The world’s first clinical trial (SURGUVANT) evaluating anti-inflammatory use at the time of surgery in colon cancer patients to improve their cancer outcome has been published in scientific journal, BMC Cancer.

The research successfully tested an anti-inflammatory agent with anti-cancer properties known as ‘Taurolidine’ in the SURGUVANT trial which was funded by a grant from Geistlich Pharma AG, Wolhusen, Switzerland. The research was undertaken by researchers at RCSI in Dublin in collaboration with the Cork University Hospital group, University College Cork, Mercy University Hospital and the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork led by Professor Paul Redmond, RCSI Council member and Chair of Surgery at Cork University Hospital and Mr Peter O’Leary, CUH Department of Surgery.

The Surguvant trial examined a link between surgical inflammation and the recurrence of cancer. The trial randomised patients undergoing surgery for colon cancer to either a placebo or 2% Taurolidine solution. The trial reported that important components of the inflammatory response to surgery that have been shown to propagate tumour cell growth, can be attenuated successfully without compromising patient safety.

“We are delighted that this important clinical trial could be performed in Ireland. The Surguvant trial is the first of its kind to be performed worldwide showing that it is safe to use Taurolidine in this critical period of time for cancer patients where they are exposed to an inflammatory response necessary for wound healing but which can be potentially detrimental to their cancer outcome,” said Professor Redmond. “Now that we have proven the safety of this treatment strategy, it remains to be demonstrated if targeting the inflammatory response to surgery will lead to improved outcomes for cancer patients. We hope to do this in much larger future trials.”

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

RCSI and the Beacon Hospital have today announced a strategic partnership to support early career physicians in advancing research qualifications while maintaining clinical practice. Submissions are sought from interested candidates who wish to undertake a Doctorate in Medicine (MD) Degree through the Strategic Academic Recruitment (StAR) Programme.

The MD degree offers candidates the opportunity to strengthen translational research output while building expertise as a clinical scientist. Candidates will be based at the Beacon Hospital, enhancing clinician-scientist research collaborations, while also working in a relevant RCSI laboratory or research setting.

Welcoming the announcement, Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI said: “RCSIs Strategic Academic Recruitment (StAR) Programme is an ambitious initiative to accelerate the delivery of innovative, impactful research in the health sciences across a range of critical research themes. The StAR MD programme supports clinical research and training with the patient always as the focal point”.

The MD degree is one of the highest degrees awarded, at level 10 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications. The programme encompasses funded clinical work, MD fees for two years (valued at €9,200) and a research consumable budget of €20,000 per registrant.

Candidate research profiles should align with one of RCSI’s or the Beacon Hospital’s areas of research strength including Acute Care Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesia & Critical Care Medicine, Cancer & Palliative Care, Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Perinatal Health, Medicine (Respiratory, Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Endocrinology), Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Population Health and Health Science, Regenerative Medicine, Surgical Science and Practice (Robotics, Urology & Plastics), and Vascular Biology and Diagnostic Imaging.

For more information on requirements, please visit: rcsi.ie/starmdprogramme For enquiries please contact starmd@rcsi.ieor treasa.nolan@beaconhospital.ie

About RCSI

About Beacon Hospital

Researchers at RCSI, Stanford University and Oregon Health Sciences University have discovered a marker which can help determine which asthma patients are likely to benefit from a new treatment which targets inflammatory cells called Eosinophils. The research, which was funded through a Health Research Board Clinician Scientist Award, has today been published in Science Translational Medicine.

Asthma is a common clinical condition characterized by airway obstruction, inflammation, and hyper¬ responsiveness. It affects approximately 470,000 people in Ireland. Symptoms such as bronchoconstriction and cough range from mild intermittent to severe persistent. Some patients, despite good treatment, remain troubled by the symptoms of their condition.

According to Professor Richard Costello, Department of Medicine, RCSI, “The novel treatments now available for asthma present a new challenge for clinicians. It is important that we are able to identify which patient will benefit from these treatments. Our research set out to determine if there were any particular markers which would help us to understand which patients had a particular form of asthma and would respond well to new treatments”.

Professor Costello explained that in eosinophilic asthma, the most common form of asthma, inflammatory cells (eosinophils) in the airway alter nerve function and make the condition worse.

“We identified that inflammatory cells, in particular, eosinophils, promote airway nerve growth in patients with asthma. These observations provide a unique insight into a fundamental mechanism of how the inflammation caused by asthma causes people to experience the symptoms of asthma such as coughing and breathlessness”, said Professor Costello.

“Our research means that we now know which markers to look for in a patient with severe asthma. A patient with markers which show they have this particular form of asthma is likely to respond well to these new treatments”.

RCSI is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, founded in 1784, with its headquarters in Dublin. It is focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. It is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

Amelia Stein has been announced as the winner of the 2018 RCSI Art Award. The prize, awarded to the artist for her work ‘Brig Gen Jimmy Flynn (retd) DSM’, was presented by Mr Kenneth Mealy, President of RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) at a ceremony which took place in the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA).

Now in its third year, the RCSI Art Award was established to celebrate the common heritage of RCSI and the RHA and the long-standing association between art, medicine and wellbeing.

The artwork was selected from more than 600 works that were on display at the 188th RHA Annual Exhibition. The winning artwork ‘Brig Gen Jimmy Flynn (retd) DSM’ was originally commissioned as part of a collaboration between Amelia Stein and the Military Archives as part of the Military Archives Oral History Project (MAOHP) which aims to record memory, oral history and tradition associated with the Defence Forces. As part of the prize, the winning artist will receive a commission for a new work to be displayed on RCSI’s campus.

Professor Cathal Kelly, Chief Executive/ Registrar, RCSI said: "The RCSI Art Award is a celebration of the common heritage of the RCSI and RHA and the long-standing association between art, medicine and wellbeing. We are delighted to present the prize to Amelia Stein for this inspirational and meticulous portrait. We look forward to working with the artist to create a new work for the RCSI campus that will inspire our future healthcare leaders and evoke a sense of wellbeing for all who observe it."

(L-R): Mr Kenneth Mealy, President of RCSI,; RCSI Art Award winner Amelia Stein; and Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI Chief Executive.

Both RCSI (1784) and the RHA (1823) have Georgian origins and are 32-county bodies with educational roles. RCSI was occupied, while the RHA was destroyed in the Easter Rising of 1916 and the RCSI Art Award was established to coincide with the centenary of these historic events.

