Professor Frank Murray welcomed as new Society President

Broadcaster and journalist Tom McGurk was guest speaker at the 81st Biological Society Inaugural Meeting which took place in the Albert Lecture Theatre in RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) on Friday evening, 31st January 2014. The Biological Society is the oldest student society in RCSI and the event was organised by the Biological Society Committee with assistance from the Student Services team.

Professor Clive Lee hands over the chain of office to Professor Frank Murray

After opening the meeting, outgoing Biological Society President Professor Clive Lee handed over the chain of office to Professor Frank Murray, Registrar of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, Consultant Gastroenterologist in Beaumont Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine at RCSI, officially marking the commencement of his term as President of the Society. In his Presidential Address, entitled Dying for a drink, Professor Murray spoke of the dangers of alcohol abuse in Ireland and the challenges it poses to our healthcare system.

Mr Tom McGurk delivers his address

The guest speaker Mr Tom McGurk, RTE sports presenter, columnist for the Sunday Business Post and playwright continued on the theme of alcohol abuse in his talk entitled A call to arms, Mr McGurk delivered an inspiring keynote address to the Society remarking that journalists and health professionals frequently find themselves in the front line of wars and natural disasters; one group trying to define the causes and the other trying to treat the effects. He highlighted his concerns about the increasingly close relationship between the media and industry and argued that this had contributed to the twin health threats of alcohol and obesity.

Mr Harold Browne, former President of the Society makes and impromptu speech

A number of Society medal awards were announced at the meeting including the RCSI Council Medal winners Shane Crilly, (Senior Case Competitions) and Mesfer Alyami (Junior Case Competition); Neil Maik, winner of the Denis Gill Medal for Paediatrics; Ciara Nolan, recipient of the Alan Browne Medal for Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Alan Black, Psychiatry Case Competition winner and Anshuman Sood, recipient of the Dr Arthur Stephen Ffrench-OCarroll Medal. The Harold Browne Anatomy Medal, was awarded to May-Anh Nguyen, Michael Ryan and David Hakim.

Pictured with prize winners and Biological Society Committee members (front row, l-r) Prof Frank Murray, Mrs Vivienne Browne, Mr Harold Browne, Professor Clive Lee and (back row, right) Professor Mary Leader.

A new prize presented for the first time this year was the Mary Leader Medal in Pathology, which was awarded to Chelsea Garcia, Lewena Maher and Fiachra Sheil.

Sarah Lewis Honorary Records Secretary with Ms Alana McGurk, daughter of Tom McGurk

Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI, Professor Hannah McGee, proposed and the Honorary Secretary of the Society, Mr Yousef Abdul-Wahab, seconded the motion that the Biological Society is worthy of the support of the Students of the College and a closing address was delivered by Professor Cathal Kelly, CEO/ Register of RCSI.

Approximately 120 Transition Year students from the South-East have been taking part in the Waterford RCSI Transition Year MiniMed training programme from Tuesday 18th - Friday 21st February 2014 in Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH) and Waterford Institute of Technology. This interactive programme gives Transition Year students the opportunity to step out of their usual classroom setting and experience what it is like to train and work as a doctor.

Pictured (l-r) is Adam Murphy, De La Salle, Waterford; Hannah McDermott, Meanscoil San Nicholás, Ring; Beibhínn OSullivan, Meanscoil San Nicholás, Ring; and Maeve Doheny, Loretto, Kilkenny.

During the programme, students will attend interactive lectures; receive hands-on training in clinical skills; as well as getting practical experience in medicine and scientific tutorials. One of the highlights of the TY MiniMed initiative is where students will get to witness a live operation video-linked in from Dublins Beaumont Hospital. Other topics covered over the action-packed four days include human anatomy, radiology, neurology, paediatrics, otolaryngology and surgery.


Pictured (l-r) is Aine Heffernan and Oisí Fiuza, Rockwell College.

The 2014 Waterford MiniMed Programme is being coordinated by Professor Riona Mulcahy, Undergraduate Dean, Senior Lecturer in Medicine, RCSI and WRH; Professor Fred Jackson, Department of Medicine, RCSI and WRH; and Mr Joe OBeirne, RCSI Council Member and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Orthopaedics at RCSI and WRH.

Professor Cathal Kelly, CEO/Registrar of RCSI, who opened the programme earlier this week, said ‘The TY MiniMed programme is an excellent opportunity for students to experience what it is like to train as a medical professional. Students will have an opportunity to use innovative technology and learn from some of Irelands top healthcare professionals from RCSI and Waterford Regional Hospital, giving them an excellent insight into careers in medicine, science and research.


Pictured at the RCSI Waterford Transition Year MiniMed Programme was Toby Olokesusi, Mount Sion, Waterford.

Founded in 1784, RCSIs mission is to develop healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide. RCSI is a not-for-profit health sciences organisation which focuses on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. RCSI is headquartered in Dublin and is a recognised College of the National University of Ireland. Waterford Regional Hospital is a teaching hospital of RCSI. RCSI sends both intermediate and senior cycle students to the WRH to attend clinical rotations in Medicine, Surgery, Psychiatry, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology.

