UCD is unique among third-level universities in Ireland in having its own teaching and research farm to provide students and academics with access to large animal and crop enterprises, for the delivery of teaching and research programmes. UCD Lyons Farm forms an integral part of the teaching and research infrastructure of the College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, and specifically of the School of Agriculture and Food Science, and the School of Veterinary Medicine. In February, a €1 million state-of-the-art dairy calf-rearing centre was opened on the farm. The new centre will apply cutting-edge research to benefit and improve the health and rearing of dairy calves. It will provide agriculture and veterinary students with handson experience in the best practice of calf-rearing, while also greatly expanding the national research capacity of dairy heifer research, with a focus on early life nutrition, better integration of dairy and beef, and environmental impact.
In September 2024, American oncologist Dr Dennis Slamon was awarded the UCD Ulysses Medal, the highest honour the University can bestow. UCD School of Medicine nominated Dr Slamon and hosted the celebration event. Dr Slamon is credited with saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of women worldwide by transforming the treatment of breast cancer. In presenting Dr Slamon with the Ulysses Medal, UCD recognised that his pursuit of novel therapies for over 30 years has shaped the field of precision medicine and paved the way for other targeted therapies in oncology.
At a special ribbon-cutting ceremony in February, a brand new state-of-the-art Clinical Skills Simulation Suite was opened by UCD President, Professor Orla Feely, in the UCD Health Science Centre. Having received funding from UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems was delighted to open the Simulation Suite, which allows for quality simulation activities, elevating the students’ learning through realistic patient scenarios and real-time problem-solving.
Globally impactful research at the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science continued apace with researchers receiving significant funding from several agencies, including Research Ireland, Irish Aid, ERASMUS+, Sport Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency and InterTradeIreland. A number of researchers were honoured with major awards, including Professor Eamonn Delahunt and recently retired Professor Colin Boreham being recognised as among the top 1% and 2% respectively of scientists globally. Professor Patricia Fitzpatrick and team won the Best Research Project Paper in the Irish Healthcare Awards 2024 for their research into the effect of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer, which provided the first evidence of the benefit of the HPV vaccine in Ireland.
Ad Astra Fellow in the School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr Nicola Fletcher, was awarded an ERC Synergy Grant of over €6 million to develop novel technology that could revolutionise clinical diagnostics. Receiving the award, Dr Fletcher commented on the significance of the funding to the One Health concept: “I am confident that this project will deliver new ways to diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases in humans and animals. I’m passionate about One Health – the idea that animal, human and environmental health are all linked, and we must consider all of them when trying to improve the health of any one. This project fits perfectly within One Health and will benefit all species.”