Researchers and healthcare professionals from RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), involved in three new clinical trial networks will receive part of a new €10 million investment from the Health Research Board (HRB).

The investment, which will span a total of four networks, will benefit stroke patients, mothers and babies, primary care and intensive care patients by addressing important research questions.

The first of these networks, the HRB Ireland Perinatal Clinical Trials Network is being co-led by Professor Fergal Malone, Professor and Chairman of the RCSI Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Rotunda Hospital, along with Professor Louise Kenny, Cork University Maternity Hospital and INFANT, University College Cork. Speaking on this, Professor Malone said, "The HRB Ireland Perinatal Clinical Trials network will be home to more than 200 multidisciplinary researchers whose focus will be to improve care of pregnant women and new born babies by answering important research questions. The network brings together leading Irish obstetric, midwifery and neonatal researchers with more than ten years' experience in conducting important research into women and children's health."

Professor David Williams, Associate Professor in Geriatric and Stroke Medicine, RCSI and Consultant Stroke Physician at Beaumont Hospital, is a co-applicant of another network, The HRB Irish Stroke Clinical Trials Network, which is being led by Professor Peter J Kelly, Mater University Hospital and University College Dublin. This Stroke Clinical Trials Network will give Irish patients access to cutting edge new treatments with the potential to prevent strokes, or to improve emergency treatment and recovery after stroke.

The RCSI Department of General Practice and the HRB Centre for Primary Care Research are both partners in the HRB Irish Primary Care Trials Network which is led by Professor Andrew Murphy, NUI Galway and General Practitioner. This network will deliver firm evidence on which GPs can make informed decisions about which medication or treatment is right for each patient.

Speaking on the announcement of the investment, Dr Graham Love, Chief Executive at the HRB said, "Clinical trials matter. These new HRB networks will show whether specific interventions work, or indeed don't work, in the areas of stroke, intensive care, perinatal care and primary care."

The four trial networks were selected based on their potential for having outstanding health, scientific, societal and economic potential. Each network is led by exceptional individuals with a proven track record of delivering innovative health research that makes a difference to patients.