The American TV Network ‘CBS’ has announced its’ intention to produce a spinoff of the popular TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The spinoff show will focus on cybercrime and is based on the work of CyberPsychologist Mary Aiken, Director of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) CyberPsychology Research Centre.

Mary Aiken

The spinoff explores technology, as we know it, and how human behaviour has become amplified online. In the show, the character of Avery Ryan (inspired by Mary Aiken), special agent in charge at the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI is tasked to solve high-octane crimes that start in the mind, live on-line and play out in the real world.

CSI’s executive producers Anthony E. Zuiker, Ann Donahue and Carol Mendelsohn will executive produce the newest spin-off along with Jerry Bruckheimer and Jonathan Littman. Mary Aiken will also be a producer on the show. The pilot for the potential series will air as a ‘CSI’ episode in America this spring.

Mary Aiken is a Scholar, CyberPsychologist, Television Presenter and Writer. She is a CyberPsychologist and Research Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland’s Institute of Leadership and a Fellow at the US IBM Network Science Research Centre. CyberPsychology is an emerging field within applied psychology, focusing on Internet Psychology. Other technologies are also considered; virtual environments, artificial intelligence, gaming, digital convergence, mobile telephones and networking devices. Mary’s doctoral research at RCSI focuses on Cyber Behavioural Analysis.

Mary research interests centre on Forensic Cyber Psychology aspects of cyber-reporting of crime, cyberstalking, virtual behavioural profiling, cyberchondria, technology facilitated human trafficking and cyber security. She was one of the featured experts, writer and researcher on the TV3 prime time television series Crime in Mind. The programme centered on the application of contemporary Forensic Psychology methodology and theory to Irish Cold Cases, this was a first for Irish TV in this area. The series was broadcast in 2011 and 2012.

In October 2013, Mary was appointed by the Irish Minister for Communications to the Internet Content Governance Advisory Group. Mary is also an observer to the INTERPOL Specialists Group on Crimes against Children.

Also see Mary Aiken delivering an RCSI MiniMed lecture on Cyberchondria the Internet and Self-diagnosis in November 2012

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) was honoured yesterday evening, Monday 17^th February at a Mayoral Reception hosted by Kerry County Council, followed by a reception and dinner at the Institute of Technology, Tralee.

The event was held in recognition of RCSI’s contribution to Kerry through its collaborative initiative, the International Medical Commencement Programme (IMCP) with the IT, Tralee. The IMCP is an intensive two or three semester course of study for students from the Gulf countries who intend to progress to the RCSI to study medicine, pharmacy or physiotherapy. The IMCP was developed five years ago and is jointly delivered in Tralee by the Institute of Technology, Tralee, RCSI and Castel Education.

RCSI IMCP staff at Civic Reception in Kerry

The programme has been designed to provide students with the knowledge, attitudes and skills that are required for third level study. More specifically, students develop their technical and general English language proficiency through integrated classes, their knowledge of basic sciences, their communication and integration skills as well as their cultural awareness. In addition, students are encouraged to attend guest lectures, to avail of cultural tours and to actively participate in the many Clubs and Societies on offer at IT, Tralee. IMCP is a unique and challenging programme, designed to ensure that its graduates are ready for full engagement with their intended professional studies.

Commenting at the reception Dr Oliver Murphy, President at IT, Tralee said, “The IMCP is a very important initiative for the Institute. As well as the economic gain for the county, estimated at €6 million annually, the students bring a rich and diverse range of cultures and customs which further enhance our multi-cultural campus. The success of this programme is based on the excellent relationship between RCSI and IT Tralee. It is a model of best practise that both organisations can be rightly proud of. The programme has gone from strength to strength since its commencement in September 2008 with 49 students. In the current academic year, we have over 160 students enrolled in this programme, with students from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.”

Mayor of Kerry Cllr Seamus Cosaí Fitzgerald pointed to the benefits of the relationship between RCSI and IT Tralee. “I think an occasion like this is appropriate to acknowledge and welcome the excellent working relationship between the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and IT Tralee,” he said

“The relationship is a key factor in ensuring that the IT Tralee continues to grow and prosper and in doing so continues to play a key role in the development of this county.

“As Mayor of Kerry, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Oliver Murphy, his staff, the board and students for their efforts, for what they have done for this county and for the way they have forged links, both national and international. They have always taken a proactive view throughout their existence in terms of moving forward and exploring possible opportunities.”

Professor Patrick Broe, RCSI President said “It is an honour to be invited here today and afforded a civic reception by Kerry County Council. Since the IMCP was introduced in 2008 the programme has successfully equipped students with the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills that are needed to study medicine, pharmacy or physiotherapy in RCSI. The IMCP is a great example of a highly successful inter-institutional collaboration and we look forward to continuing to work closely with IT Tralee and Castel Education to deliver the IMCP.”

