health research (PHR) and health services research (HSR).
The latest awards bring the total number of projects funded under the ILP scheme over the past five years to 91, and a combined investment of €36.4 million.
Of the 29 projects funded in this round, the application review panels recommended 18 POR projects, six PHR projects and five HSR projects.
The successful applications were selected by international expert panels following detailed assessment of scientific quality and innovation, impact, and research team and environment.
Alongside scientific peer review, a public review process helped ensure that the funding awards address issues of importance to patients and the wider population.
Projects will run for up to four years.
The Trinity recipients and their projects are:
Professor Ursula Fearon (Professor of Molecular Rheumatology, School of Medicine) Distinct Cellular Crosstalk defines RA and PsA pathotypes;
Dr Viviana Marzaioli (Principal Investigator in Molecular Rheumatology at Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute) Osteoimmunity in Psoriatic Arthritis: circulating monocytes as drivers of pathological bone remodelling;
Dr Máire Ní Leathlobhair (Assistant Professor, Genetics) Targeting Metabolic Reprogramming in Testicular Cancer Complex in vitro systems to predict impact of combined NK cell immunotherapy and Tumour Treating Fields (TTF) for GBM and DMG brain cancers;
Professor Clair Gardiner (Professor, Biochemistry) Complex in vitro systems to predict impact of combined NK cell immunotherapy and Tumour Treating Fields (TTF) for GBM and DMG brain cancers;
Professor G Jane Farrar (Professor In and current Head of School of Genetics and Microbiology) Resolving genetic variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in Irish patients with inherited retinal degenerations;
Dr Mikel Egana (Associate Professor, Physiology) Is the exercising diabetic brain at risk? Elucidating the impact and safety of acute exercise modalities on cerebrovascular function in type 2 diabetes;
Dr Gerry Hughes Medicine Making Every Dose Count: Positioning Pharmacists as Prescribers of Optimal, Evidence-Based Therapy for InfeCtion in HoSpital (POETICS).
Recipients from the Dublin Dental University Hospital are:
Professor Gary Moran (Professor in Microbiology, Dental Science) Evaluation of Fusobacterium species as biomarkers of oral malignant progression;
Dr Peter Kinnevey (Assistant Professor in Microbiology and Infection Prevention and Control) From Farm to Harm: Vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecium from multiple Irish hospitals and from veterinary practices - a multi-institute population analysis study.
Dr Gráinne Gorman, Chief Executive of the HRB, said: “The ILP scheme is a core element of the HRB funding portfolio. Through these awards, we are investing in innovative and internationally competitive research that will generate new knowledge to address major health and social care challenges today and into the future.
“These projects embedded Public and Patient Involvement from the outset, helping to build public trust, enhance the relevance and feasibility of the research and ensuring researchers address questions that matter most to patients, families and communities.
“These projects also demonstrate the breadth and quality of health research taking place across the country, from advancing patient care and improving services to tackling emerging public health threats.”
Collectively, the funded projects highlight the critical role of investigator-led research in generating discoveries, improving healthcare delivery and helping Ireland respond to both current and emerging health challenges.
ENDS