UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research Institiúid Mhic Con Mí an Taighde Bhithmhóilínigh agus Bhithleighis

'Gene regulation from the dark genome'

Vertebrate complexity comes not from the number of genes in the genome but from the 100s of thousands of genetic switches - enhancers - that regulate gene expression in time and space. Enhancers are located across vast swathes of the non-coding genome making it challenging to identify them, the genes they regulate, and how they communicate to their target genes - often over long genomic distances. I will describe our work that is trying to tackle this major knowledge gap.

Biography: Wendy Bickmore is Director of the MRC Human Genetics Unit at the University of Edinburgh. Her undergraduate degree is in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, and she then completed a PhD in molecular biology at the University of Edinburgh. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in human genetics, Wendy started her independent research group as a fellow of the Lister Institute for Preventive Medicine. She is fascinated by the 3D organisation of the human genome in cells and how that influences genome function in health and disease. Her current research explores how the non-coding genome regulates gene expression including how distant enhancers communicate with their target gene promoters. Wendy is a Fellow of: the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the Academy of Medical Sciences and is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation and an international member of the National Academy of Sciences. She was awarded a CBE for services to science and to women in science.

'How brain drainage ensures its health'

Brain homeostasis depends on efficient clearance of metabolic waste and immune signals. We identified functional lymphatic vessels within the meninges that drain cerebrospinal and interstitial fluids to peripheral nodes. In mouse models, genetic or surgical ablation of these vessels impairs glymphatic flow, alters neuroimmune crosstalk, disrupts sleep architecture, and accelerates neurodegeneration. Enhancing meningeal lymphatic patency restores clearance and ameliorates pathology. These findings redefine central nervous system immune privilege and nominate brain drainage pathways as tractable therapeutic targets.

Biography:

Antoine Drieu is a tenured research group leader at Paris-Cité University in the Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP). His research focuses on the interactions between the meninges and the central nervous system, aiming to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Dr Drieu did his PhD in the laboratory of Denis Vivien (Caen-Normandy University, France) and his postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Jonathan Kipnis (WashU, USA).    

'Tissue- and Cell-Responsive Biomaterials for Precision Medicine'

The traditional "one-size-fits-all" approach to biomaterial design overlooks the dynamic and tissue- and cell-specific variations in surface chemistry and biology. Our laboratory develops biomaterials that respond to specific cues from tissues and cells to enhance therapeutic efficacy and biocompatibility.
In designing biomaterials across multiple length scales to overcome physiological barriers to the precise spatiotemporal delivery of immunotherapies, we enable synergistic combinations with existing and emerging therapeutic modalities. This transforms treatment paradigms for cancer, autoimmune disorders, and vascular diseases.

Biography:

Natalie Artzi is a biomedical scientist and engineer whose work in structural nanomedicine is reshaping therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. Her research centers on engineering nanostructures with precise molecular and cellular architectures, enabling targeted, responsive, and effective treatment delivery. Natalie is a Hansjӧrg Wyss Associate Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School, Head of Structural Nanomedicine at Mass General Brigham's Gene and Cell Therapy Institute, and Associate Institute Director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. Natalie has earned numerous honors, including the 2025 Dr. Alexander M. Cruickshank (AMC) Lecturer at the Gordon Research Conference on Cancer Nanotechnology, 2024 Rosemary Schnell Distinguished Lecture Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology, 2024 Acta Biomaterialia Silver Medal, the 2024 Clemson Award for Applied Research, and the Society for Biomaterials Mid-Career Award.

Prof. Ronan Cahill

UCD School of Medicine & Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
'AI and Cancer Surgery'

Dr Gary Brennan

UCD School Biomolecular & Biomedical Science & Fellow, UCD Conway 
‘Making its Mark: How m6A Shapes the Epileptic Brain’

Assoc. Prof. Rory Johnson

UCD School of Biology & Environmental Science & Fellow, UCD Conway Institute
‘How mutations remodel RNA regulatory networks in cancer cells, as revealed by 13,000 tumours’

Prof. Grainne O’Kane

UCD School of Medicine, SVUH & Fellow, UCD Conway Institute 
‘Pancreatic cancer: the multiple faces of an aggressive disease’

Facilitator: Assoc. Prof. Niamh O'Sullivan, UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science & Fellow, UCD Conway 

Topic: Positioning for success in an evolving research funding landscape

The 2025 UCD Conway Festival abstract call is now closed for (a) poster review and (b) Conway Gold Medal competitions. The Festival committee would like to thank all authors for their submissions.

The full listing of posters will be available here shortly.

The following authors have been shortlisted for the 2025 Conway Festival Gold Medal competition sponsored by Cruinn Diagnostics.

Dr Tess McCann [Kennedy group]
Emc1 is essential for vision and zebrafish photoreceptor outer segment morphogenesis. 

Emmanuelle D. Aiyegbusi [Dooley group]
Forced polarisation of microglia by IL-13 is modified by inflammatory and microenvironmental context 

Dr Maurice O Mara [Knaus group]
Spatiotemporal H2O2 flashes coordinate actin cytoskeletal remodeling and regulate cell migration and wound healing. 

Angelique Cheryl [McGee group]
Identification of bone marrow and peripheral blood plasma extracellular vesicle protein biomarker signatures for multiple myeloma diagnosis and staging. 

Dr Luke Jones [Bond group]
A structure-based modelling approach identifies effective drug combinations for RAS-mutant acute myeloid leukemia. 

UCD Conway Institute is grateful for the support of the following companies to enable the running of this event:

Platinum Sponsor