Open to all artists working in paint, drawing, print, sculpture, photography and architecture, the RHA Annual Exhibition attracts a large public and critical audience with 48,000 visitors last year.

The successful artist was awarded €5,000 and the RCSI silver medal and will also receive a commission to the value of €10,000 for a new work for the RCSI collection.

All works of art, in any medium, selected for the 188th RHA Annual Exhibition were considered for the RCSI Art Award. The other shortlisted works were: ‘Venus of Holles Street’ by Jason Ellis, ‘Extraverted’ by Killian Schurmann, ‘Seeing Red’ by Taffina Flood; and ‘Buoyed’ by Michael Quane RHA.

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

Ireland’s health system is facing a demographic time bomb which will have serious consequences for the delivery surgical services if not addressed now, according to RCSI President Mr Kenneth Mealy who will deliver the State of the Art lecture at the Freyer Meeting which takes place tomorrow in Galway.

Speaking ahead of the Freyer Meeting, Mr Mealy said that “the numbers suggest a very clear trajectory that we simply cannot afford to ignore. 3,000 beds per day are currently occupied by surgical patients. By 2046, if the system remains as it is and with Ireland’s projected population and age profile, 5,500* beds a day will be required".

“Greater efficiencies are necessary because of the absolute imperative presented by our aging population. We have a choice to make. We can either start building more hospitals or we can make more efficient use of the bed days we currently have. We can see what’s coming down the line here and we can plan for it,” said Mr Mealy.

Mr Mealy welcomed the publication of the Sláintecare plan saying that the system has suffered because of a lack of long term planning and Sláintecare offers a positive step forward in providing a more strategic approach to healthcare delivery in Ireland. He said, however, that it is surprising that there is little in the plan about the huge variance in surgical services across the country.

“When we see that one hospital can deal with gall bladder surgery as a day case whereas other hospitals admit patients overnight, we have to ask why,” said Mr Mealy. “We need to look at the funding model and make sure that it’s dis-incentivising inefficient practices. The rollout of an activity based pricing model over the next number of years would go a long way to incentivise hospitals to manage their beds efficiently.”

Addressing the plan in Sláintecare to build elective only hospitals, Mr Mealy said: “There is an inescapable logic to the separation of acute and elective care. Putting the patient exclusively at the centre of our planning means there is no other outcome that makes sense. Patients with life threatening conditions must be treated by the right team with access to the appropriate equipment and diagnostics.”

Mr Mealy said that: “Clearly there are considerable challenges facing the Irish health service. Notwithstanding these, Ireland ranked 11th out of 195 countries in the 2016 Healthcare Access and Quality in the Global Burden of Disease Study (Lancet May 23rd 2018). As healthcare professionals, we strive every day to put our patients are the centre of our work and to provide the highest standard of care. We also have a duty to make the most efficient use of the finite resources in the system so that it has the capacity to provide sustainable high quality surgical care into the future."

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide, and the top 1% for clinical, preclinical and health in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018). Its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

*Based on CSO population projection by set and age combined with Hospital Inpatient Enquiry (HIPE) actuals for 2016.

This morning, RCSI began welcoming its newest cohort of students to the College as Orientation Week 2018 gets underway. 539 students began their courses in medicine, pharmacy and physiotherapy and will get to know their way around the College, while also being introduced to academic and professional services staff. Orientation Week 2018, which kicks off today, will continue until Friday 14 September and will run in tangent with Freshers’ Fortnight.

This years undergraduate intake of 314 medical students, 65 pharmacy students and 35 physiotherapy students come from Ireland and a host of other countries across Europe, North America, Australia, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Also joining are 36 medical students who are coming to RCSI as part of the Penang Medical College programme. This year’s intake also includes 89 graduate entry medicine students who commenced their programme last week.

RCSI’s three undergraduate schools welcomed their respective new students to RCSI this morning with an opening address from School Heads with Professor Arnold Hill welcoming students to the School of Medicine, Professor Paul Gallagher welcoming the new pharmacy students and Professor Frances Horgan (Acting Head) addressing the new physiotherapy students.

Further speeches included Philip Curtis, Director of Admissions, Recruitment and Student Services; Dr Orna Tighe, Vice Dean for Student Support and Development; and Ronan Tobin, Head of Student Engagement and Development. The students were provided with an overview of the extensive range of academic and non-academic supports that are available to all students in the College. The Students’ Union also briefed the new incoming students about the range of social activities that they have organised as part of Freshers’ Fortnight and introduced the Clubs and Societies which play such an important part in the life of an RCSI student

The 2018 Buddy Programme also got underway with second and third year pharmacy, physiotherapy and medical students volunteering to act as ‘buddies’ for the new students this year. The Buddies provide an invaluable resource in the form of friendly, knowledgeable and experienced students, who welcome the new students to RCSI for the first time and provide them with first-hand knowledge about the College, the courses, extra-curricular activities and student life in Dublin.

Later today Mr Kenneth Mealy, President of RCSI, will host a reception which is an opportunity for our new students’ families to join in the excitement of the beginning of their life as an RCSI student. The President will provide an overview of the College and its wider activities. This will be followed by a presentation from Professor Clive Lee, Head of Anatomy, who will provide a unique perspective on RCSI and some of its distinguished graduates. Students and their families will also have the opportunity to meet with academic and non-academic staff at the President’s Reception.

On Tuesday 11 September, the White Coat Ceremony will take place in 26 York Street. The White Coat Ceremony is undertaken in the first week in College as a common ceremony for all medicine, physiotherapy, pharmacy students and physician associates - to mark their new role as student health professionals. Students are invited by Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, to make a commitment to professionalism that mirrors the graduates’ declaration recited at their conferring day, and that signals the responsibilities they must begin to undertake as trainee health professionals from the start of their programmes.

The symbolism of having all disciplines start together recognises their common pathway in developing professional competence - and the importance of teamwork in healthcare delivery. The ceremony will be live streamed on the RCSI website from 5pm to enable families and friends who are unable to attend the event to watch proceedings from anywhere in the world.

As well as orientation, it is also Freshers’ Fortnight for the students. There are a wide variety of social events organised, including sign-up day for Clubs and Societies on Wednesday 12 September and the Dardistown Carnival on Thursday 13 September in the RCSI sports grounds in Dardistown. Next week’s activities including Pharm Soc’s BBQ, a UNICEF Dare Night and a Climbing Club trip to Glendalough.

