UCD Conway Focus Winter 2013

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Issue 20,23 3 Winter 2013

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research " Celebrating 10 years of excellence On September 12th 1 ! 2013, UCD Conway % the 10th Institute celebrated anniversary

5 6

of its official opening with the launch of Igniting Discovery, a publication (67 -! and !

highlighting the research innovation achievements ! 8 ! of Conway researchers in 5 the past decade.

$ ' !

7 Over 700 PhD graduates and 350 1

9 postdoctoral researchers have been 4

: (9 4 :- educated and trained to exacting % ! 5 international standards in the past ten 6

$

years. These highly-skilled individuals have

taken up employment in the

medical device and pharmaceutical, ICT ! " industries as well as in public agencies and

# academia, in Ireland and abroad.

$ " % & The Institute’s research " portfolio includes research publications

3,275 $ peer reviewed " % with the top 1% published in the most

prestigious scientific such as ' (" ) " journals Nature, Science and Cell. In addition *+ ,UCD Conway researchers currently have

- successful collaborations, leading to .

" $ publications, with scientists from

" " "

% . over 1,500

in " organisations 70 countries. % Earlier this year, Conway Fellow, Professor Des Higgins broke the barrier of 100,000

/" # total citations for his work on DNA " -+ + % " +% "

"

" sequence comparisons; making him the

" most highly cited Irish scientist in the past decade and one of the

most highly cited " scientists worldwide. %

The Clustal programme to " align protein . " " sequences from research group the of Professor Higgins is just one of a number of "

exciting has emerged

% . innovations that from the Institute. Since 2003, Conway *01.,

researchers have disclosed 108 inventions, % ' " filed 139 patents, concluded 21 licence

agreements and incorporated spin-out compa " 7 UCD nies from the outputs of Institute research " " programmes. " 01.% Professor Walter Kolch, Director said,

- 23 “When the Institute was established, its " " model of multidisciplinary and collabora tive research was considered a radical "

" vision of how scientific should carried $% 4 research be

" out. Today, it is the standard.� gold " " Professor Des Fitzgerald, UCD Vice-Presi " "

dent for Research Conway In

added,

“UCD %

$ "

changing economic and research horizon maintaining excellence.�

% while research ' (" " " " " / 5 " ' ' " " " % & 6.

Director (" with

" Prof Walter Kolch, pictured PhD students " " ! " , Paul (l-r), Anna Sanders, Natalia Volinsky Lavin and Mattia Bramini " 5 " %7

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

stitute has been a highly effective driver of

0 productivity " and excellence since research

" " " " its establishment. Through its intellectual $ " and infrastructural capabilities, it has risen to the challenge of providing solutions

to societal needs in the face of a rapidly " " "

Prof Des Fitzgerald, UCD Vice-President for Research presents the first copy of ‘Igniting Discovery’ to Ms Beatrice Conway, daughter of the Institute namesake, Prof Edward J. Conway FRS

) / Director’s Message

Welcome! 1

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;

In the last 3 months, we marked a milestone in the life of the Institute with " our 10th anniversary celebrations. This " coincided with the 2013 UCD Conway $ Festival of Research & Innovation and by " (" a visit our distinguished scientific " $ advisory board.

% . " B the in ' As we enter next phase the life of the we intend continuing to =3 Institute, ' build research excellence and sustain ; 23 ; " the A " %

4 " C vibrant environment that ignites discovery, " drives innovation and

impacts positively on < society for generations. / " I extend congratulations to Professor " " " " William Gallagher, Director the first

of

Irish Cancer Society funded Collaborative

"

" Cancer %Research Centre, BREAST-PREDICT.

This funding award is a milestone for

cancer research Ireland 4 in that will give new hope to patients and their families.

-+ It also highlights our commitment and mission $ to carry out research into the " fundamental " "

" /

molecular of disease. 0 basis

23 3%

Following 0 their " recent successful applications, I am delighted to welcome " " a number of new Conway Fellows and " their teams whose research programmes strengthen " + will undoubtedly the research strategy of the Institute into the future. "

Walter " Kolch Professor "

% Director B 4 : -+ + 0 "

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


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