UCD Conway Focus Autumn 2015

Page 1

/ 0 " 3

Issue 26,23 3 Autumn 2015

4 winners of

Gold " Joint 2015 UCD Conway Medal 1 !

Dr Melinda Halasz and Dr Alison Rey % nolds are joint winners of the 2015 UCD

5 6

Conway respective gold medal for their research projects to find new treatment (67 -! !

in a highly aggressive child approaches ! 8 ! hood cancer and in a condition that can 5 lead to blindness. $ '

!

7 Neuroblastomas arise in children when 1

9

a cancer causing gene (oncogene) called 4

: (9 4 :-

MYCN is amplified. Currently, there % ! 5 are no drugs available that can successfully block 6

$

this oncogene. Dr Melinda Halasz (Prof Wal-

ter Kolch group) hopes to find a therapeutic approach to treating this cancer by identify ! " ing and targeting key proteins that interact # with the MYCN oncogene. This $

" approach

% seems promising as Melinda has been able & " to reduce the size of a

tumour in a zebrafish $ model of " % neuroblastoma by targeting a key

protein in gene regulation (RNA splicing

' (" ) inhibitor). " *+ ,

Breandan - Kennedy Dr Alison Reynolds (Dr . $ group) " is trying to identify a drug to treat

" " " % . retinal neovascularisation. This feature of

as " diseases such diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness. Alison brought a candi %

date compound identified from 1800 com-

pounds forward further experiments /" into # based its ability to stop new blood vessel " on -+ + % eye of

" growth in the a newborn zebrafish. +% "

" " The compound works by blocking a protein

" involved in inflammation and angiogen esis called CYSLT1. It was " well tolerated in zebrafish, mice, and human cell lines. %

Synthetic versions of the original lead

. " " " compound were made, tested for efficacy has for one and a patent now been granted "

drugs. of these novel

% . *01., and

their Drs Halasz Reynolds accepted % Vice award from' Professor Orla " Feely, UCD

President for Research, Innovation and " Impact. Speaking at the ceremony to close " the 2015 UCD Conway Festival of Research " & Innovation on Thursday, 10 September, " 01.%

Professor Feely said, “I applaud these two

early clearly - career 23researchers who have the judges "

" impressed not only with the and its potential quality of their research "

" translational applications but also their $% 4

" ability to articulate this work concisely.� " " against Drs Halasz and Reynolds competed poster category " "

three other winners for

% the overall prize. These included Dr Sinead

Walsh (Prof Keane group) for 0 Michael "

‘Investigating the origins of the myofibroblast

" " " " in pulmonary fibrosis’; Rebecca (Dr $

Reilly " Judith Coppinger group) ‘Inhibition of the for

PI3K/AKT/mTOR improves traffick pathway

ing of Δ508-CFTR in Cystic Fibrosis’; Agata " "

Blasiak (Prof Gil Lee group) for ‘Differential "

$ "

growth behaviour in CNS neurons in response % to local axonal vs. global Netrin-1 treatment is ' (" mediated by Ca2+ , cAMP signalling and DCC " dynamics’. " "

The judging panel comprised " / 5 " ' ' Professors Anne Ferguson-Smith, University Cambridge, of UK; Colin Hill, University " College Cork and Christoph Lengauer, CSO " of Blueprint " Medicines, Cambridge, USA % who were plenary speakers at the event. The 2015 Conway gold medal sponsor & 6. Festival

is Cruinn Diagnostics. (" " " " ! " " 5 " %7

" " 8 + % + & 9 : 0 : : . . 1 1 + + : . : : ' (" ;% + ' % 23 3 / 22< ==*>,?@A >@

(L-R): 2015 UCD Conway Festival prizewinners: Rebecca Reilly, Dr Sinead Walsh, Dr Melinda Halasz, Dr Alison Reynolds, Agata Blasiak.

Director’s Message ) / Welcome!

training opportunities to best advantage.

In the last quarter, 1 we

8celebrated the 8 research achievements of Conway

;

4 " C During October, we opened doors " our to women who have

had a breast cancer < diagnosis. Researchers staff from and

across UCD Conway, Systems / Biology " Ireland " and BREAST-PREDICT worked with " " " patient advocacy Donna

group,

Europa

Ireland to deliver a programme of " talks and

" laboratory % tours in this open house event.

scientists over the previous twelve months in the 2015 UCD Conway Festival of " Research & Innovation. "

$ Along with plenary speakers, Anne " (" Ferguson-Smith (Cambridge), Colin Hill "

(University College Cork) and $ Christoph

Medicines %Inc), . I Lengauer (Blueprint was " senior ' delightedB to welcome managers from ICON plc, Novartis, Pfizer and S3=3 ' Group an ;early career researcher ; to 23 " forum A on how to tailor career development " %

The feedback from participants was 4 inspiring and

reinforces belief that the -+ opening the pathway scientist $ between and patient vital as we move together " is towards personalised medicine. As one " "

participant said; “I hope that by putting faces their cancer cells, and on " scientists /

researchers been encouraged 0 have

to 23 3% continue their vital work�. 0 "

Professor Walter Kolch " " Director

" " + " " "

% B 4 : -+ + 0 "

<2:4 <7' ' ' 1 '0 / D;+-D E '0 /; 0+ D ; ; +&


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.