The orientation and Freshers’ activities and events are being organised by departments across the College including Admissions, Student Services, Student Academic and Regulatory Affairs (SARA), CoMPPAS. IT and staff from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences as well as the Students’ Union.

The world-recognised pioneer of the growth mindset – the concept that abilities and intelligence are not fixed but can be developed and expanded – will be in Dublin this evening to deliver a keynote lecture at RCSI, which is embracing her concepts in its curriculum transformation project.

Professor Carol S. Dweck, Stanford University Psychology Professor and author of the bestselling Mindset will deliver the 3rd RCSI Foley lecture at the College in St Stephen’s Green tonight. She will explain how a growth mindset is crucial for all education, and she will focus on its application for the education of medical and other healthcare professionals in her talk: Medical Minds: Growth for Healthcare Professionals.

A growth mindset involves a belief that intelligence and talent are just a starting point for every individual and that most abilities can be further developed through dedication, sound educational strategies and support and input from others.

RCSI CEO Professor Cathal Kelly said: “The teachings in ‘growth mindset’ are integral to the education and ethos espoused by RCSI. When students and healthcare professionals believe that they can not only learn but can also get smarter, they put in extra time and effort and achieve more. The concept has influenced us as we develop our curriculum for the healthcare professionals of the future.”

According to Professor Dweck: “Almost every area of human endeavour can be influenced by how we view our talents and abilities. With the right mindset, educators in all walks of life can motivate those they lead, teach and treat to improve their learning and their lives.”

RCSI is working to introduce and foster a growth mindset approach to its educational programmes in order to help students to flourish, both during their student days and in their long-term careers. According to Professor Kelly: “Many of our students have come from second level education systems that are more focused on knowledge learning and retrieval than on discovery and innovation. The growth mindset approach will enable them to learn to grow and optimise their abilities and skills”.

Education at RCSI is focused in particular on developing professional skills, including those of leadership and resilience. Resilience is particularly important in professional environments of high stress, where the ability to look after one’s own health and wellbeing must be actively prioritised and nurtured, to ensure high-quality functioning in healthcare settings.

The RCSI Foley Lecture:

The RCSI Foley Lecture is a biannual lecture supported by a bequest from Dr Michael Foley, a graduate of the Class of 1950. Its purpose is to feature eminent individuals globally renowned as educators, leaders and pioneers to enrich RCSI’s extensive community of healthcare professionals.

Professor Carol Dweck:

Carol S. Dweck, PhD, is one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of motivation and is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford. Her research demonstrates the critical role of mindsets in personal achievement and organizational effectiveness. She has also held professorships at Columbia and Harvard Universities, has lectured to education, business, and sports groups all over the world, and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. She has won 9lifetime achievement awards for her research, including the Atkinson Prize in Psychological and Cognitive Science from the National Academy of Sciences, the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association, and the Wilbur Cross Medal from Yale University. Her best-selling book Mindset (Random House) has been widely acclaimed and has been translated into over 25 languages.

About RCSI:

RCSI is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, founded in 1784, with its headquarters in Dublin. It is focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. It is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

RCSI is urging people to recognise the signs and symptoms of sepsis, a silent killer associated with seven deaths per day in Irish hospitals. To mark World Sepsis Day on Thursday 13 September, RCSI will lead a campaign which will see landmark buildings in Ireland turn pink to raise awareness of sepsis.

Sepsis can occur following an infection in any part of the body or from a simple cut or graze when that infection affects the function of the body’s organs. Sepsis is a life threatening condition that if caught early, can be managed effectively. A poll commissioned earlier this year by RCSI and the Rory Staunton Foundation for sepsis prevention, demonstrated that 72% of people surveyed were not aware of sepsis*, despite it being a common cause of death in Ireland.

Dr Fidelma Fitzpatrick, RCSI Senior Lecturer and Consultant Microbiologist, said: “Sepsis can kill in less than 12 hours and it must be diagnosed early because every hour delay increases the risk of death. Increasing awareness will reduce the number of preventable deaths associated with this condition.”

The symptoms of sepsis mimic those of the flu and as we approach the flu season it is critical that people know how to spot the signs and symptoms of sepsis and act appropriately. The signs and symptoms include; high temperature, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, pain, pale or mottled skin, and feeling generally very sick. According to research published by the National Sepsis Programme almost 15,000 cases of sepsis were diagnosed in Ireland in 2016, resulting in 2,735 deaths.

“Sepsis is a time-dependent medical emergency. For every one hour that antibiotics are delayed mortality goes up by 7.6% and that increases exponentially. We are encouraging people to learn to spot sepsis and save lives,” said Dr Fitzpatrick.

Commenting on World Sepsis Day, Prof. Steve Kerrigan, Associate Professor in Pharmacology at RCSI and inventor of InnovoSep, a potential new breakthrough therapy in the fight against sepsis, said: “Doctors and researchers continue their work to find ways of effectively treating sepsis, but public awareness is what will really save lives. It is critical that people learn to spot the signs and symptoms of sepsis so that they can get to the hospital and initiate treatment as soon as possible. This is important as sepsis destroys lives, families and communities and sepsis deaths are preventable if people can recognise the signs and symptoms.”

In addition to RCSI, buildings across the country including the Convention Centre Dublin, The Mansion House, the Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Millmount Museum, Drogheda will go pink to mark World Sepsis Day and to encourage a nationwide conversation about sepsis.

Signs and symptoms of sepsis

• Confusion or disorientation
• Shortness of breath
• High heart rate
• Fever, shivering or feeling very cold
• Extreme pain or discomfort
• Clammy or sweaty skin

Further information on sepsis, its signs and symptoms can be found on the RCSI MyHealth app.

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

*The study ‘Public awareness of sepsis is still poor: we need to do more’, was published in the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine in July 2018 and can be read here.

World Sepsis Day is an initiative of the Global Sepsis Alliance.

Key facts

• Approx. 30 million people suffer from sepsis annually
• About 8-10 million of these people die
• Around 20% of sepsis survivors live with cognitive and/or physical impairments
• Mortality and impairments could be significantly reduced
• The goals of World Sepsis Day
• The aim to reduce the incidence of sepsis by 20% and the mortality rate by 10% by 2020. To save 800 000 lives each year.
• Ensure effective treatment for those who do develop sepsis
• Improve public and professional understanding and awareness of sepsis

Further information on InnovoSep, Prof. Kerrigan’s breakthrough sepsis treatment, can be found here.