Prof Patrick Broe, President RCSI; Cllr Seamus Fitzgerald, Mayor of Kerry; Prof Hannah McGee, RCSI, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Dr Oliver Murphy, President, IT Tralee

Dr Michael Hall, Registrar, IT Tralee; Jerry Moloney, South-West Regional Director, Enterprise Ireland; Prof Patrick Broe, President RCSI; Dr Joseph McGarry, CEO and Director of Academic Affairs, Castel Education; Terry OBrien, Chairperson of the Governing Body, IT Tralee.

Christina Noble awarded Honorary Fellowship for humanitarian work

Mindful eating, treatment of the diabetic foot, falls prevention and patient safety culture are among the research topics being explored at the RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) 33rd Annual International Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery Conference, which takes place today.

Approximately 160 nurses and midwives will attend the Conference entitled ‘Fundamentals of Nursing & Midwifery Practice’, which coincides with the 40th Anniversary of the Faculty. Speakers from the USA, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Ireland will deliver presentations on the latest developments in areas such as healthy ageing; oncology; wound management and tissue viability; palliative care; midwifery and women’s health.

Ms. Patricia Daly, University of Arizona, USA will present her research on ‘Mindful Eating: The Adolescent Obesity Solution’. Mindful eating, a behavioural skill historically successful in the treatment of anorexia, reconnects eating to satiety cues (feeling full), and has potential as an anti-obesity intervention. Ms. Daly will discuss the results of a study of obese adolescents which showed mindful eating participants’ BMI decreased significantly compared to those who were provided with usual diet and exercise information. Over a 6 week time period, the intervention group lost an average of 5.25lbs whereas the comparison group gained an average of 4lbs.

Christina Noble, Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI with Edna Woolhead, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery

The conference opened yesterday evening with an address from Ms. Christina Noble, Founder of the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, who was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, the highest honour the Faculty can bestow.

Reading Ms Noble’s citation, Dr Aine Colgan, Board Member & Former Dean, RCSI Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery said: ‘Christina Noble has dedicated her life to helping to lift thousands of Vietnamese and Mongolian children out of poverty, giving them and their families a chance to live a life of purpose and dignity. She is a compassionate humanitarian and living proof that if you follow your dreams, there is no end to what you can achieve for others.’

Christina Noble Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI with Professor Patrick Broe, President, RCSI

Ms Edna Woolhead, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI said: ‘Nursing has an increasingly important role in health care delivery. Nurses are true patient advocates and their focus is always around how new developments and changes in policy will impact on the care of the patient. This year’s Conference, marking the Faculty’s 40th Anniversary, will invigorate and enrich our delegates, providing them with new knowledge informed by national and international experts, to help them face the ever increasing challenges of our health care system here in Ireland.’

A copy of the conference programme can be viewed at: www.rcsi.ie/nursingconference

Other topics being presented at the conference include:

• Falling Behind! A Collaborative Approach to Better Bone Health and Falls Prevention, Ms. Daragh Rodger, HSE, Ireland.
• Offloading for the Treatment of the Diabetic Foot- A Systematic Review, Ms. Ana Lúcia Oliveira, RCSI, Ireland.
• An Exploration of the Relationship Between Measures of Positive Organisational Behaviour and Health Services Staff Perceptions of Patient Safety Culture, Mr. Steven Pitman, RCSI, Ireland.

Targeting of tumour blood vessels in cancer treatment also on the agenda

The 2013/2014 RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) MiniMed Open Lecture Series continues tomorrow night, Wednesday 26th February. Two lectures will be given on the subjects of human evolution and cancer therapies. These lectures are free of charge to the public and will be held in RCSI, 123 St. Stephens Green, from 7-9pm.


Tibetans are among those indigenous populations that live at high altitude

Dr Gianpiero Cavalleri, Senior Lecturer in RCSIs Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics (MCT) will give the opening talk on the night. In his lecture, called ‘Health, Evolution and History, Gianpiero will illustrate how indigenous high altitude populations, such as Tibetans, the Oromo (of Ethiopian plateau) and the Quecha (of the Andes mountains in South America), who have been living at high altitude for many generations, have evolved in distinct ways, to adapt to the low levels of oxygen. He will discuss the role of natural selection in this process.

Fresh from a recent research expedition to the Himalayas, Dr Cavalleri will discuss how this adaptation has impacted on the health on these populations and explore why these people suffer less from illness associated with high altitude. Speaking ahead of the lecture, Dr Cavalleri said ‘Indigenous populations such as the Tibetans have adapted to low oxygen levels in the body over generations which allows todays population to thrive in areas of high altitude where most of us would suffer from a variety of conditions including chronic mountain sickness. Most people who travel to a high altitude respond to the lack of oxygen by making more haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of human blood. This is why athletes like to train at altitude, but long term this can cause chronic mountain sickness. However, indigenous Tibetan people have evolved in a manner that maintains low haemoglobin concentrations, despite living at high altitude

The second lecture of the evening will be given by Dr David Murray, a Senior Research Scientist in the RCSI Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, in association with Dr Annette Byrne, Head of the Laboratory of Tumour Biology & Molecular Imaging & Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, and is entitled ‘Tackling Cancer by Targeting Tumour Blood Vessels. The Talk is entitled ‘Tackling Cancer by Targeting Tumour Blood Vessels. The process of angiogenesis is a unifying hallmark of all cancers where blood vessels are provided to tumours to supply nutrients and oxygen, thus allowing them to develop from a few cells to a life-threatening mass that can grow and spread. Dr Murray will discuss how a better understanding of angiogenesis has allowed the development of targeted therapies (anti-angiogenics) to knock out tumour blood vessels, and in so doing, starve and shrink the tumour.

