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Early-career researchers receive awards to address healthcare challenges

Innovative approaches in cancer diagnosis and the treatment of advanced cancers are the two University College Cork (UCC) projects to receive funding under the 2024 Research Ireland Industry Research, Development, and Innovation Fellowships (IRDIF) Programme.
The Research Ireland IRDIF Programme supports the temporary placement of academic researchers in companies, to conduct research across a variety of areas and address industry-informed challenges.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, today announced a total €2.5 million investment to fund 28 fellowships nationwide through the Programme.
Improving surgical outcomes for cancer patients
Dr Ayse Kont, School of Pharmacy, has received €63,659 for her project entitled ‘Quality by Design Approach to Medical Device Polymer Bead Process Optimisation.’
Based at Boston Scientific’s Cork Facility, under the mentorship of Dr Gareth Bell, Dr Kont’s project is focused on improving the understanding of polymer bead manufacturing. The local delivery of cancerogenic drugs with polymer beads have revolutionised cancer treatment of advanced cancers, helping to circumvent complicated surgery. Boston Scientific has developed these polymer beads that can block blood flow to organs affected by cancer avoiding surgery. Such multifunctional beads enable precise control of embolization and drug delivery to the cancerous treatment site. Bead size distribution is a critical attribute that influences in-vivo performance and drug loading efficiency. Employing a quality by design approach, this project aims to develop clearer insights into manufacturing factors that influence bead size distribution. The research will build on Boston Scientific’s excellence in medical device manufacture and the School of Pharmacy’s expertise in pharmaceutical product development.
Dr Kont, a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Professor Abina Crean at the School of Pharmacy in UCC, said: “This fellowship provides me with an invaluable opportunity to conduct high-quality and impactful research that will benefit public healthcare and improve patient outcomes. I am excited to be part of this industry-academic, interdisciplinary project (engineers, chemists, and pharmacists). For me, the project development has demonstrated how flexibility, adaptability, and knowledge acquirement in research areas outside of my comfort zone are required to address complex challenges.”
Advancing innovative approaches in cancer diagnosis
Dr Oza bin Zaheed Maheswaran, School of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, has received €70,949 for his project entitled ‘Linking Microproteins and RNA Modifications: New Frontiers in Cancer Diagnostics and Therapy.’
Under the mentorship of Dr Audrey Michel at EIRNA Bio, this project seeks to advance our understanding of how RNA influences cancer growth and treatment resistance, helping to develop more personalised therapies. Recent advancements in bioinformatics, translatomics, and epitranscriptomics have revealed that certain RNA molecules, once thought to have no function, can produce small proteins that may play a role in disease. This research aims to explore the link between these small proteins and chemical changes in RNA, with the aim of finding new ways to detect and treat cancer. Using advanced sequencing techniques, the project will create computational models to explore how chemical changes in RNA influence the production of small proteins in human cancer cell models.
Dr Zaheed, a postdoctoral researcher and senior bioinformatician under the supervision of Dr Kellie Dean at the School of Biochemistry & Cell Biology at UCC, said: “This award provides me with an exciting opportunity to explore the interplay between microproteins and RNA modifications in cancer. In collaboration with EIRNA Bio, I will develop and refine computational workflows to analyse high-throughput sequencing data, gaining deeper insights into RNA-based disease mechanisms. These discoveries will help advance innovative approaches in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.”
Minister Lawless said: “Research Ireland’s Industry Research Development and Innovation Fellowship Programme is an excellent example of how the best of academic research and industry expertise can be brought together to tackle challenges and deliver impactful solutions. The initiative strengthens our national research ecosystem and highlights the importance of partnerships in fostering innovation that drives societal and economic growth. I look forward to the significant contributions these fellowships will bring.”
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland, added: “We are delighted to facilitate these new partnerships between academia and industry. The Research Ireland IRDIF Programme offers researchers unique opportunities to address industry-focused challenges, ensuring that the knowledge exchange drives research excellence and enhances the competitive advantage of the companies involved.”
Professor John F. Cryan, UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation said: “I would like to congratulate both of our early-career researchers on receiving these fellowship awards that will combine research and innovation to address industry focused challenges in the healthcare sector, the outcomes of which will have a significant impact on society.”