SUMMER STUDENT RESEARCH | SCALING NEW HEIGHTS IN STUDENT INVESTIGATIONS
Each summer, approximately 50 students from across our five undergraduate programmes undertake a focused clinical or laboratory research project as part of an 8-week summer elective. Thanks to the efforts of UCD academic staff and the support of the many principal investigators within UCD and our affiliated hospitals, this initiative has gone from strength to strength. Several students have had their work published in peer review journals, presented posters at scientific conferences or have won national research awards.
The student research initiative includes projects undertaken within a 10 ECTS credit (MDSA 30180) or 5 ECTS credit (PATH30090) elective as well as investigations by our students outside of the elective scheme. The highlight of the programme is the Summer Student Research Awards (SSRA) which showcases the best in UCD student research and demonstrates the breadth and quality of investigations across the School. Students compete for the right to make oral and poster presentations at the SSRA event and a chance to win the SSRA Gold Medal.
This year for the first time students undertook not only laboratory and clinical-based projects but also two patient-centred research projects under the direction of Dr Sinéad Walsh PhD (Research Officer:- Irish Cancer Society). These Irish Cancer Society projects focused on communication of research activity and the impact of thirty years of ICS-funded cancer research on patient care. This patient-centred research forms part of a wider strategic objective of the School to engage patients and their advocates in all aspects of our education and research. The Patient & Advocate Centred Education & Research (PACER) programme allows patients to participate in undergraduate education as expert instructors in the development of clinical skills among our medical students.
Following the intense research activity of the summer months, students formally present their findings to academic staff and in the process develop important skills and confidence in the presentation of scientific research. This year, twelve students were selected to make oral presentations at the Summer Student Research Awards which took place on Wednesday 6th October 2010 at the UCD Health Science Centre, Belfield. The students competed for the prestigious SSRA Gold Medal sponsored by the Irish Medical Times for the best oral presentation and a further 32 students competed for the SSRA poster award.
Each SSRA finalist had to present to a packed, eager audience comprising of friends, parents, supervisors and academic staff. Moreover they had to defend their work from rigorous questioning by the adjudicating panel. This year’s panel was chaired by Prof. Michael Keane (Professor of Medicine & Therapeutics, St Vincent’s University Hospital), Dr. Jens Nielsen (UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science), Dr. Clare O’Connor (UCD SMMS & Director, UCD Life Sciences Graduate School), Dr. Helen Gallagher (UCD SMMS) and Dr. Eric Heffernan (Consultant Radiologist, St Vincent’ University Hospital).
Highlighting that the Summer Student Research programme is, for many, the first step in a career of enquiry and investigation as a clinician, the School took the opportunity to celebrate research by medical graduates. The 2010 winners of the Medical Graduates Association (MGA) Patrick Meenan and Liam O’Connell Research Medals were announced. These two medals are awarded annually in recognition of excellence in research by graduates of the UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science. The invited Keynote speaker at the 2010 SSRA event was Dr Roger Mc Morrow, MD student and consultant anaesthetist at the
While the adjudicators deliberated over their difficult decision, the audience members were entertained by the keynote address entitled “Everest: Life and Research at the Xtreme” in which Dr McMorrow graphically highlighted the obstacles to undertaking clinical research into hypoxia at 29,000 ft above sea level. For many, this inspiring talk highlighted not only the personal battle to scale one of the world’s most challenging climbs but also the logistic challenge of carrying the scientific equipment necessary to undertake clinical research in situ. Dr McMorrow’s talk was the perfect metaphor for the daunting challenge of embarking on a research project and the exhilaration which comes from achieving one’s personal goals.
After a closely fought contest, the Patrick Meenan Research Medal was awarded to Dr. Robert Byrne and the winner of the Liam O’Connell Research Medal was Dr. Róisín Dolan.