Research Highlights

As preparations kick off for Research Week 2025, the LDCRC reflect on last years event titled, "Festival of Science: Emerging Breakthroughs Advancing Cancer Research." This event was held in collaboration with the HRU and showcased the latest advancements in cancer research and brought together leading experts in the field.

The event was facilitated by Dr. James Brown (Lecturer in Cell Biology, Department of Biological Science, UL) and Professor Ruth Clifford (Professor of Haematology/Oncology, School of Medicine and Consultant Haematologist, UHL and clinical lead of the LDCRC).

Professor Clifford and Professor Aedin Culhane (Full Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Cancer Genomics, School of Medicine and Director of the LDCRC) provided introductory remarks, setting the stage for a series of insightful presentations.

The program featured updates on cutting-edge cancer research from a distinguished group of LDCRC members, including:
- Dr.  Eoghan Cunnane, Dr. Jason Bennett, Dr. Kieran McGourty, and Dr. Sinead O Keeffe (Faculty of Science & Engineering, UL)
- Dr. Amira Mahdi, Dr  Ciara Leahy and Mr Michael Lynch (School of Medicine, UL)
- Ms. Christina Fleming (Colorectal Surgery Consultant) and Dr. Maire Lavelle (Lead Breast Histopathologist) from the HSE Mid West 

The session served as a valuable platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders. 

Professor Emmanuel Boucrot lab in UCL and LDCRC PI Professor Kieran McGourty lab in UL,  collaboratively led a research study that showed the involvement in the study that showed how laminin-111 directly mediates long-term survival of quiescent cells. 

This study highlights some key insights:

• Laminin is a signaling molecule directly influencing cell phenotype - not just a passive structural component or surface.
• This laminin-driven mechanism may help explain how dormant adult stem cells can survive for years in low-growth environments and resist apoptotic challenges, including those from chemotherapy.

The full report from this exciting study can be found here

LDCRC Clinical Director Prof Ruth Clifford, is the lead in the UL & UHL Cancer Clinical Trials Collaborative project with an aim to Advancing Cancer Research in the Mid West.

This project is helping to transform cancer care by building capacity for clinical trials in our region and create a future where all patients in the Mid West have access to life-changing cancer treatments. 

At the recent HRB Trials Methodology Research Network Winter School in Limerick, experts highlighted efforts to:

• Expand access to cutting-edge cancer trials.
• Improve inclusivity for underrepresented groups in research.
• Build world-class infrastructure for local patients.

On 8th November 2024, as part of the prestigious 47th Millin Lecture, Ms Christina Fleming FRCSI, Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon at University of Limerick Hospital Group gave a lecture on the integration of new technologies in surgical training.