Speaking ahead of the RCSI MiniMed lecture, Dr Byrne said, ‘The team at RCSIs Laboratory of Tumour Biology and Molecular Imaging are focused on developing and improving anti-angiogenic therapies for the treatment of human cancers. This work has in particular, been funded by large EU project grants such as the Angiopredict (www.angiopredict.com) and AngioTox (www.angiotox.com) initiatives. During this talk, we will present an overview of angiogenesis and give an update on our research which is largely focused on improving patient treatment response. We will also highlight recent exciting data that supports the use of a new ‘nanoparticle treatment approach to improve response to anti-angiogenics for patients bearing untreatable malignant brain tumours.

The RCSI MiniMed Open Lecture Series is free of charge; however registration is essential in order to guarantee a place. Previous lecture series have attracted widespread public interest with demand for places far outstripping availability. Register online at www.rcsi.ie/minimed and you can join the conversation online, on the night, on Twitter at #RCSIMiniMed. To view previous RCSI MiniMed lectures from the last series on the RCSI YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/TheRCSI123.

Founded in 1784, RCSIs mission is to develop healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide. RCSI is a not-for-profit health sciences organisation which focuses on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. RCSI is headquartered in Dublin and is a recognised College of the National University of Ireland.

Congratulations to the RCSI Judo Club on their recent intervarsity success. Team RCSI won a gold, silver, and bronze in womens under 78kg, mens novice under 73kg, and mens novice over 73kg respectively. The intervarsity competition took place in Galway last week.


Pictured (l-r) are medal winners Shane Cheung, Samantha Davis and Yusuf Jaly. Well done guys!

Speaking on this achievement, Corriena Brien Student Services Manager said, ‘Congratulations to all our students who participated in the Judo Intervarsitys. The club has gone from strength to strength. Also a special word of thanks goes to Samantha Davis who has been instrumental in the success of this club.

The second annual 3U Leadership Symposium took place on Saturday 1st March 2014 at NUI Maynooth. Following on from last years successful event, the theme of leadership and professionalism was further developed and discussed.


Pictured is (l-r 4th Row) Sibeal Carolan, Institute of Leadership, RCSI; Hugh Carroll, Irish Institure of Pharmacy, based at RCSI; (l-r 3rd Row) Mary Boyd, School of Physiotherapy, RCSI; Dr Pauline Joyce, Institute of Leadership, RCSI; Anna Marie McQuillan, IoL Graduate; (l-r 2nd Row) Margaret Culliton, Ger Talty (Both IoL Graduates), Professor Zena Moore, School of Nursing and Midwifery, RCSI; (l-r 1st Row) Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI; Yvonne Delaney, Natalie Hession (Both IoL Graduates); and Professor Ciaran OBoyle, Institute of Leadership, RCSI.

The keynote speaker on the day was Professor James P. Spillane from the School of Education & Social Policy in Northwestern University, Illinois, USA. addressing delegates on the theme of distributed leadership in organisations residing in a pluralist environment. Other key contributors to the symposium include Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald T.D.; Professor David Coghlan, Organisation Development, TCD; Professor Freddie Wood, President of the Medical Council: and Tomás Ó Ruairc, Director of the Teaching Council.

The symposium also featured research by graduates of Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership (Tóraíocht), offered by the Education Department in NUI Maynooth, in partnership with Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and MSc programmes in Leadership at RCSIs Institute of Leadership.

Speaking on the symposium, Dr Pauline Joyce, Institute of Leadership, RCSI said, ‘This symposium is unique as it addresses a gap in research into educational leadership spanning both the teaching and healthcare sectors. This event offers both academics and postgraduate students the opportunity to learn about emerging practice in action-oriented research and to share their leadership experiences within two very different but complimentary sectors. Dr Joyce organised the symposium, along with Paula Kinnarney, Education Department, NUI Maynooth.

The 3U Partnership is a new force in Irish higher education that combines the complementary strengths of RCSI, DCU and NUI Maynooth.

RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) hosted its annual International Night on Friday, 7th March in the impressive Round Room at the Mansion House, Dublin. International Night is one of the most highly anticipated events in the Colleges calendar and it showcased the impressive cultural diversity and wide range of talents of the RCSI student body.


