Eight RCSI researchers have been awarded a total of €2.8m in the 2019 HRB (Health Research Board) Investigator-Led Projects funding programme.

The HRB Investigator-Led Projects scheme aims to support highly innovative and internationally competitive research, driven by a vision for improvements in human health and wellbeing.

The successful RCSI awardees and their projects are:

• Professor Annette Byrne: “A new cell free DNA liquid biopsy assay to predict bevacizumab outcome in metastatic colorectal cancer patients” 
• Professor Mary Cannon: “Tracking Trajectories of Psychopathology from Infancy to Young Adulthood: an Irish national longitudinal cohort study”
• Professor David Cotter: “The identification of plasma protein markers of antipsychotic drug treatment response in first episode psychosis; a proteomic analysis of baseline plasma samples from the OPTiMiSE and PSYSCAN studies.”
• Dr Caroline Curtin: “3D collagen-based scaffolds as gene delivery platforms for the treatment of human breast cancer”
• Dr Helen French: “Development of a Model of Care for Osteoarthritis in Primary Care in Ireland- A mixed methods study”
• Professor Bryan Hennessy: “Molecular evolution of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer”
• Dr Frank Moriarty: “Sláintemedicines – a roadmap to essential medicines entitlement for universal health coverage”
• Professor Eoghan O’Neill: “Wound infections: biofilms and the search for novel antimicrobial agents

Dr Darrin Morrissey, Chief Executive at the HRB said: “Our Investigator-Led Projects scheme aims to create new knowledge that, over time, will help to address major health challenges in society and have an impact on tomorrow’s healthcare.” 

“The successful RCSI project proposals are cutting-edge and demonstrate the potential to add to the knowledge base in their field internationally.”

Professor Fergal O’Brien, Director of Research and Innovation at RCSI commented: “I congratulate the RCSI awardees on their significant success in this year’s round of the HRB Investigator-Led Projects scheme.”

“Our investigators’ success is a testament to their focus on important, timely health research questions that can contribute to improvements in human health in Ireland and worldwide.”