24 projects have been awarded under the 2023 СÄñÌåÓý STEM Challenge Fund. A joint initiative between the three UCD Colleges of Science, Engineering & Architecture, and Health & Agricultural Sciences, the Fund supports highly collaborative and high-impact STEM research. A total of over €257,000 was allocated to projects in this call.
Dr Elaine O’Reilly, Vice-Principal for Research & Innovation at UCD College of Science, said, “We are delighted to announce the 2023 STEM Challenge Funding awardees. The funding initiative represents a significant commitment from the College Principles in the three lead Colleges, and recognition that collaborative research can be hugely impactful.”
“The aim of this initiative is to encourage increased collaboration between exceptional researchers across Schools and Colleges, toward achieving world-class research outputs. It is fantastic to see these truly cross-disciplinary projects commencing. Many congratulations to all successful PIs and Co-Is, we look forward to seeing how these important projects develop.”
A СÄñÌåÓý STEM Research Day held earlier this year gave academics the opportunity to put forward specific research challenges that they are trying to overcome, and to identify suitable collaborators. Researchers from all Colleges were invited, and the event provided a networking environment for researchers to forge new ideas and build collaborations.
Teams emerging from this engagement were then encouraged to apply for the Fund, with a view to enabling their research ideas and helping them to reach their full potential. The 24 winning projects for 2023 are:
College of Engineering and Architecture
When circular bioeconomy meets biomedicine: Harnessing the power of microalgae for brewery waste treatment and omega-3 oil production for therapeutic application
Dr Ronald Halim, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biosystems and Food Engineering with Dr Eoin Brennan, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine, Professor Jeremy Simpson, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biology and Environmental Science and Dr Sara Cardoso Esteves, СÄñÌåÓý Algae Group
Enhancing the Performance of Hydrogen-to-Biomethane Process by Using Chemically Engineered Enzyme Cofactors (FeNiX)
Dr Recep Kaan Dereli, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, with Dr Roderick Jones, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, Professor James Sullivan, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemistry and Dr Raul Miranda Caso Luengo, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science
The effect of cold atmospheric plasma on the formation of MSC-derived extra-cellular vesicles
Dr Daniela Boehm, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering with Dr Margaret McGee, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Dr Ricardo Simon Carbajo and Dr Polat Goktas, СÄñÌåÓý School of Computer Science, Kieran Brennan and Dr Alfonso Blanco, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science
Resolving structure-properties of lipid-based nanomedicines at single nanoparticle level (Resolve-NP)
Dr Nan Zhang, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, with Professor Brian Rodriguez, СÄñÌåÓý School of Physics, Dr Xiulong Bao, СÄñÌåÓý School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Dr Eoin Brennan, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine
Integrated Solar Energy Harvesting and Wireless Communications Solution for Zero-Energy IoT
Dr Xiping Wu, СÄñÌåÓý School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, with Dr Chiara Cocco, СÄñÌåÓý School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy and Jessica Jiang, University of New South Wales
Investigate the involvement of the STimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) pathway in the survival of osteosarcoma cells and assess the potential benefits of targeting this pathway to overcome chemores
Dr Fiona Freeman, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering with Dr Gerald Barry, СÄñÌåÓý School of Veterinary Medicine:
Models to aid site-selection of offshore-wind turbines
Dr Jennifer Keenahan, СÄñÌåÓý School of Civil Engineering with Dr Philip Cardiff, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Dr James Herterich, Dr Miguel Bustamante and Dr Lennon Ó'Náraigh, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mathematics and Statistics and Dr Mark Coughlan, СÄñÌåÓý School of Earth Sciences
Portable device to measure oropharyngeal muscle force
Dr Emer Doheny, СÄñÌåÓý School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Dr Jayne Carberry, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine, Dr Eoin O'Cearbhaill, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Professor Madeleine Lowery, СÄñÌåÓý School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering:
How does invasive mollusc species' shell strength affect their availability as a food source to fish?
