/ 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.
Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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; â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope that by putting faces their cancer cells, and on " scientists /
researchers been encouraged 0 have
to 23 3% continue their vital workâ&#x20AC;?. 0 "
Professor Walter Kolch " " Director
" " + " " "
% B 4 : -+ + 0 "
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