RCSI notes the publication of the Scally report into the CervicalCheck screening programme and acknowledges the consequences for the many women and families involved.

RCSI is committed to promoting the professional standards to address the communication and organisational deficits outlined in the report and in particular promote open disclosure policies within our student, trainees and consultant body.

RCSI believes that screening plays an important role in the early diagnosis of many conditions including bowel cancer and breast cancer and encourage those invited for screening to participate. In addition we strongly value the importance of national clinical audit and quality assurance processes and commit to engagement with all public and healthcare representatives to form more inclusive partnerships in delivering quality healthcare.

Today, RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC – formerly Penang Medical College, PMC) was officially launched by Minister Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Education and Skills, Ireland.

The institution’s upgrade to Foreign University Branch Campus was approved by the Malaysian MOE in March this year with its full name Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and University College Dublin (UCD) Malaysia Campus.

The launch at the University’s Penang campus was also attended by Deputy Director General of Higher Education and Ministry of Education Malaysia, Dr Mohd Nor Azman Bin Hassan, along with the Irish Ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Eamon Hickey, RCSI President, Mr Kenneth Mealy, Deputy President UCD, Professor Mark Rogers; and hosted by RUMC President and CEO, Professor Stephen Doughty, together with Vice President (Academic Affairs) and Registrar, Professor David Whitford and the Dean, Professor Mr Premnath Nagalingam.

Prof. Stephen Doughty: “As we celebrate this momentous achievement as the first of many RUMC milestones we know that we are building upon more than 20 years of PMC’s high quality Irish education delivery. We continue to support the development of healthcare in Malaysia and were delighted to recently sign a MoU with the Ministry of Health to establish a new pathway for Family Medicine training for doctors in Malaysia.”

The University is committed to offer more high quality, internationally recognised programmes to cater to the growing demands in the global healthcare sector.

Established for more than 20 years ago, the institution provided Malaysia’s first registrable medical degree from a Malaysian private higher education institution and is owned by Irish institutions, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and University College Dublin (UCD). Degrees are awarded by the National University of Ireland and are globally recognised. RUMC will continue to build on this history and will offer a high-quality Irish medical degree as well as other healthcare and related programmes at foundation, bachelors, masters and doctoral levels.

The event today was attended by many in the healthcare and education sector RUMC staff and students joined in the celebration.

The newly launched institution will be better placed to inform the profession and the public about medicine, especially through hosting the prestigious Cochrane Malaysia network which focusses on dissemination of evidence-based medicine. In addition, future plans to continue to increase research activity and output will ensure that Malaysia stays at the cutting edge of medicine development. Core activities will remain as providing high quality, affordable Irish medical education in Malaysia and ensuring that our location in the northern corridor supports the region and its development.

Nearly 1,700 medical doctors have graduated from the institution with globally recognised medical degrees of the National University of Ireland (NUI) and practice in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Ireland, UK, Switzerland, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, USA and many other countries. The graduating class of 2019 will be the first to graduate under the new University name.

For more information, please visit the RUMC website or follow on Facebook.

About RCSI

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

About UCD

University College Dublin (UCD) is one of Europes leading research-intensive universities and is currently ranked within the top 1% of institutions worldwide. UCD is also Irelands most globally engaged university with over 30,000 students drawn from over 120 countries and includes 5,500 students based at locations outside of Ireland. The Universitys main Dublin campus occupies an extensive parkland estate of more than 130 hectares and offers world-leading facilities.

About RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC – formerly PMC)

Wholly owned by the RCSI and UCD, the University has been providing the highest quality medical education to internationally recognised standards since the institution’s inception in 1996. The core medical degree programme takes students to the RCSI or UCD in Dublin, Ireland for the pre-clinical years and then to RUMC and its Teaching Hospitals in and around Penang for their clinical training years prior to graduation. Graduates are awarded medical degrees of the National University of Ireland, which are recognised worldwide.

The 11th annual HEIR conference, addressing the challenges and opportunities for institutional research in a changing higher education landscape, begins today at RCSI. The conference brings together a community of higher education professionals with an interest in using or providing information and analysis to inform institutional planning, policy formation and decision-making.

The annual conference of the UK and Ireland Higher Education Institutional Research (HEIR) Network will focus on the way in which data analysis and evidenced based decision making play an important role in strategic planning for higher education institutions.

The conference will be opened by Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD. It will be addressed by international speakers including Louise Simpson, co-founding Director of The Knowledge Partnership UK, and Director of The World 100 Reputation Network, Professor David Gibson, Director of Learning Futures at Curtin University in Australia and UNESCO Chair of Data Science in Higher Education Learning and Teaching and Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, Emeritus Professor, Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Speaking ahead of the opening of today’s conference, Professor Hannah McGee, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI, said: “In the modern world where data and information is central to management decision making it is important to focus on the permanently changing higher education landscape and foresee and adjust to challenges and opportunities. Delegates from over fifty institutions and ten countries are gathered at RCSI to share and reflect on international experiences.”

“We are delighted to host a conference focused on such contemporary issues and uniquely aimed at both professional and academic staff responsible for institutional data and research that is used to inform HEI decision-making in the areas of strategic planning, teaching and learning, quality, institutional performance and institutional effectiveness,” added Professor McGee.

Addressing the importance of institutional research at RCSI, Professor McGee said: “Data analysis and insight is an important strategic agenda for RCSI. Institutional research provides our Senior Management Team with important analysis supporting strategic areas such as research intelligence and institutional performance in university rankings.”

RCSI’s ranking in the top 2% of universities worldwide (including first in Ireland for research citations) in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) is a testament to the world-class healthcare education we provide and the outstanding contribution of our research community to scientific understanding in healthcare. We are committed to continuous improvement and strive to enter the top 1% of universities worldwide.

The RCSI Institute of Leadership and the 30% Club have awarded three scholarships as part of ongoing efforts to improve gender diversity in healthcare. The scholarships were awarded to three female healthcare professionals to attend a leadership programme this coming October.

The first RCSI 30% Club Scholarship (MSc in Leadership) was awarded to Sarah Hume, a Senior Psychologist in the Irish Prison Service in July 2018. Today, Dr Roísín Dolan and Dr Danielle Divilly received their scholarships to the programme.