Dr Kevin Roche, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering with Dr Jan-Robert Baars, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biology and Environmental Science and Dr Marco Garcia-Vaquero, СÄñÌåÓý School of Agriculture and Food Science
College of Health and Agricultural Sciences
Development of a pancreatic cancer-on-chip model of immune cell infiltration
Dr Stephen Thorpe, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine with Mario Manresa,СÄñÌåÓý School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Dr Nan Zhang, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Dr Carlos Matellan
Weighing in on breast milk bioactives – the impact of breastmilk pro-inflammatory bioactives on infant growth and development
Dr Clare Reynolds, СÄñÌåÓý School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science with Dr Sharleen O'Reilly, Dr Aifric O'Sullivan and Dr Martina Wallace, СÄñÌåÓý School of Agriculture and Food Science
Accessible solutions for measuring marine microplastics
Dr Mark Pickering, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine with Dr Kevin Nolan, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Peak performance wearables: When near enough isn’t good enough
Professor Kate Pumpa, СÄñÌåÓý School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science with Dr Stephen Redmond, СÄñÌåÓý School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Polat Goktas and Ricardo Simon Carbajo, СÄñÌåÓý School of Computer Science and Jocelyn Mara (University of Canberra)
Perfecting an artificial skin
Professor James Jones, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine with Professor Dermot Brougham, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemistry and Dr Aisling Ní Annaidh, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived human blood vessel organoids as a powerful model to investigate vascular development and disease
Dr Eoin Brennan, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine with Dr John Crean and Dr Jessica Davis, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, and Professor Dermot Brougham, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemistry
Circles within circles: the response of hemp to a bio-fertilizer derived from insect farming and repurposed food waste
Dr Simon Hodge, СÄñÌåÓý School of Agriculture and Food Science with Dr Susanne Schilling and Dr Rainer Melzer, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biology and Environmental Science
Developing a workflow to map metatranscriptomic data to metagenomic taxonomical characterisation of the lower airway microbiome to reveal functionally active bacteria in the development of severe asthma
Dr Stephen Lalor, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine, Professor Séamus Fanning and Dr Guerrino Macori, СÄñÌåÓý School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science
College of Science
Characterising the motility of Streptococcus gallolyticus, a bloodstream pathogen of colon tumours
Dr Jennifer Mitchell, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science with Dr Dimitri Scholz, Dr Vladimir Lobaskin, СÄñÌåÓý School of Physics and Dr Nan Zhang, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Nano-formulation of novel Small Synthetic Molecules in Resolution Pharmacology: an innovative approach to tackle Low-grade Inflammation in Atherosclerosis
Dr Monica De Gaetano, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science with Dr Eoin Brennan, СÄñÌåÓý School of Medicine and Dr Nan Zhang, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Phantoms4All_СÄñÌåÓý: A quality control framework for 3d printed anthropomorphic test objects for medical imaging devices assessment
Dr Irene Hernandez Giron, СÄñÌåÓý School of Physics with Dr Saoirse Tracy, СÄñÌåÓý School of Agriculture and Food Science, Professor Denis Dowling, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and Dr Sean Cournane, СÄñÌåÓý School of Physics
Explore the therapeutic potential of seaweed extracts for Alzheimer's disease-related neurodegeneration
Dr Derek Costello, with Dr Cormac Murphy, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Dr Alison Reynolds, СÄñÌåÓý School of Veterinary Medicine and Micheal MacMonagail
Green tech to address persistent environmental contaminants
Assoc Professor James Rice, СÄñÌåÓý School of Physics with Dr Veronica Sofianos, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering and Dr Marcus Baumann, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemistry
Efficient training algorithms for deep learning on traditional and neuromorphic architectures
Dr Marco Viola, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mathematics and Statistics with Dr Arjun Pakrashi, СÄñÌåÓý School of Computer Science and Dr Vikram Pakrashi, СÄñÌåÓý School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Rigid fluorescent boronic-acid peptide probes as novel potential tools to visualise changing glycosylation within the Golgi apparatus
Dr Joseph Byrne with Dr Aniello Palma, СÄñÌåÓý School of Chemistry, Professor Jeremy Simpson, СÄñÌåÓý School of Biology and Environmental Science and Dr Hannah Crory