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Clinicians and researchers deliver new Galway Diabetes Research Centre


THE best researchers and clinicians in Galway and Roscommon have united to deliver the new Galway Diabetes Research Centre (GDRC), which will work to reduce the high incidence of this disease in the West of Ireland.

 

Based at NUI Galway, this new research centre was officially launched by Dr Jim Browne, president of NUI Galway, and Bill Maher, CEO, Galway and Roscommon University Hospital Group recently.

It links researchers from diverse disciplines to strengthen and develop close ties with clinicians from Galway and Roscommon University Hospital Group and the hospitals linked to the NUI Galway Regional Medical Academies.

Its interdisciplinary research consortium of active researchers and clinicians includes individuals from psychology, engineering, economics, health promotion, nursing, midwifery, podiatry and information technology, all of whom have a track record in the field of diabetes.

Professor Fidelma Dunne, School of Medicine, Cco-director of the GDRC describes the centre as an “exciting opportunity for researchers and clinicians working in diabetes at NUI Galway and Galway and Roscommon University Hospital Group”.

“The centre will facilitate the development of each individual’s skills and provide the academic environment for collaboration. The collaboration between an academic institution and healthcare delivery network will facilitate the efficient translation of research findings into clinical practice resulting in tangible benefits for patients with diabetes,” she said.

Mr Maher, cited the centre as another example of where the synergy of the hospital and university can lead to tangible benefits for patients and improved outcomes.

“Diabetes is a growing healthcare problem, which is putting additional strain on a public health service, which will face funding difficulties for the foreseeable future; advances in research, which lead to improved treatment and which enhance the skills of our clinicians will promote patient health and are to be welcomed,” he added.

Through three main clusters: aetiology and prevention, current and future clinical management and population and health services research, the GDRC will serve the needs of patients with diabetes mellitus and those at risk of developing diabetes mellitus by creating future treatments through research, providing state-of-the-art clinical care and developing the carers of the future through education.

Aetiology and prevention contributes to clinicians’ understanding of how diabetes develops and what are the underlying mechanisms. Researchers in this cluster are active at every level of the disease, from genes, through to glycoproteins and stem cells.

Investigators in current and future clinical management are focused on the development of new therapies for diabetes mellitus. There is an active clinical trial programme through the HRB Clinical Research Facility, Galway, with the support of research nurses, quality assurance staff and biostatisticians. There is also a major focus on the development of biomaterials and stem cell-based approaches to regenerative therapies through the Science Foundation Ireland funded research centres REMEDI and NFB.

The population and health services research cluster will contribute to the evidence required to help address the many challenges of health care delivery in diabetes. These challenges include changing the way services are delivered, evaluating the health care needs of the diabetes population and measuring the relative effectiveness of interventions.

The Institute of Public Health (2005) concluded in 2005 that 150,000 Irish people had diabetes with the highest prevalence in the Western Region (5.2%).

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