In February 2024, the College of Health and Agricultural Sciences was pleased to launch the UCD One Health Centre, the result of several years’ work placing the One Health concept at the centre of our vision, and representing a major interdisciplinary effort. The Centre is led by Director, Adjunct Full Professor Tony Holohan and Deputy Director, Dr Gerald Barry, and is dedicated to advancing research, education and collaboration on the One Health approach. The launch was attended by UCD President, Professor Orla Feely and WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge.
Within the School of Agriculture and Food Science, the Greentech startup SusBioME won UCD’s 2024 VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme. The annual VentureLaunch Programme, which is run by NovaUCD, aims to support the creation and launch of sustainable and profitable new start-ups emerging from the University.
The School of Medicine announced the establishment of two new Chairs in cancer research in July 2023, thanks to philanthropic funding. The Pat Smullen Chair in Pancreatic Cancer aims to create a global centre of excellence for treatment and research in the School, and the Nancy Boland Chair in Musculoskeletal Oncology will build and lead an internationally competitive research group in musculoskeletal oncology.
The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems launched its first alumni newsletter in October 2023. Alumna Rachel Kenna, Chief Nursing Officer at the Department of Health, was presented with the Health and Agricultural Sciences Alumni Award in November 2023. She subsequently addressed the students of the School at a ‘fireside chat’ event.
The School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Masters in Public Health (MPH) programme at an event in September 2023. The MPH is an international, multi-disciplinary programme and since its inception, 850 students have graduated from the programme.
The School of Veterinary Medicine achieved the Silver Athena SWAN award for demonstrating its commitment to improving gender equality for those working and studying in the School. The Athena Swan Charter is a framework used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education and research. The College of Health and Agricultural Sciences now has two Schools with a Silver Award.