Pictured (l-r) outside the Mansion House are RCSI students Niall Harney, Ireland; Amelia Sookdeo, Trinidad and Tobego; Randhir Seetaram, Trinidad and Tobego; Naila Edwards, Trinidad and Tobego; Ogechi Adingwupu, Nigeria; Jordan Lim, Canada; Samantha Olsen, Canada; Mashal Khan, Canada; Kimran Sidhu, Canada; and Simraaj Powar, Canada

Students performed dances and musical pieces from around the globe, from the traditional dances of the Middle East, the Chinese Lion Dance performed by PMCSA (representing Malaysia), to a heartfelt tribute to Nelson Mandela by the Caribbean African Society. The Irish Society delighted the audience with a musical tour through Irish history. Previous two-time winners of International Night PIBS (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) performed a fusion of dances from South Asia. Team Canada finished with an energetic tribute to the hockey legends and musical greats who defined their country.

Adding to the events mix of talent, the Music Society and Choral Society performed musical pieces between acts, lending their voices to this celebration of RCSIs diversity. The audience were also treated to the musical talents of Lenin Ekpotu and Alyssa Verelli. Both are notching up an impressive list of performances at various college events.

The judges tasked with the difficult decision of choosing the best performance were Emily OBrien, Student Services; Marie Louise Brennan, SARA Office; Aidan Healy, Student Welfare; Shane Carr, RCSI Student Union President; and Fergus Matthews, RCSI Alumnus. The winners of International Night 2014, PMCSA - Malaysia, were awarded the coveted Parnell Keeling Trophy.

The MCs for the evening, Aifric Heffernan and Hamza Mahmoud, did a splendid job in keeping the audience amused and entertained for the night. Louise Elliott and Mark Abel from the Societies Union, with the support of Student Services, did a wonderful job in making the event a great success.

Founded in 1784, RCSIs mission is to develop healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide. RCSI is a not-for-profit health sciences organisation which focuses on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. RCSI is headquartered in Dublin and is a recognised College of the National University of Ireland.

Researchers at the Health Research Board (HRB) Centre for Primary Care Research based in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), in conjunction with the School of Physiotherapy and Department of General Practice RCSI, have conducted two systematic reviews to examine the value of the value of two commonly used clinical prediction rules (CPRs) to predict falls, particularly among older adults.

Dr Rose Galvin, Programme Leader HRB Centre for Primary Care Research at RCSI, examined the value of the STRATIFY rule, a clinical rule designed to identify individuals at risk of falling. Dr Galvin said: ‘The rule is based on five items that address risk factors for falling including past history of falling, patient agitation, visual impairment affecting everyday function, need for frequent toileting, and limited transfer ability and mobility. The rule deems an individual at high risk of falling if two or more of the items are present. Results from 18 studies incorporating 11,378 patients indicate that the STRATIFY rule is limited in its ability to predict falls and should not be used in isolation for identifying individuals at high risk of falls in clinical practice.

Dr Emma Barry, a GP and Lecturer in the Department of General Practice, RCSI, collaborated with researchers at the HRB Centre and the RCSI School of Physiotherapy to complete a systematic review of the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), which is routinely used to identify individuals at higher risk of falling. Dr Barry said ‘Twenty five studies were included in the systematic review and the results demonstrate that the TUG does not accurately identify community dwelling older adults at risk of falls.

These reviews highlight the importance of examining the totality of evidence prior to the use of CPRs in clinical practice. Evidence from these systematic review of diagnostic accuracy suggests that a single assessment tool like the STRATIFY or the TUG should not be used to identify adults at increased risk of falls. At present it is recommended that clinicians should continue to complete a multi-factorial falls assessment and apply caution when screening for falls risk using these methods until more robust evidence is available.

These reviews will contribute to the ongoing work at the HRB Centre for Primary Care Research in the development of an international register of clinical prediction rules relevant to primary care. This web-based register will be made publicly available in 2014 through the Cochrane Primary Health Care Field.

Professor Tom Fahey, Principal Investigator of the HRB Centre said, ‘This register will assist with the knowledge transfer of evidence based medicine in clinical practice, at the point of patient care.

More information about the specific findings on these two rules is available at the HRB Centre for Primary Care website: www.hrbcentreprimarycare.ie

The Pressure Ulcers to Zero Collaborative, which features RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)s Professor Zena Moore, held the first learning and action planning day on February 27th 2014. Participating teams from across the Dublin North East Region had the opportunity to meet with each other as well as with collaborative leaders as they set about planning their own team actions and goals for the months ahead.

The learning day was facilitated by Annette Bartley Quality Improvement Consultant and also featured presentations by Professor Zena Moore, Head of the RCSI School of Nursing, Julie Jordan O Brien, Beaumont Hospital and Cornelia Stuart Regional Quality and Patient Safety Manager, HSE Dublin North East.

The collaborative is now underway and will run until September across the HSE Dublin North East Region. In the video below, Prof Moore talks about the importance of preventing pressure ulcers.

