Patricia Flynn Anatomy and Neuroscience graduate, awarded Musgrave PhD Scholarship in association with Breakthrough Cancer Research

12 Oct 2021

Congratulations to Ms Patricia Flynn who has been awarded the prestigious Musgrave PhD Scholarship, in association with Breakthrough Cancer Research

Breakthrough Cancer Research recently announced over a quarter of a million euro investment in two new PhD Scholarships to investigate new treatment options for brain cancer (glioma) and oesophageal cancer. Patricia Flynn, a graduate of the UCC BSc Neuroscience degree programme and MSc Neuroscience (Research) in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience UCC, was awarded the Musgrave PhD Scholarship

Working with her supervisors Dr André Toulouse, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and Dr Collette Hand, Department of Pathology, University College Cork, Ms Flynn will focus on finding a personalised treatment for glioblastoma, the most frequently diagnosed brain tumour, which only has a 5% survival rate after 5 years.

^{Research Supervisors Dr André Toulouse and Dr Collette Hand with Ms Patricia Flynn}  

Patricia's work will focus on the relationship between glioblastoma and retinoic acid, which can either promote or stop cancer growth.  Her aim is to identify the pathways that suppress the growth of glioblastoma and prevents its reoccurrence.  She says “there are too many question marks around the treatment of glioblastoma. I want to take away some of the question marks and make full stops.”

Breakthrough Cancer Research is Ireland’s leading cancer research charity.  They work with researchers and scientists on exciting developments in cell-therapy, immuno-therapy, surgery alternatives and personalised medicine which will improve survival rates and minimise side effects of current treatments.  It has partnerships in place with experts from a number of worldwide centres of research excellence including Cancer Research at UCC, the Conway Institute UCD,  Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Weill Cornell Medical College (New York), Royal Marsden (UK), the Wilmot Cancer Institute (Rochester, NY), University of Copenhagen and Centre for Surgical Science (DK). 

Link to Breakthrough Cancer Research News 

Link to Irish Examiner report on the funding award 

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News item and photographs B. Riedewald