University of Limerick

Established in 2019 through funding received from the Health Research Institute in UL, the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre is, the first of its kind in Ireland, with a vision is to become “World Leaders in physical activity research that demonstrates real-world impact in policy and practice”.   In this episode Professor Catherine Woods, Director of PAfH Research Centre, Health Research Institute, and the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, UL. Professor James Green, PAfH core member, School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, UL are joined by Michael Barry and Micheal Lynch, both who live locally and have been long time attendees of a community-based exercise programme for people living with a chronic condition run in UL.  This programme, named ULMedX,  was designed and is run by the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre. The Research centre is continuing to build an international hub of excellence in the area of physical activity and health research, key to this is a multidisciplinary approach that includes physiologists, sports and exercise scientists, physiotherapists, and health, sports and exercise psychologists.

Recorded by GKMedia.ie

Professor Hilary Moss, the winner of the Presidents Research Excellence and Impact Early Career Researcher – Consolidator Award 2024. Hilary is Professor at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and a member of UL’s Health Research Institute.  Hilary’s interdisciplinary research integrates humanities, health sciences and other areas including computer science. Her research is an important scholarly contribution to the growing evidence that engaging with the arts positively impacts health. Innovative solutions are being piloted at UL, for example trialling telehealth music therapy with computer science colleagues for people with dementia, an international innovation.  In this episode Hilary also discusses the need for the inclusion of Music Therapy in health care and she highlights examples of how music therapy specifically focused on dementia care has changed patients and their carers lives.

 
Recorded by GKMedia.ie

Daragh Bradshaw, the winner of the Presidents Research Excellence and Impact Early Career Researcher – Starting Award 2024. Daragh is Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology and a member UL’s Centre for Social Issues-research. Daragh’s research specialises in the application of theory and method to address real-world issues. Focusing on the creation of ambitious applied projects increasing our theoretical understanding and achieving maximum impact for those most in need. Applying the Social Identity Model of Identity and Organisational Change in an applied setting addressing social and psychological outcomes. This research is conducted across a variety of community settings with demonstrable theoretical and applied impact such as stakeholder engagement, peer-reviewed publications, international awards, competitive funding, and through the application of his work in developing community supports. In this episode Daragh talks to me about his research, the real-world impacts, informing national policy, the importance of collaboration and the support that UL provides to early career researchers.

Recorded by GKMedia.ie

Damien Thompson is Professor of Molecular Modelling in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Director of SSPC, The Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals. He leads a research team, in computational design of structured materials at the Bernal Institute at the University of Limerick. In this episode Damien discusses the importance of research collaboration and the impact of his research, tackling the grand challenges of health and sustainability, focussing on his researcher journey and how UL provides the supportive environment to allow his research to evolve. 

Recorded by GKMedia.ie

Dr Tadhg Kennedy, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Bernal Institute – winner of the Early Career Researcher – Consolidator Award 2023. Since 2016 Tadhg has established a well-funded group, securing  more than €5 million in funding. Notably, €2.14 million has been granted directly to Tadhg as the principal investigator, highlighting the proficiency of his research in his field. The central theme of Tadhg’s research revolves around nanostructured materials for high-performance batteries. Tadhg began his career with some groundbreaking work involving germanium nanowire lithium-ion battery anodes, which exhibited a threefold capacity increase compared to conventional graphite-based anodes. Tadhg’s current work outlined in this podcast is to develop a low-cost, high-performance sodium-ion smart battery system for residential energy storage. Listen to Tadhg discuss the importance of his research in the development of clean energy enabling the fight against climate change.

Up to 45% of us will get knee osteoarthritis in our lifetime, yet it is often not prioritised, people with joint disease are being under-served in terms of delivery of evidence-based rehabilitation in the form of exercise and education, particularly for hip and knee osteoarthritis. Evidence suggests that exercise and education is very effective for people with osteoarthritis but often patients feel like they are directed more towards medications and surgical opinions, sometimes due to lack of available services. The GLA:D programme is a group-based programme that aims to aid these patients and improve their general health through exercise and education.

Dr. Clodagh Toomey, Research Fellow, at the School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences and winner of the Presidents Excellence and Impact Early Career Researcher – Starting Award 2023 discusses her research and her group’s implementation of the GLAS:D programme with collaborators, Ian Dowling, a Chartered Physiotherapist working in private practice from his clinic based in Raheen, Limerick, Ian retired from professional rugby after suffering a hip injury while playing for Munster. Also joining is Stacey Grealis, who lives with Rheumatic Muscular Disease and is a patient researcher and patient contributor on numerous research projects in this field.

Recorded by GKMedia.ie

The Ageing Research Centre members are winners of the UL Presidents Research Excellence and Impact Outstanding Research Collaboration Award for 2023. The Ageing Research Centre (ARC) comprises an interdisciplinary group of academic researchers across the University of Limerick, external academic collaborators, clinical collaborators and a Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) panel of older adults and family caregivers who share a common focus on ageing research. Research from the Ageing Research Centre has been instrumental in driving the adoption and integration of innovative health novel care models for older adults and their family caregivers. This research has played a pivotal role in shaping national policies pertaining to health and social care for older adults. On this podcast we are joined by members of the ARC along with patient participants who have helped to shape the research and the direction of the centre.

