Left-right from front: Dr Pat Morgan, Dean of Graduate Studies, NUI Galway; Dr Mike Kamarck, Chair of Molecular Medicine Ireland; Minister Mary Hanafin; Dr Ruth Barrington, Chief Executive, Molecular Medicine Ireland; Dr Hugh Brady, President UCD; Dr John Hegarty, Provost Trinity College Dublin; Dr Michael Murphy, President UCC; Michael Horgan, Registrar, Royal College of Surgeons.
UCD, NUI Galway, University College Cork, Trinity College and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have joined forces to launch Molecular Medicine Ireland (MMI), a not-for-profit company to coordinate their health research activities.
Molecular Medicine Ireland (formerly Dublin Molecular Medicine Centre) will strengthen Ireland's profile in health research by combining and building on the biomedical research strengths of each institution. The company will accelerate the translation of recent rapid advances in science into new ways of understanding disease and new diagnostics, drugs and devices to treat illness and protect the health of people in Ireland.
Dr Mike Kamarck, Chair of Molecular Medicine Ireland and Executive Vice President of Wyeth commented: ‘Molecular Medicine Ireland creates a critical mass of expertise and infrastructure in medical research. It sends a strong message that this country is a good place in which to do research.’
Dr Ruth Barrington, Chief Executive of Molecular Medicine Ireland said that MMI had taken the initiative, with its member institutions, to train tomorrow's leaders in health research. With funding of €10m awarded by the Higher Education Authority, Molecular Medicine Ireland has put a fellowship programme in place to train medical graduates as clinician scientists. Each of the newly appointed fellows will undertake a PhD in one of the five member institutions and will also participate in a shared career development programme organised nationally by Molecular Medicine Ireland.
Mary Hanafin TD, Minister for Education and Science, who officially launched Molecular Medicine Ireland, said that it is most encouraging that so many medical graduates are interested in undertaking PhDs to deepen their knowledge of the science underlying medicine. ‘Increasing the number of people with PhDs and encouraging graduates to undertake PhDs in strategic areas such as health research, are vital for the next phase of our economic and social development’ Minister Hanafin said.
