Medical/Patient

The aim of the Education and Outreach Programme is to inform patients, their families and the medical community about research activities within the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre. We also inform the public about exciting new research findings in areas such as gastronintestinal health, probiotics, functional foods, and new therapeutic agents.

In association with the Department of Medicine at Cork University Hospital, the APC hosts an annual Patient Open Day with the Irish Society for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (ISCC). This event, which generally takes place on the first Saturday of November, is chaired by Professor Fergus Shanahan and provides clinical and research updates in the area of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

World Digestive Health Day is celebrated on May 29th each year. This date, designated by the World Organisation of Gastroenterology (WGO), aims to fill the "knowledge gap" with regard to all aspects of gastroenterology and to bring the very latest information on these conditions to medical practitioners, other health care workers, patients and the general public. In the past, themes have focused on areas such as Health and Nutrition, Helicobacter pylori infection, Viral Hepatitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The theme for World Digestive Health Day 2011 was Irritable Bowel Syndrome. A Summary of the talks presented can be found here. Upcoming events will be detailed on the APC homepage.

Our interaction with Patients and the Medical Community is ongoing through our newsletters, Gut Reaction and InsideOut, in addition to Patients Open Days, public fora and Medical Conferences. Check the APC home page regularly for upcoming events as well as current and archived newsletters.

The APC regularly conducts clincial and food trials to investigate the potential benefit of probiotic bacteria to act as a natural alternative or supplement to conventional drug therapy, to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). To register your interest in participating in a healthy volunteer intervention study please click here.

For further information please contact: