/ 0 " 3
Issue 20,23 3 Winter 2013
4
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 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Igniting Discoveryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to Ms Beatrice Conway, daughter of the Institute namesake, Prof Edward J. Conway FRS
) / Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 ; ; +&