In the News..

Prospective mature students and adult learners considering a return to education are invited to a special information event at University of Galway. The information evening will take place on campus on Thursday January 15th from 6pm-9pm in the Institute for Lifecourse and Society, Upper Newcastle Road. Hosted by the University’s Access Centre, the event will outline the CAO application process, entry pathways, funding options and practical supports available to adults who are thinking about returning to study. Students who have successfully returned to education and transformed their careers and confidence will also give first-hand accounts of their experience. The event is open to anyone aged 23 or over who is applying through the CAO as a mature student, as well as adults considering upskilling, retraining or returning to education and those interested in Access courses or flexible learning opportunities, such as Microcreds. Staff will be on hand to discuss degree programmes, career opportunities and unique learning experiences at the University. The Career Development Centre will also provide expert advice on career pathways and progression after completing a qualification. The information evening will highlight the wide range of flexible learning options available for adult learners. Representatives from the Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development will showcase short courses, languages, online learning and professional development programmes tailored to fit around work, family and life commitments. The event will also serve as a gateway to the University’s Access Foundation Diploma Courses, which support learners at a pre-university level to build confidence, academic skills and a strong platform for success in a full degree. Kathleen Hartigan, Mature Students Officer, Access Centre, University of Galway, said: “There is truly a place for everyone at University of Galway. Whether you choose a full-time degree, take your first step through an Access course, or pursue flexible lifelong learning, our community is here to support you to reach your full potential.” Nuala McGuinn, Director of the Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development, University of Galway, said: “Technological change is reshaping how we work, learn and develop new skills across every sector. But lifelong learning isn’t only about careers - it’s also about curiosity and the joy of learning something new. Whether someone is pursuing a short micro-credential, a flexible part-time undergraduate or postgraduate course, our staff are ready to help people find learning opportunities that fit their lives.” For further information or to register to attend, visit www.universityofgalway.ie/mature Ends

Alumni of the renowned BioInnovate programme at University of Galway are to share insights on translating unmet clinical need into patient centred solutions. The online event is being held on January 13th, 2026, as the search begins for the next intake for BioInnovate's 10-month medical device and digital health innovation programme.  One area of focus for the 2026 webinar is the growing recognition that women’s health innovation must be grounded in real, unmet clinical need and informed by diverse perspectives, particularly the lived experiences of women themselves. The webinar seeks to actively support and encourage greater involvement of women as innovators and leaders in health innovation, an approach long embedded within BioInnovate. BioInnovate alumni companies are already demonstrating how needs-led innovation can transform health outcomes, including women’s health outcomes. Among them is AVeta Medical which is poised to redefine the standard of care for millions of women living with Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM). The BioInnovate webinar and the opening of recruitment for the programme follows the announcement late last year by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill T.D. of €2million in dedicated funding in women’s health research in Ireland in 2026 and 2027. Paula Newell, Founder of AVeta Medical and a BioInnovate alumna taking part in the webinar, said: “Women’s health has historically been under-researched and under-prioritised, despite the scale of impact on quality of life. Needs-led innovation changes that dynamic by starting with women’s voices and translating them into clinically meaningful, patient-centred solutions. Programmes like BioInnovate have played a critical role in enabling that journey." Professor Martin O’Halloran, Co-Director of BioInnovate, said: “Needs-led approaches ensure that health solutions are clinically relevant, commercially viable and, most importantly, grounded in real patient need. Having diverse participants within the training programme really supports this approach.” The webinar will highlight how the importance of clinical insight in shaping effective unmet solutions is reflected in the career paths of clinicians who move into innovation and industry. Dr Brendan Boland, Co-Founder of Loci Orthopaedics and Head of Consulting, MedTech at EY, former clinician and BioInnovate fellow, said: “When innovation is grounded in real clinical insight and supported by the right commercial and policy frameworks, it has the potential to deliver meaningful impact at scale. Women’s health represents one of the most significant areas of unmet clinical need in medtech. The BioInnovate programme is critical in bridging that gap between clinical reality and sustainable innovation.” Along with Ms Newell and Dr Boland, the BioInnovate event will hear from other speakers, including Katie Nolan, Clinical Acceleration Manager, ARC Hub for HealthTech based at University of Galway; Yanka Reis, 2025 BioInnovate graduate and engineer with J&J; and current programme participant Conor Connolly, a biotechnology graduate and accomplished commercial leader with extensive experience in the medical technology and sustainability sectors. The BioInnovate alumni will share insights on translating unmet clinical needs into scalable, patient-centered solutions. The webinar is open to medical professionals, scientists, engineers technology and AI experts, and business professionals interested in participating in the 10-month programme. The programme is fully funded, and participants receive a tax-free scholarship of €38,000 over the ten-month period. In addition, academic fees of up to €5,750 are covered by the programme. Register at  https://tinyurl.com/bioinnovatewebinar2026 BioInnovate is supported under the Innovators’ Initiative Programme, Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-2027. Ends