Announcing the winners, RCSI CEO Prof Cathal Kelly said: "RCSI is fully committed to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion and this is embedded in our Strategic Plan 2018 - 2020. The scholarship attracted excellent candidates and we are delighted to announce that the two successful women awarded the scholarship are: Dr Roisin Dolan and Dr Danielle Divilly. We hope that this programme will benefit both awardees as they progress in their careers in Surgery and General Practice.”

The Professional Diploma in Clinical Leadership is a specialist postgraduate programme designed for busy healthcare professionals who wish to develop their leadership skills. Participants will undertake a programme of evidence-based study, designed to meet the immediate development needs of both themselves and their healthcare organisations.

Last year, a report by RCSI showed that 50% of medical graduates are female, but just 34% of surgical trainees are women, while less than 7% of consultant surgeons are women. In order to promote greater gender diversity and the critical importance of effective leadership in healthcare, the programme was launched in April 2018 by RCSI.

The scholarships, each valued at €5,750, were supported by the 30% Club, a global movement committed to better gender balance at all levels of organisations, fostering greater representation of women at executive levels of business and large organisations.

Dr Mary Collins, Programme Director said: “RCSI Institute of Leadership is delighted to partner with the 30% Club in offering two female candidates a scholarship covering all tuition fees on our Professional Diploma in Clinical Leadership (PDCL) commencing in October 2018. The programme is designed for all senior clinical staff, seeking to significantly develop their clinical leadership capacity, increase their self-insights and maximise their impact on others in their healthcare organisations.”

Dr Roísín Dolan is originally from Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland and graduated from medical school at University College Dublin in 2007. Following completion of a two-year Doctorate in Medicine (MD) in cancer research at UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, she completed both basic and higher surgical training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at RCSI.

Roisin was awarded Fellowship of RCSI in 2017 and subsequently completed clinical fellowship training in upper limb microsurgery and sarcoma reconstructive surgery at the Oxford University Hospital NHS Trust, Oxford, UK. She has recently been appointed as a consultant plastic surgeon to the Oxford University Hospital Group specialising in upper limb surgery and plays a significant clinical role in the renowned vascularised composite allograft (transplant) programme in addition to the ongoing randomised-controlled trails in this field.

Roisin has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to pursuing a career in upper limb reconstructive surgery. In addition to prestigious international visiting fellowship awards, she is an avid clinical researcher having authored numerous publications, book chapters, international presentations at scientific meetings and awarded funding for education, training and research.

Roisin has sought out leadership and management roles throughout her surgical training and completed a diploma in healthcare economics and a Masters degree in healthcare management early in her career. Roisins goal is to be appointed as a consultant plastic surgeon in Ireland. She feels this is a key point in her career to focus on clinical leadership training and looks forward to the opportunities that will unfold.

Dr Danielle Divilly is currently working as a GP in Bray, Co. Wicklow. After receiving her Medical degree from NUI Galway in 2008, she completed a Basic Specialist Training Scheme in Medicine with the RCPI.

She entered the Western Training Programme in General Practice and was awarded membership of the Irish College of General Practitioners in 2015. Since then she has worked as a GP assistant in practices in the West of Ireland and Dublin. During this time she has also been a tutor for GP undergraduate students.

She is interested in healthcare management, risk management, technology in healthcare and clinical leadership. In 2018, she completed a Diploma in Risk Management, Internal Audit and Compliance with Chartered Accountancy Ireland to further develop her skills in these areas.

About RCSI Institute of Leadership

RCSI has been developing leaders in medicine and healthcare since its foundation in 1784. In 2005, the College established the Institute of Leadership, Irelands only third level institution dedicated exclusively to developing the leadership, management and educational capacity of health professionals.

About RCSI

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter and was awarded Investors in Diversity accreditation in 2018.

About the 30% Club

The 30% Club Ireland officially launched in January 2015, with a goal to achieve better gender balance at all levels in leading Irish businesses. The 30% Club believes that gender balance in executive leadership not only encourages better leadership and governance, but further contributes to better all-round performance, and ultimately increased corporate performance for both companies and their shareholders. The initiative is complementary to individual company efforts and existing networking groups, adding to these through collaboration and the visible commitment of senior business leaders. The 30% Club is a collaborative business-led effort to make real change in Ireland, aiming towards 30% female representation in senior management by 2020.

Speaking at the opening of a HSE Value Improvement Programme conference hosted at RCSI today, RCSI President Mr Kenneth Mealy said that projected demographic changes make it imperative that we build capacity to allow better use of the valuable assets within our hospitals.

Mr Mealy said that the “evidence suggests that if we could improve theatre efficiency by 10% in half the operating theatres in the country we could prevent our surgical waiting lists from continuing to increase”. The conference brought together surgical teams including surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and health care administrators for a discussion on methods to improve operating theatre efficiency.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Kieran Tangney, Director of the Quality and Process Improvement Centre in RCSI, explained how RCSI’s Theatre Quality Improvement Programme (TQIP) allows for a systematic assessment of all of the steps in a surgical patients’ journey.

Mr Tangney said: “TQIP supports healthcare teams to enhance their process improvement capability and supports their ability to design more effective ways of working together. Taking a multidisciplinary team approach is key to sustainable improvement. It enables participating hospitals team to design safe, effective and efficient delivery of care for their patients. This approach directly benefits staff and their patients, as better designed work processes allows more time for direct patient care.”

“The keys to success are a combination of senior management oversight and support to encourage theatre staff address issues in pre-admission planning, theatre scheduling and preparation and staff engagement. TQIP promotes better use of theatre resources and encourages greater patient satisfaction and safety”, added Mr Tangney.

University Hospital Kerry was the first hospital to participate in TQIP. RCSI and the National Clinical Programmes in Surgery are now seeking HSE support to roll the programme out nationally in all public hospitals.

RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) has been ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the 2019 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings which are announced today. RCSI has maintained its worldwide position in the #201- 250 category and ranks second out of nine institutions in the Republic of Ireland.

RCSI’s performance in the rankings is linked in particular to its continued strength in the citations pillar, with a field-weighted citation impact that is the highest in Ireland and twice the world average. These indicators provide a strong evidence base for RCSI’s impactful research in translational health sciences in areas including cancer; neuroscience; population health and health services; regenerative medicine; surgical science and practice; and vascular biology.

