News & Events

University of Galway spinout, Relevium Medical, has been awarded €4.6 million in Government funding to develop an immediate and long-lasting treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Relevium Medical secured the investment for their RestOAre project to develop therapies for debilitating chronic pain and disease progression of knee osteoarthritis.   Research by University of Galway academics has played a key role in the project, including innovative pain modelling and drug screening, along with scientific analysis of biomolecules derived from marine organisms which target receptors in the knee.   The funding was awarded through the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF), which is managed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland. It will support the development of a treatment that offers patients immediate long-lasting pain relief and reduced progression of knee osteoarthritis.   The disease is incurable, complex and progressively worsens over time impacting the whole joint structure. It is the fastest-growing cause of disability due to an ageing population and the obesity epidemic.   Affecting more people each year than cancer and heart disease, knee osteoarthritis (OA) is routinely described as the world’s largest hidden disability, with 250 million people globally living with knee OA, and the prevalence has doubled in the past 50 years.    The multibillion-euro knee OA market is primed for disruption with the majority of patients relying on damaging oral pain medications.   Professor Peter McHugh, Interim President of University of Galway, said: “This Government investment is one of the most significant Disruptive Technologies Innovation Funds awarded to University of Galway, and for one of our spinout companies to secure it, it demonstrates the scale of our ambition and impact as a global leader in research and innovation excellence. “Relevium Medical’s treatment for knee osteoarthritis is ground-breaking and the team has global ambitions to improve the lives of people who live in chronic pain from the disease. The University’s commitment to a high calibre of research-led collaborations with industry will ensure we continue to develop transformative needs-led solutions for society.” Founded in 2019, Relevium Medical is a spinout from the University of Galway BioInnovate Ireland programme and currently employs a team of nine people. The project consortium is led by Relevium Medical in partnership with HookeBio (Ireland), and a research team led by Dr Leo Quinlan from University of Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences which developed innovative pain model platforms and a drug screen programme, and Professor Olivier Thomas from University of Galway’s College of Science and Engineering which analysed biomolecules derived from marine organisms that uniquely target the key receptors the team have identified in knee osteoarthritis. Dr Alison Liddy, Chief Executive and co-founder of Relevium Medical, said: “We are thrilled to lead this groundbreaking €4.6 million project in partnership with University of Galway and HookeBio, to advance this innovative solution for knee osteoarthritis. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in addressing a condition that impacts millions worldwide and underscores Relevium Medical’s commitment to building a robust R&D pipeline.” Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke T.D., and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan T.D., announced the funding of €4.6 million to Relevium Medical, the first project to emerge under Call 7 of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund. Professor Martin O'Halloran, Director of BioInnovate Ireland, University of Galway and co-founder of Relevium Medical, said: "BioInnovate is delighted to see this alumni company growing and scaling, with the significant support of Enterprise Ireland and the DTIF programme. We are particularly proud of the fact that Relevium is a female-led company, and we hope Relevium’s achievement will encourage other ambitious women to join the BioInnovate programme."   To date €376 million has been awarded to 105 projects across seven DTIF Calls. Prospective applicants can obtain detailed information on the Fund and on the application process through enterprise.gov.ie/DTIF. Ends