Recorded by GKMedia.ie

Arts-based health programmes that combine arts with science can enhance the physical and psychosocial health and wellbeing of older people. This podcast discusses the benefits of music and dance for older adults and in particular their experience of the Music and Movement for Health study which examined the feasibility and potential for benefit of such programmes in Ireland. The primary aim of the study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the study design and the Music and Movement for Health programme. The secondary aim was to obtain preliminary evidence of effect of the programme on health and wellbeing of older adults. The researchers describe the aims, process and key learnings from the project and participants provide their experience of being part of the programme. The study was funded by Health Research Board as part of the Definitive Intervention and Feasibility Awards scheme.

This project creating bespoke breast prostheses for women post-mastectomy, using state of the art digital manufacturing aims to roll out this year and to be available nationally in all symptomatic breast clinics. Research Team Dr Lorraine Walsh, Consultant Radiation Oncologist, Mater Private Network Limerick, and collaborator on the project; Siobhan Meaney, Clinical Lead at the Rapid Innovation Unit, in the University of Limerick, and one of the supervisors of the Breast Prosthesis Project; and EmmaJude Lyons, PhD Researcher, at the Rapid Innovation Unit, (RIU) in the University of Limerick discuss a first of its kind service globally, using 3D scanning and printing to improve the quality of life for survivors of breast cancer. A groundbreaking collaboration between the Rapid Innovation Unit at University of Limerick (UL), the Symptomatic Breast Care Unit at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), and the Mater Private Networks, Mid-Western Radiation Oncology Centre.

Recorded by GKMedia.ie

March 2020 changed the lives of everyone around the around. We were all worried about the spread of COVID-19, fascinated with R number and hoping lockdowns would not last long.

Working in the background was the UL team from MASCI (Mathematics Applications Consortium for Science and Industry) who as part of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group (IEMAG), provided expert advice, real-time information and forecast models to the Chief Medical Officer and NPHET.

In this podcast you will hear from the award-winning UL team, led by MACSI Director Professor James Gleeson who developed the SEIR model, leading to the monitoring of restrictions, vaccinations and tracking the path of the virus throughout Ireland, disseminating findings to tackle real world problems.

Former chair of IEMAG, Prof Philip Nolan discusses the importance of MACSI’s work the decision-making process to inform a national response to a global pandemic.

Recorded by GKMedia.ie

Researchers at University of Limerick are designing advanced materials which can purify the air and our water. Meet Dr Soumya Mukherjee, President’s Research Excellence and Impact award winner who has established his own research group, “NanoSorb,.  With funding from Science Foundation Ireland,  NanoSorb is at the forefront in the development of energy-efficient porous materials, particularly those fostering environmental sustainability. 

University Maternity Hospital Limerick is the first in Ireland to offer music therapy within its maternity care services. Meet the team behind this innovative approach to supporting wellbeing during pregnancy, Dr Mas Mahady, Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Tríona McCaffrey, lecturer in Music therapy and Pui Sze Cheung, PhD researcher.  

Based on feedback from women who took part in this study, the Department of Health have commended the innovative nature of this work awarding further funding to ensure that music therapy can now continue in our local maternity hospital. 

Global energy crisis has never been more critical in the race to deploy more electric vehicles, better utilise wind, solar and alternative energy solutions, many challenges emerge. Among them is the need for faster, smaller, and environmentally friendly battery technology. Meet Dr Hugh Geaney, President’s Research Excellence and Impact Award winner who is, taking on the global challenge of energy storage. Through advances in novel materials Dr Geaney’s research brings together discoveries in chemical synthesis, materials science, and electrochemistry to tackle the many challenges of energy storage.  

The term heroes have been widely used to describe those working in the frontline during the global Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Elaine Kinsella, President’s Research Excellence and Impact Award winner at University of Limerick and Dr Rachel Sumner, Cardiff Metropolitan University discuss their survey of these key workers, focussing on the wellbeing and attitudes of those working in the frontline, emergency workers and those working across service industries and how the heroes tag was viewed by those workers.  

How do social and cultural changes occur, and how can policy be influenced to encourage these changes, particularly in terms of aiding people who are marginalized and stigmatized in our society? The award-winning research team from the University of Limerick's Centre for Social Issues Research is collaborating with government and advocacy groups to help those who are directly affected by disability, those who care for those who are disabled, child carers, and those who are affected by domestic violence

The centre has a long history of working together to address the issues that underprivileged members of our community face. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre for Social Issues Research recommended governments in Ireland and the United Kingdom on how to effectively help COVID-19 front-line workers, carers, and those with underlying health concerns, as well as how to encourage people to follow public health recommendations. Prof Orla Muldoon, Prof Mike Quayle, Dr Sarah Jay, Dr Stephen Gallagher and Dr Siobhan Howard join our host Prof Helena Lenihan to discuss their award-winning collaborations.