The World University Rankings are generated from five pillars, each of which represents a key area of higher education excellence: teaching, research, citations, industry income, and international outlook.

Commenting on the rankings, Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI Chief Executive/Registrar said: “Maintaining our strong performance in the THE World University Rankings in an increasingly competitive global education environment is testament to the commitment and innovation of our students, faculty, researchers and professional staff. We are proud of RCSI’s strong performance this year and have ambitious plans to strengthen our position and move into the top 200 (top 1%) within the next five years.

“We are investing in future-focussed curricula to enable our students to thrive in challenging healthcare environments internationally. Coupled with our recent €80m investment in 26 York Street, home to Europe’s most advanced clinical simulation facility, and a further €11m to expand education and research facilities at the RCSI Smurfit Building in Beaumont Hospital, we are transforming healthcare education, so that our students graduate with the requisite knowledge and skills to lead the world to better health.

“RCSI’s performance in citations demonstrates the highly influential health sciences research being carried out by our scientists, clinicians and educators that is making an impact worldwide. The StAR Programme has enabled RCSI to recruit more leading researchers to accelerate the delivery of innovative, impactful research in the health sciences. RCSI has the highest success rate in the EU Horizon 2020 funding by an Irish institution (28%). With these strengths, together with our impressive field-weighted citation impact, we hope to make further strides in societal and global impact in health sciences research in the coming years.” Professor Kelly concluded.

Rankings highlights

• RCSI is ranked 102nd for normalised citation impact in the world out of 1258 institutions, reflecting high quality research outputs.
• RCSI continues to perform strongly in the area of international outlook (65th in the world), a strong indicator of RCSI’s international collaboration and diversity.
• RCSI continues to rise in the area of industry income, a testament to RCSI’s valuable and growing relationships with industry partners.

RCSI is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide.

RCSI’s Strategic Academic Recruitment (StAR) Programme aims to accelerate the delivery of innovative, impactful research in the health sciences through the recruitment of leading researchers across a range of specialist research areas, including the creation of novel medical devices and the development of new therapeutics and new diagnostic tests.

RCSI has been awarded Athena SWAN Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education. The award follows an assessment of gender equality in RCSI’s policies, practices and structures, and it recognises RCSI’s commitment to ensuring that gender equality is embedded across the institution.

Commenting on the award, Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI Chief Executive said, “We are an international institution, known for our diverse student body. At every opportunity, I emphasise the importance of treating staff and students with dignity and respect to ensure that everyone can reach their full potential in a positive and inclusive environment”.

Professor Kelly said, “The Athena SWAN Gender Equality Bronze Award underlines our commitment to promoting gender equality at RCSI. As Chair of the Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team (SAT), I have witnessed the hard work and dedication of our staff in making the Athena SWAN principles a permanent and real feature of our culture here in RCSI. We acknowledge that this is part of a longer journey and that sustainability is key and we will continue to work to implement our four-year Athena SWAN Action Plan as part of our wider equality, diversity and inclusion objectives”.

Dr Avril Hutch, Associate Director - Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at RCSI, said: “We are grateful to Advance HE and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for their support and guidance through this rigorous assessment process and we look forward to joining our peer third level institutions at the upcoming Athena SWAN awards ceremony in November 2018.”

The Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research. In June 2013, a network of HEIs in Ireland and Northern Ireland along with key stakeholders, the Higher Education Authority (HEA); Science Foundation Ireland (SFI); Irish Research Council (IRC); Irish University Association (IUA) to establish the Athena SWAN process in Ireland. The Charter recognises work undertaken by third level institutions to address gender equality, not just the barriers to progression that affect women.

RCSI is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide.

RCSI Athena SWAN highlights:

•  Publication of RCSI PROGRESS: Gender Equality in Surgery Report (July 2017) – launched by Minister of Health Simon Harris 
• Governance: Establishment of dedicated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Unit and Committee
• Policy: Gender proofed 46 staff policies, including revised Maternity/Adoptive Leave Policy (with restricted teaching assignments for six months for staff returning from leave). Introduction of Core Meeting Hours and Email Usage Policy. New policy on committee/panel membership launched – 40% minimum male/female representation required. 
• Training: Provision of online Unconscious Bias training for all staff and interview panels.
• Leadership Development: Three 30% Club RCSI Women in Leadership scholarships awarded; 10 female staff attended Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE) Women on Boards training; four staff participated in 30% Club Mentorship Programme; 12 Staff attended year three of Aurora women in leadership programme; 23 female staff attend one year leadership development programme; dedicated promotions workshop for female academic staff.
• Facilities: Installation of dedicated female gym facilities, two expressing rooms and thirty three Gender Neutral Bathrooms. Updated baby-changing facilities.
• LGBT+: Establishment of RCSI Staff Pride Network; Launch of Gender Identity and Expression Policy launched by Minister for Employment and Social Protection Regina Doherty; partnership with Transgender Equality Network in Ireland (TENI) and roll out of 15 Trans 101 training courses for Senior Management Team, front line staff and students; hosted Pride Parade 2018 Grand Marshall reception.
• Role models and advocates: Establishment of Emily Winifred Dickson Prize; first Women in Surgery Ireland conference in partnership with United States Association of Women Surgeons took place in RCSI in July 2015: RCSI Women on Walls Campaign launched in partnership with Accenture - eight female portraits to be unveiled in RCSI Boardroom in March 2019; International Women’s Day Wikipediathon; MCT Lab Safari for Transition Year students; first celebration of International Men’s Day.
• Grievance Procedures – revised bullying and harassment procedures launched. 
• Safe Campus Initiative launched: Sexual Consent and Bystander Intervention Training
• Gender Pay Gap Audit and associated action plan completed 
• Investors in Diversity Accreditation awarded 

Over five days, RCSI celebrated Positive Ageing Week 2018 in partnership with Age Action. RCSI staff and students participated in a programme of activities designed to encourage participants to rethink perceptions of ageing.

The theme for this years Positive Ageing Week is ‘celebrating the 100-year life. Life expectancies have been rising by up to three months a year since 1840, and there is no sign of that changing. A recent study shows that more than half the babies born in wealthier countries since 2000 may reach their 100th birthdays*.

Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI Chief Executive, said: "RCSI is fully committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion among staff and students for the advancement of the Colleges mission to educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health. As a result of partnering with Age Action, our colleagues and students had the opportunity to learn more about the steps we can take to at every life stage to improve mental and physical health for a long and happy life."

Billy O Keefe, Programme Manager at Age Action, commented: "Age Action was delighted to partner with RCSI for our Tech Tuesday event which highlighted the possibilities smart technologies offer to increase the number of years people can live independently in their own homes. RCSIs reputation for excellence and adopting the latest technologies to improve healthcare outcomes makes this collaboration a natural fit."

Coordinated by RCSIs Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Unit, the programme of events also included ‘Wellbeing Wednesday which promoted health and wellness tips across all stages of life, and the Colleges first ‘Intergenerational Day which invited friends and family to learn about research, education and innovation through hands-on workshops at RCSIs St Stephens Green campus.

*Christensen, Kaare, et al. “Ageing Populations: the Challenges Ahead.” The Lancet, vol. 374, no. 9696, 2009, pp. 1196–1208., doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(09)61460-4.

RCSIs National Emergency Medicine Programme has been awarded a prestigious Global PMI Award for Project Excellence. The award, which recognises complex projects that deliver superior performance of project management practices and positive impacts on society, was presented at the PMI Professional Awards Gala in Los Angeles.

The RCSI project team, across IT and Surgical Affairs, developed an innovative multi-faceted system to manage the National Training Programme for emergency medicine trainings, from the point of application entry through to clinical rotation and assessment.

The project focused on three key systems across online application, application management and an online tool for trainings to submit on-site clinical assessments of procedures, including an electronic validation system for the trainee supervisors.

Professor Cathal Kelly, Chief Executive, RCSI said: "RCSI is committed to investing in technologies and infrastructure to support our teaching and learning. I am immensely proud that the College has been recognised for the development of National Medicine Training Programme, a programme which will have a significant impact on how Emergency Medicine training is delivered in Ireland, reducing complexity in training, reducing risk and leading to improved outcomes for trainees and patients."

"This achievement is a testament to dedication and commitment to excellence by our Information Technology and Surgical Affairs teams and I congratulate all involved" added Professor Kelly.

The winning team is comprised of Leila Wilson (IT), Padraig Kelly (Surgical Affairs), Pedro Airo (IT), Neeraj Kumar (IT), Orla Mockler (Surgical Affairs), Eoin (Ian) Keith (IT), Gareth Quin (Surgical Affairs), Ken Purtell (IT), Fintan Guihen (IT) and Lisette Biggins (Surgical Affairs).

Watch the PMI Award for Project Excellence video or find out more about the National Clinical Programme in Emergency Medicine here.

Researchers at RCSI, along with international collaborators within the ANGIOPREDICT research consortium, have discovered that chromosomal instability (where whole human chromosomes or parts of chromosomes are duplicated or deleted) may predict which patients will receive most benefit from a key drug used to treat colorectal cancer (Avastin).

By knowing in advance which patients would not benefit from Avastin, individuals could be spared the side-effects of the drug, and are more likely to receive optimal treatment with a minimum of delay, while reducing cost of care.

The study, led by researchers at RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology in Belgium is published this month in the prestigious international journal Nature Communications. It marks a further important advance in the global effort to move towards a more personalised treatment approach for colorectal cancer patients.

According to the World Cancer Research Fund, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide with nearly 1.4 million new cases diagnosed annually (1). In 2014, almost 153,000 people died from colorectal cancer in the EU equivalent to 11% of all deaths from cancer. (2). Half of colorectal cancer patients develop metastatic cancer, where the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, for which Avastin is a key component of therapy (3).

Speaking on the significance of the discovery, Prof. Annette Byrne, Associate Professor at RCSI’s Department of Physiology and Medical Physics said: ”We have drawn on knowledge emerging from global efforts to characterise the complex genetic alterations that underpin the progression of colorectal cancer. We have demonstrated that tumours with intermediate-to-high chromosomal instability have improved outcome after Avastin treatment, whereas tumours characterised by low chromosomal instability benefit less. This work further builds on our recent Journal of Clinical Oncology study and has identified a complementary biomarker strategy that could be used by doctors in the future to distinguish between patients who will benefit from Avastin and patients who will not respond."

“As always, our overall goal is to improve the standard-of-care for colorectal cancer and to make sure that patients only receive drugs that will work specifically in the setting of their own disease. This will reduce side-effects, treatment costs and improve patient outcome," added Professor Lambrechts (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology).

The international research team was led in Ireland by Prof. Byrne (RCSI) and in Belgium (VIB-KU Leuven) by Prof. Diether Lambrechts. The team analysed genetic alterations from archival tumour samples for patients with advanced colorectal cancer for which the complete disease course was known. Patients with tumours that demonstrated intermediate to high levels of chromosomal instability responded better to Avastin treatment than those patients with low levels of chromosomal instability. Joint first authors on the paper are Dr Dominiek Smeets (VIB-KU Leuven), Dr Ian Miller (RCSI Department of Physiology and Medical Physics) and Prof. Darran O’Connor (RCSI Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics).

In 2012 the ANGIOPREDICT research consortium, led by Prof. Annette Byrne at RCSI, received approximately €6 million in competitive funding from the European Commission’s Seventh Framework ‘Health’ Programme (FP7).

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.

1. Source: World Cancer Research Fund, 2012
2. Jemal, A., Bray, F., Center, M. M., Ferlay, J., Ward, E. and Forman, D. (2011), Global cancer statistics. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 61: 69–90. doi: 10.3322/caac.20107
3. Strickler JH, Hurwitz HI. Bevacizumab-based therapies in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Oncologist. 2012;17(4):513-24. Epub 2012 Apr 3. PubMed PMID: 22477726.

The annual clash between the students and graduates of RCSI Soccer Club, the Sherlock Cup, took place last Saturday, 13 October 2018.

Railway Union provided the facilities with its wonderful playing surface and excellent post-match reception. The students were boosted by their recent opening match victory in the College & Universities Football League. Equally, the new management team of Jude and Paul bring a wealth of experience to the club, however, the students were missing one or two key players on the day, which proved decisive in the end.

The grads had the better of the early exchanges. Colorectal surgeon Thomas Heggelund made the trip form Norway and showed that he has lost none of the quality that won him Irish Universities representative honours in the past. He was ably assisted in midfield by former Monaghan United star and pharmacist James McElvaney, while ex Irish Universities international and physiotherapist Eugene McDonagh played a more defensive role. This central midfield threesome controlled the match for large portions. Current students Saif, Peter and Mohammad Al Hasmi knew they were in for a tough game from an early stage!

