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Enabling Clinical and Translational Research

MMI Clinician Scientist Fellowships awarded in UCC

Date Posted: 11 Feb 2009

Three Clinician Scientist Fellowships have been awarded following the second call for the prestigious programme in September 2008. The fellowships, hosted by University College Cork, were awarded following a rigorous selection process led by Molecular Medicine Ireland.

Funding of €10m awarded by the Higher Education Authority allowed Molecular Medicine Ireland to put this fellowship programme in place to train medical graduates as clinician scientists. Each Fellow undertakes a PhD in one of the five member institutions and also participates in a shared national structured training programme, organised by MMI. The 19 Fellows appointed following the first call began the programme in July 2008. This training programme transcends institutional boundaries to give fellows unparalleled access to the top biomedical researchers in the country and to state-of-the-art basic and clinical research facilities.

Dr Damian O'Connell, Chair of MMI; Dr Ruth Barrington, CEO of MMI; Dr Michael Murphy, President of UCC; Dr Daniel Schimdt, MMI Clinician Scientist Fellow; Dr Deirdre Murray, UCC; Dr Liam Fanning, UCC

The Chair of Molecular Medicine Ireland (MMI), Dr Damian O'Connell and the CEO of MMI, Dr Ruth Barrington visited the President of UCC, Dr Michael Murphy, on 29 January and also met with one of the UCC Clinician Scientist Fellows, Dr Daniel Schmidt, and CSFP supervisors Dr Liam Fanning, Dr Deirdre Murray and Dr Geraldine Boylan.

Pictured from L to R: Dr Damian O'Connell, Chair of MMI; Dr Ruth Barrington, CEO of MMI; Dr Michael Murphy, President of UCC; Dr Daniel Schimdt, MMI Clinician Scientist Fellow; Dr Deirdre Murray, UCC; Dr Liam Fanning, UCC

The successful Fellows appointed following the second call and their research projects are as follows:

  • Dr Fergus McCarthy - The role of PPAR-γ in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia
  • Dr Daniel Schmidt - Do the dynamics of quasispecies complexity and IP-10 concentration in chronic hepatitis C provide an opportunity to individualise treatment strategies?
  • Dr Brian Walsh - The investigation and validation of predictive biomarkers in hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy

For details of all 22 MMI Fellows, their supervisors and research projects please see www.molecularmedicineireland.ie/page/g/t/12.