In January both Prof Moore and Julie Jordan OBrien spoke about wound management in a RCSI MiniMed public lecture. Watch this talk here:

The latest advances in biomedical sciences, clinical research, population health sciences and healthcare delivery are just some of the topics featured in studies which will be presented at the annual RCSI Research Day 2014 which takes place today.

More than 300 researchers are expected to attend this annual forum which provides RCSI scientists with the opportunity to showcase their most recent research findings and emphasises the importance of research within the College.

Pictured (l-r) are Dr David Shahnazaryan and Dr Qistina Pilson, Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, RCSI

The emphasis for the day is on oral and poster presentations by investigators early in their career, post-doctoral fellows, post-graduate and undergraduate scholars and academic staff. All oral presentations and poster presentations will be judged and awards will be presented at a ceremony later this evening.

Pictured (l-r) are William Arthur Lackington, PhD student in Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine; and Professor John Waddington, Professor of Neuroscience, RCSI.

The Annual John J Ryan Distinguished Guest Lecture will be delivered by Professor Sir Stephen ORahilly who will speak on the subject of "Human metabolic disease: lessons from the extremes". The lecture will explore his research into the genetic causes of extreme obesity and insulin resistance which have provided new insights into the physiology of energy balance and metabolism. A native of Dublin, Professor ORahilly is Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine the University of Cambridge. He is the Co-Director of the Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science and Director of the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit.

Pictured (l-r) are Prof Hilary Humphreys, Deputy Director of Clinical Research; Prof Ray Stallings, Director of Research; Prof Sir Stephen O Rahilly, who delivered the Annual John J Ryan Distinguished Guest Lecture; and Professor Kevin McGuigan, Research Day Academic Coordindator.

Professor Ray Stallings, Director of Research at RCSI said: ‘RCSI is committed to supporting and nurturing an active research community and the annual Research Day is a vital platform for highlighting the scope of research taking place across the different disciplines in the College. As one of Irelands premier research institutions, exposure to world-class research begins at undergraduate level right up to the highest-calibre research-active academic staff, enabling us to train new generations of researchers and clinician scientists.

Professor Sir Stephen ORahilly delivers the Annual John J Ryan Distinguished Guest Lecture

Founded in 1784, RCSIs mission is to develop healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide. RCSI is a not-for-profit health sciences organisation which focuses on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. RCSI is headquartered in Dublin and is a recognised College of the National University of Ireland.

Pictured (l-r) are Dr Camilla Carroll, daughter of Mr Kamal Sayed and graduate of RCSI who presented the Mr Kamal Sayed Prize in Neurosurgery (Generously supported by Dr Yacoob Kadwa, Class of 1965) which was awarded to Dr Kieran Sweeney; Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI; Dr Safia Sayed; and Dr Jacintha More OFerrall.

This evening RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) will host an inaugural address by Dr. Catriona Bradley, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Irish Institute of Pharmacy (IIoP) entitled ‘Leading Practice, Advancing Standards’. The IIOP was established by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI, the Pharmacy Regulator) to oversee the management and delivery of continuing professional development to promote excellence in patient care and professional standards. RCSI was awarded a four year contract to establish and operate the IIOP on behalf of the PSI.

Dr Catriona Bradley, Executive Director, IIoP commenting on the role of the IIoP stated: ‘Pharmacists play a vital role in ensuring the safe and rational use of medicines, helping patients to experience optimal benefits from their medicines whilst reducing the risk of medicine related problems. Over the coming years we will see great changes in medicines and in models of care within the healthcare system.”

“The IIoP will empower pharmacists to meet the challenges of the future and will support the development of pharmacy practice. I look forward to working with pharmacists across the profession, as well as with colleagues in other healthcare professions, in the pursuit of improved patient outcomes,’ Dr Bradley continued.

Whether working in communities, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, universities or regulatory bodies, all pharmacists are focussed on the same goal – the improvement of patient health through the optimisation of medicine use. They also have a role in the avoidance or delay of medicine use, through the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the early detection of risk factors for disease. The IIOP will support the development of the profession and facilitate collaboration between pharmacists and other health care professions with a view to optimising outcomes for both the healthcare system and patients.

The work of the IIOP benefits both pharmacists and patients. It will oversee the management and delivery of a new continuing professional development (CPD) system which will support pharmacists in maintaining and developing their competence, driving continuous improvement in the profession. New formal quality assurance processes will also be established to ensure that standards of patient care are maintained across the profession. The IIOP will have a leadership role within the pharmacy profession and in time will also facilitate a research agenda.

Welcoming Dr. Bradley to RCSI, Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI CEO said: ‘The establishment of the Irish Institute of Pharmacy brings Irish pharmacy education and training in line with international best practice and will help to position Ireland at the forefront internationally of pharmacy innovation and education.’

PSI President, Eoghan Hanly sees the Irish Institute of Pharmacy as the ‘essential platform that will assist in the future development of the pharmacy profession in Ireland, with pharmacists working as part of the wider healthcare team in the interest of public health and patient safety. This flexible model of CPD will allow pharmacists to develop their skills in line with changes in the Irish health service, evolving patient need and as identified in their practice area.’