Thomas Heggelund holds off the challenge of Mohammad Al Hasmi as San Kim looks on

Fionn Lynch led the line for the grads and the St Vincents University Hospital intern tormented his fomer team mates for most of the game. Tomas Carroll (scientist, Smurfitt Building) and Cormac Jennings (Cardiology) were solid at the heart of the grad’s defence. Full backs Richie Maher (CUH intern) and Ronan Kearney (GP/Sports Medicine) were composed throughout. Dublin GP Steve Karrigianis had an excellent game at right midfield before being forced to retire with a knee injury, while physiotherapist Ben Melvin was superb at left midfield. Ayanfe Obilana and Graeme Kelly provided fresh legs as various grads took a breather.

RCSI graduates and Jim Sherlock watch as Fionn Lynch and Eoin Lombard battle for possession

The opening half was all about the grads and they raced into an early lead with McElvaney coolly slotting home from 15 yards. The students pushed for an equaliser and had a great chance to get back on level terms when they were awarded a dubious penalty. However, the penalty was saved by goalkeeper Ibrahim Aldosry, which proved costly for the students. Shortly afterwards, the grads side produced a move of real quality with intricate play from Kelly, Melvin and Obilana down the left releasing Fionn Lynch who made no mistake. Indeed, Lynch soon bagged his second with an emphatic finish. Debutant student goalkeeper Dean Maguran produced some outstanding saves to keep the students in the game, but at 3-0 down, the half time whistle could not come soon enough for the students.

The second half was more keenly contested and the students began to claw their way back into the game. Mohamed El Obeid’s fine strike reduced the deficit. Dayo Ajisafe added another to set up a nervy finish. The students pushed for an equaliser with their final chance coming from a set piece. Eoin Lombard’s free kick narrowly missed the top corner and the final whistle sounded. A jubilant grads team celebrated regaining the Sherlock Cup, cheered on by graduates David Gough, Jamie Clerkin and Mark Rogan.

Ronan Kearney goes close for the grads in a goalmouth scramble

Dinner and drinks followed the match in the clubhouse in Railway Union. RCSI graduates from all over the world got in touch to wish the club well on the night. Jim Sherlock presented the Sherlock Cup to winning grads captain and Man of the Match, Thomas Heggelund. Dr Mark Rogan presented the President’s Award to worthy recipient Richie Maher for services to RCSI Soccer Club. Saif Al Madhari was named Club Man of the Year. Fionn Lynch was voted Player of the Year by his team mates and was presented with the Rogan-Chute Cup.

The grads reminisced about previous overseas tours with RCSI Soccer Club long into the night and all agreed that another tour would be a great idea.

The RCSI Soccer Club wishes to thank Director of Human Resources at RCSI, Barry Holmes and the staff at Railway Union for the wonderful facilities and reception; Oliver Flanagan for capturing the drama of the game on film; Emily O’Brien and Corriena Brien in Student Services for their continued support; and all those who turned up for the match and dinner, particularly Jim Sherlock, a true RCSI legend!

The Sherlock Cup remains one of the highlights in the RCSI sporting calendar.

Winning Grads Captain and Man of the Match, Thomas Heggelund pictured with Jim Sherlock and Dr Mark Rogan

People from both sides of the border will benefit from new health and social care research trials thanks to a new Cross-Border Healthcare Intervention Trials in Ireland Network (CHITIN).

CHITIN has received €8.8m in funding from the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding for the project has also been provided by the Departments of Health in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

CHITIN aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland (Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, and Louth) through cross border research collaborations. The research will look at key health challenges such as youth mental health, obesity, asthma and stroke.

The initial 11 trials announced include the RCSI-led INhaler Compliance Assessment for Symptomatic UNcontrolled asthma (INCA SUN) study, led by Professor Richard Costello, Department of Medicine, RCSI. The INhaler Compliance Assessment (INCA) device, developed by researchers at RCSI and Trinity College Dublin, uses digital signals from inhalers to identify a patient’s inhaler technique and adherence to obtain a complete understanding of their inhaler use over time.

The INCA SUN study aims to demonstrate that information provided from the INCA technology along with peakflow and environmental data can be integrated and used to guide asthma nurse training and physician management more effectively than current standard care.

The ultimate aim is to give patients with severe asthma greater control over their condition and improve their quality of life.

220 patients will be recruited mostly from severe asthma clinics in academic teaching hospitals. The CHITIN network will enable clinicians and patients in border regions, who may have otherwise experienced reduced access to research due to geographical location or distance for travel, to participate in the trial.

RCSI’s Professor Richard Costello, lead on the INCA trial (back row, 2nd left) and Dr Frank Doyle, INCA trial contributor (back row, 2nd right) pictured at the CHITIN launch event with Dr Janice Bailie, Public Health Agency (left), Dr Siobhan O’Sullivan, Department of Health (right) and trial leads and contributors from QUB.

Welcoming the launch of the CHITIN project, Dr Janice Bailie, Assistant Director, Research and Development, Public Health Agency and lead partner on the project said: “Funding of €8.8m for the CHITIN project is great news for health research. Not only is CHITIN going to help benefit the health and wellbeing of people and help prevent illness, it means that those people who may not have been able to access health research previously have the opportunity to do so in Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland.”

Janice added: “In addition to this, a network of health and social care research professionals will be created and this will help shape research in the future whilst working towards a shared goal so people can enjoy the benefits health research can bring them in the future.”

According to Darrin Morrissey, Chief Executive at the Health Research Board: “Health research and trials can transform people’s lives. They help prevent illness, improve patient care and advance health policy. I believe the learning and health benefits that we get from this initiative will extend throughout the island of Ireland.”

Welcoming the project Gina McIntyre, CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body said: “The EU’s INTERREG VA Programme seeks to ensure equity of access to healthcare services for all citizens regardless of where they live. This project seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of people living on both sides of the border, through a unique partnership of healthcare providers with a wealth of experience in the research and delivery of highly effective public health campaigns.

“By working in collaboration they will be laying the foundations for new treatments and preventative measures that can improve the quality of life of thousands of citizens,” she continued

For further information visit the CHITIN website.