University of Galway has welcomed 19 research students to campus as part of the Hardiman PhD Scholarship. The new scholars come from more than a dozen different countries to take part in the scheme and the opportunity to pursue a structured doctorate at the University on topics aligned to five key areas of research: - Enhancing policy and society - Enriching creativity and culture - Improving health and wellbeing - Realising potential through data and enabling technologies - Sustaining our planet and people Applications for the 2025 round of Hardiman PhD Scholarships will open on Monday December 2nd, and will remain open until Friday February 7th, 2025 at 5pm. For more information or to apply for a Hardiman PhD Scholarships visit www.universityofgalway.ie/hardiman-scholarships.             Professor Dónal Leech, Dean of Graduate Studies at University of Galway, said: “Hardiman Research scholar recipients join the University to undertake deep, creative, and distinct research supported by our excellent academic supervisors. The 19 scholars were selected from a large pool of applicants seeking to develop their research skills and independence through our renowned structured PhD programmes. The scholarship is a recognition of excellence for the awardees and provides fee and stipend support over four years for the researchers to generate new knowledge that improves our world.” The 2024 Hardiman PhD scholars and their subject areas include: College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies: Katie Cox, Ireland - The pathways and factors involved in right-wing radicalisation and extremism among young people in Ireland. Conor McDonough, Ireland – The study of the Bible in early medieval Ireland. Honor Faughnan, England - The Transmission and Creative Reshaping of Senecan Tragedy in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Sveva Zafferri, Italy – Investigating the potentialities and challenges of integrating Artificial Intelligence technologies in Foreign Language Teaching through Audiovisual Translation. Jeannine Bätz, Germany - International cultural studies, comparative literary studies. Hau Nguyen, Vietnam - Understanding sexual health services utilisation among men experiencing homelessness in Ireland.   College of Business, Public Policy and Law: Dewan Scholtz, South Africa - Investigating the Application and Extent of Control Theory and Temporal Structuring Through Crowd Dynamics in Online Open-Source Platforms. Ramez Alhayek, Palestine – International Criminal Law and Genocide Studies: Research assesses whether Israeli conduct towards Palestinians—since 1948—aligns with the legal definition of genocide under the Genocide Convention Patrick Wing McHale, Australia - Studying the impacts of climate change and industrialisation on children's health, well-being, and education outcomes. Michelle O’Donnell, Ireland - Examining the people dimension during scaling and how it can be balanced with economic objectives. Grace Barnes, England - The operation of sexual stereotypes in human rights discourses and how disabled women’s identities are shaped in this context.   College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences: Jia Wei Teh, Malaysia - Study of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in Hypokalaemic Hypertension. Oran McNamara, Ireland - Investigating Bumetanide as a potential therapeutic intervention in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Yajaira Feller Sánchez, Canary Islands – Research will focus on neuroscience, specifically studying novel mutations that lead to severe epilepsy in children. Ross Walsh, Ireland - Exploring early stromal changes in colorectal cancer using advanced imaging and AI techniques to enhance diagnosis.   College of Science and Engineering: Asena Isik Gürhan, Turkey - The Molecular Programming of self-organised DNA interfaces for nanoscale quantification using Divergent-Diffusion-based AI Models. Gift Samuel David, Nigeria – Research will focus on marine biological resources, particularly microplastic pollution, fisheries, food safety and marine ecotoxicology, aimed at conserving marine environments and ecosystems. Mohsen Abbasi-Asl, Iran - Biostatistics: Developing personalized reference ranges for monitoring blood pressure. Zarghona Hassani – Afghanistan - Investigating the role of IRE1 -JUP signaling access in cancer cell migration. Ends

#NoExcuse. UNiTE to end violence against women University of Galway is joining with 15 third level education institutions in Ireland as part of the global campaign - 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The campaign gets underway today Monday November 25th - the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The initiative will highlight the urgent need to eliminate violence against women and girls, underscored by this year’s theme: Every 11 Minutes, a Woman is Killed. #NoExcuse Dr Helen Maher, Vice President of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, said: “Universities have a responsibility not only to educate but to create safe and inclusive spaces for all. Our campaign on gender-based violence reflects our commitment to raising awareness, supporting survivors, and fostering a culture of respect and accountability. This is informed by research, policy and practice to ensure a comprehensive and collective approach to build a community where everyone feels safe and valued.” Niamh Kavanagh, Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Manager at the University of Galway, said: “The University of Galway was delighted to collaborate with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and SVH (Sexual Violence and Harassment) colleagues from 16 higher education institutions across the country to have a meaningful sectoral response for this campaign.” The 16 Days of Activism campaign runs until December 10th (Human Rights Day). It was launched in 1991 by the Women’s Global Leadership Institute as a call to prevent and eliminate gender-based violence worldwide. Now, with the backing of the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women campaign, universities, organisations, and individuals around the globe are joining the cause. University of Galway calls upon students, staff, and the wider community to participate in these 16 Days of Activism to foster a world where no woman or girl lives in fear of violence. How to Get Involved: Promote Zero Tolerance: Use your voice to spread a message of zero tolerance for violence against women and girls. Engage Leaders: Advocate for policies that enforce zero tolerance towards violence and protect women’s rights. Support Local Women’s Organisations: Donations and volunteer support are critical to the success of these organisations. Share Awareness Using #NoExcuse: Amplify the message on social media, in schools, workplaces, and communities. The national campaign at third level includes University of Galway; Atlantic Technological University; Dublin City University; Dundalk Institute of Technology; IADT- Institute of Art, Design and Technology; Mary Immaculate College; Munster Technological University; Maynooth University; South East Technological University; Technological University Dublin; Technological University of the Shannon; University College Cork; University College Dublin; University of Limerick; Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Trinity College Dublin. Read more about University of Galway’s 16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence schedule of events here: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/equalityanddiversity/sexualviolenceandharassmentpreventionandresponse/16daysofactivismagainstgenderbasedviolence/ Ends