RCSI
Founded in 1784, RCSI’s mission is to develop healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide. RCSI is a not-for-profit health sciences organisation which focuses on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. RCSI is headquartered in Dublin and is a recognised College of the National University of Ireland.

PSI
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the Pharmacy Regulator, is the statutory body for pharmacists and pharmacies in Ireland. It acts in the public interest to regulate the profession.

ENDS

www.iiop.ie

Students from RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) have launched the 7th edition of the RCSI Student Medical Journal (RCSIsmj). The RCSIsmj is produced entirely by RCSI students for students and staff. The journal aims to promote student authorship and to foster research, innovation and student participation with healthcare issues.


Pictured (l-r) is Ramia Jameel, Vice-Director of the RCSIsmj, and Eoin Kelleher, Director of RCSIsmj

RCSIsmj is a multidisciplinary publication which includes articles and submissions from medical, physiotherapy, and pharmacy students. The articles range from original research, audits, and special interest pieces to the publication of abstracts, case reports, and elective reviews.

Article topics in this years edition include the role of serotonin in myocardial infarction, new roles for thalidomide, as well as original research on cognitive impairment. Other articles explore the future of the white coat in medicine, the transvaginal cholecystectomy, and the use of the placebos.

For the first time, a debate was held to mark the launch of this years RCSIsmj. The motion was This House believes that consenting individuals should be allowed to purchase and sell organs. Dr Siobhán OSullivan, Chief Bioethics Officer, Department of Health, chaired the debate. Professor David Smith, Professor of Ethics at RCSI, proposed the motion while Professor Peter Conlon, Clinical Director of Transplantation Urology and Nephrology, Beaumont Hospital spoke in opposition.


Pictured at the launch of the RCSIsmj is Eoin Kelleher and Dr Alice McGarvey, Vice Dean of Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

This year the Ethics Challenge competition focuses on the topic of organ trade, and whether individuals should be allowed to buy and sell organs. The debate provided a starting point for students to consider the issue, and write a submission for next years journal.

Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI, praised the dedication of the student editorial team. ‘The high quality of the journal is a result of a very cohesive and hard-working student team and the committed academic staff who support the students.


The Executive Committee of the 2014 RCSI Student Medical Journal: Ramia Jameel,Vice-Director of RCSIsmj; Eoin Kelleher, Director of RCSIsmj; Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI; Melissa Schorr, Editor-in-Chief, RCSIsmj; and Natalie Achamallah, Senior Editor of the RCSIsmj

‘The RCSIsmj provides a forum for students to present their research skills and interests at an early stage in their career, it gives students a better understanding of how research can be translated from the bench to the patients bedside, which in turn leads to better clinical care and best practice patient care, Prof McGee continued.

The RCSIsmj is to provide a forum for RCSI student contributions to the field of medicine, in any discipline. The journal publishes student research ranging from basic laboratory science and clinical work to humanities analyses of medicine in society. The goal of the RCSIsmj is to encourage student research, writing and submission for publication, whilst reaching a broad international readership through both our print and electronic versions of the journal. For more information, visit www.rcsismj.com.

Founded in 1784, RCSIs mission is to develop healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide. RCSI is a not-for-profit health sciences organisation which focuses on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. RCSI is headquartered in Dublin and is a recognised College of the National University of Ireland.

Brown Bag pharmacy event to run parallel to free public talks

The 2013/2014 RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) MiniMed Open Lecture Series concludes tonight, Wednesday 26th March. These closing lectures will discuss ‘What can my Pharmacist do for me? and will also focus on Generic medicines and Internet pharmacies. These talks, free of charge to the public will take place from 7pm to 9pm and will be held in RCSI, 123 St. Stephens Green.

Professor Paul Gallagher, Head of the RCSI School of Pharmacy, will give the opening talk of the evening with a lecture entitled ‘Potions, Lotions and Health Promotion - What can my Pharmacist do for me?. Speaking ahead of the RCSI MiniMed lecture, Professor Gallagher said, ‘The role of the pharmacist in modern healthcare delivery is changing and there is a growing acceptance of the need to shift the model of healthcare toward service delivery in the primary care setting. Pharmacists are a relatively under-utilised resource in the community whose expertise, if properly exploited, could make a valuable contribution to improving the health and wellbeing of the Irish people and their families. We will also provide some key information to the public in regards to generic medicines and internet pharmacies.

The second MiniMed lecture of the night will cover two topical pharmaceutical subjects Generic medicines and Internet pharmacies. This lecture will be given by Matthew Lynch MPSI, Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy, RCSI. A pharmacy ‘Brown Bag event will run parallel to the second lecture at the College. This will allow (pre-registered) members of the public to bring all of their medication and supplements to an appointment with an RCSI pharmacist. The pharmacist will sit down with each participant and review the medication they are taking and give some advice.