An international research team has created a roadmap for the integration of sex and gender in medical research. The PAINDIFF network, led by University of Galway Centre for Pain researchers, brings together 32 international experts from 22 institutions across eight countries to address one of the most persistent gaps in biomedical science with barriers and inconsistencies in how sex and gender are accounted for in study design, data analysis and reporting. The results of the project have been published in Nature Neuroscience https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02164-1 Senior author and consortium coordinator Dr Michelle Roche said: “For too long, medical research often assumed that biological mechanisms and treatment responses are the same for males and females. Historically, males were more commonly used in preclinical research and while clinical research included more balanced participation, data was not routinely analysed or separately by sex.” The research team noted that increasing evidence now shows meaningful differences between males and females in disease prevalence, biological pathways and responses to treatment. Dr Roche added: “As medical research moves toward personalised medicine, it is increasingly clear that understanding sex and gender differences and similarities is essential for improving health outcomes. The PAINDIFF network has developed guidelines and recommendations for studies in this field. Widespread adoption and implementation of these recommendations will reduce variability, improve reproducibility, and enhance the translatability of research findings, within and beyond the field of pain.” Professor David Finn, joint first author on the paper, said: “Chronic pain is a clear example of a condition where there are important sex and gender differences.  It affects one in five people worldwide, with women accounting for 70% of those affected.  Our new paper aims to reset the basic requirements for medical research, offering 13 actionable recommendations to guide researchers, reviewers, funders and policymakers, creating a clear and comprehensive roadmap for integrating sex and gender.” The recommendations include five universal principles applicable across all types of research — such as including both males and females as standard practice, and analysing and reporting data by sex. They also address how gender, distinct from biological sex, should be meaningfully incorporated into research frameworks.   Professor Brian McGuire, joint first author, said: “Historically, there have been deficits, barriers and inconsistencies surrounding the inclusion and study of sex and gender in research. Our paper provides a framework and roadmap for researchers and other stakeholders on how best to include and study sex and gender in research on pain and other biopsychosocial fields going forward.” The research was carried out under the ERA-NET NEURON initiative, funded by the European Union and the Health Research Board, and led by Dr Michelle Roche, Professor David Finn and Professor Brian McGuire at the University of Galway’s Centre for Pain Research. The 13 PAINDIFF recommendations published under three themes are:  Universal Recommendations Include males and females as standard practice unless there is a valid reason not to do so. Account for sex in randomization/counterbalancing/testing order Use adequately powered study design to detect sex differences when it is the primary experimental variable or when data suggest sex-specific effects  Include detailed reporting of experimental design including sex of the experimenter when possible Conduct sex-disaggregated analysis and reporting Preclinical Researchers should be aware of, and report on, the sex of the established cell lines, primary cells and tissues used in their research It is not always necessary to test for oestrous cycle stage Researchers should include detailed reporting on housing, environmental conditions and experimental design Clinical Ask for participants’ sex assigned at birth and self-identified gender Include a “prefer/choose not to say” response option when asking about sex and gender Include an open textbox response option to capture gender identity followed by a series of tick boxes to aid categorisation Report the number of people who hold diverse gender identities and, where possible and permitted, make the raw data accessible for further study (while ensuring anonymity).  When possible, collect and report on sex-specific variables to allow disaggregated analysis by sex or gender to be better informed by hormonal status, rather than solely by age. Ends