From left: Dr Liam Lewis, Dr Pilib Ó Broin, Prof Patricia Maguire, Frances Fitzgerald, MEP, Prof Aideen Long, Prof Mark Lawler, Dr Martin O'Neill, Dr John Mulvihill and Dr Mary Deasy. Image: Paul Sharp/Sharppix
The TMAI aims to improve collaboration between scientists and clinicians to improve patient care across the island of Ireland.
A consortium of Irish universities have formed a new initiative to turn scientific breakthroughs into tangible healthcare applications.
The Translational Medicine Alliance Ireland (TMAI) aims to boost partnerships between scientists and clinicians to translate laboratory discoveries into new ways to help patients. The alliance aims to leverage the strengths of its 10 member universities, which each having specialised centres in the field of translational medicine.
The TMAI was launched earlier this month at the Trinity Centre in St James’s Hospital in Dublin. Frances Fitzgerald, MEP, said the initiative has Horizon Europe funding and support from Ireland’s Department of Higher Education.
By pooling the resources, knowledge and skills of the member universities, the alliance aims to help researchers and clinicians generate new ideas and develop therapies more effectively.
The 10 universities taking part are Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Munster Technological University, University of Galway, Queen’s University Belfast, RCSI, Trinity College Dublin, Technological University Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin and University of Limerick.
ATU said joining this decentralised alliance lets the university collaborate with a wider network of leaders in transitional medicine across the Island of Ireland, which will create opportunities for growth and a cross-pollination of ideas to further the university’s research development strategy.
“All the university partners have been working over the last two years to develop the translational medicine alliance across the Island of Ireland and we are delighted the launch was so well attended, igniting a collaborative spirit and fostering opportunities for knowledge exchange,” said Dr Richéal Burns, ATU’s lead for the TMAI.
“Through our individual areas of expertise and resources, our alliance provides a strong platform for developing world-class research in translational medicine that can provide effective solutions to current challenges at the national and the global levels.”
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