Speaking on the Brown Bag medicine review event, Professor Gallagher continued, ‘The aim of such an event is, ultimately to improve participants understanding of their medicines, answer any questions they have and improve communication and the relationship between patients and their pharmacist.

The RCSI MiniMed Open Lecture Series is free of charge; however registration is essential in order to guarantee a place. Previous lecture series have attracted widespread public interest with demand for places far outstripping availability. Register online at www.rcsi.ie/minimed and you can join the conversation online, on the night, on Twitter at #RCSIMiniMed. To view previous RCSI MiniMed lectures from the last series on the RCSI YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/TheRCSI123.

Founded in 1784, RCSIs mission is to develop healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide. RCSI is a not-for-profit health sciences organisation which focuses on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. RCSI is headquartered in Dublin and is a recognised College of the National University of Ireland.

Event to showcase medical Postgraduate career paths in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Malta, Malaysia, Middle East, United Kingdom and United States

RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) will host its Fourth National & International Careers Symposium tomorrow, Saturday 29th March. More than 400 students are expected to attend the event at the College at 123 St Stephens Green, which is jointly organised by Dr Alice McGarvey, Vice-Dean Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences and Fionnuala Rahilly, Career Development Manager at RCSI. The International Careers Symposium will run from 9am to approximately 2.30pm.

This half-day event will be of particular interest to students in the academic years from Intermediate Cycle (IC3), Graduate Entry Progamme (GEP) 2 to Senior Cycle 1 and 2. There is an impressive line-up of national and international speakers reflecting the desired destinations of where students have indicated they wish to pursue their postgraduate training. These speakers include Professor Emma Meagher, University of Pennsylvania; Dr Johnny Walker, Hermitage Clinic; Dr Cedric Gunaratnam, Beaumont Hospital; Professor Jacqueline Ho, Penang Medical College; Dr Ghufran Jassim, RCSI Bahrain; Dr Tonio Piscopo, Mater Dei Hospital; and Dr Gozie Offiah, Dublin North East.

Speaking ahead of the event, Professor Arnold Hill, Head of the School of Medicine, RCSI who will open proceedings at tomorrows symposium said, ‘It is vital that such events support our students by providing essential information regarding postgraduate routes both here in Ireland and abroad. The symposium is being held on Saturday to facilitate those students on rotation. The support of RCSI academic staff is vital to the success of this event as they are the students mentors and advisors so I would strongly encourage as many to attend as possible. Academics can obtain a programme by emailing careersupport@rcsi.ie.

Founded in 1784, RCSIs mission is to develop healthcare leaders who make a difference worldwide. RCSI is a not-for-profit health sciences organisation which focuses on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide. RCSI is headquartered in Dublin and is a recognised College of the National University of Ireland.

Research may lead to a new bowel cancer detection method

New evidence that a common gut bacterium is involved in bowel cancer has been discovered by researchers from the Department of Physiology and Medical Physics in RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland). The research is published in this month’s edition of the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

The HRB funded research, led by Dr David Hughes at the Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, RCSI found a significantly increased presence of a common microbe Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) in tissue and stool samples of patients with colorectal cancers and colorectal benign tumours. Additionally Fn infection levels were related with benign tumour progression from early to advanced stages and the transition from a benign tumour to cancer.

Commenting on the research, Dr David Hughes, said “Our research found that cancer patients with low bacterial levels had significantly longer survival times than patients with moderate and high levels of the bacterium. Also, for patients with a benign tumour, we found that the presence of Fn may be a risk factor for disease progression from tumour to cancer. This is a significant finding because it highlights the potential of Fn detection as a possible indicator of colorectal cancers.”

The research highlights that screening for Fn levels may be used as a new bowel cancer detection method or to further inform existing screening strategies. Efforts to combat Fn infection could be considered for colorectal cancers patients with high levels of the bacterium to improve the survival prospects for these patients.

For patients with benign tumours, Fn levels may be used to classify the tumours that may have a higher risk of disease progression to colorectal cancers with implications for increasing follow-up and at the possible use of anti-microbial treatments.

Dr Hughes continued “Potentially, any impact of Fn infection on benign tumour development and progression to more serious stages will be considerable, because 95% of all bowel cancers arise from benign tumours, but only a small number of them become cancerous. Currently, there are no reliable predictive markers of whether a benign tumour will advance to cancer.”

On Friday 28^th March RCSI’s Gourmet Society hosted the annual International Food Night. Scents wafted through the college from 4pm onwards as the teams poured into the exam hall to prepare for the night ahead.

By 6pm the incredible aromas were luring staff and students in a zombie-like fashion following their noses to the exam hall. As you stepped into the hall it was like stepping into an international food market with vibrant colours dressing each of the stands. The passion and enthusiasm resulted in an electric atmosphere. Malaysia has had an incredible year racking up a second major RCSI award as Overall Winners.

Well done to the Gourmet Society who did a wonderful job organising the event and each of the participants who contributed to such a great event.

Pictured below are students enjoying the night in RCSI