Researchers and innovators at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences will showcase their work at the 2022 RCSI Research Day today.

This is the first in-person Research Day since 2019, giving researchers across the career spectrum a platform to share their research with the wider RCSI community.

Research Day provides RCSI scientists with the opportunity to present their most recent research findings and emphasises the importance of research and innovation to drive improvements in human health within the University. The Research and Innovation Showcase session recognises outstanding RCSI's innovators and highlights world-class clinical research taking place at RCSI.

Selected presentations from early career researchers will explore a range of topics, including treatment and therapy innovations for seizures, acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia. A number of presentations across the day focus on further understanding multiple myeloma, a type bone marrow cancer. Other health issues investigated include tuberculosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome and kidney donation.

This year the Distinguished Speaker for the John J. Ryan Lecture is Professor Kornelia Polyak of the Dana Farber Institute at Harvard University. Professor Polyak will deliver the lecture on 'Immune Escape in Breast Cancer'.

A 'Research Highlights' session will focus on the Beaumont-RCSI HRB Cancer Trials in Ireland Cluster and public patient involvement (PPI) in research.

To conclude the day, awards will be presented to researchers for their outstanding achievements in research and innovation, including awards for PPI in Research and Engaged Research; Research Impact and Citations; and prizes for Research Day presentations and posters.

As part of the Vice Chancellor Innovation Awards, the Clinician Innovation Award will be presented to Dr Kilian Hurley, Department of Medicine, for his work with industry on a new treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Professor Steve Kerrigan, School of Pharmacy and Bimolecular Sciences will be awarded the Commercialisation Innovation Award for commercialisation of his research through the newly-created RCSI spin-out company Inthelia Therapeutics which is developing a new treatment for sepsis.

The Industry Engagement Innovation Award will be awarded to Dr Tobias Engel, Physiology and Medical Physics and SFI FutureNeuro Centre for his industry collaboration to develop new treatments for epilepsy

Professor Fergal O'Brien, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at RCSI, commented on the event, saying: "We are delighted to be back in person for this year's Research Day, to highlight and celebrate recent research studies undertaken by our academic staff, early career investigators, postgraduate and undergraduate students.

"RCSI is committed to supporting and nurturing an active research community and cultivating a culture of innovation, and the annual Research Day is a vital platform for highlighting excellence across health sciences disciplines within our the University research community."