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NEWS | Campus


‘Bridge2College’ Graduation Transition year students graduate from Bridge2College programme

Bridge2College is an innovative fl agship initiative in teaching and learning in Ireland, offering an important technology mediated educational experience for young people from under-resourced schools in the Dublin area. Three hundred transition year students from 15 Dublin secondary schools graduated from the Bridge2College Programme in May. The event celebrated the achievements of the students who participated on the programme and their work was showcased at a special lunch with Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan T.D., and a high level representative group from the ICT sector. The programme is a joint initiative of Suas Educational Development, Trinity’s Centre for Research in IT in Education (CRITE) and the Trinity Access Programmes (TAP).

www.cs.tcd.ie/research_groups/crite/b2c/

(photo captioned: Students Shauna Fitzpatrick, Coláiste Bríd Secondary School, and Keith Saul, Old Bawn Community School)


Advances in the Understanding of Human Immune Responses

Two Trinity research groups, led by Smurfi t Professor of Medical Genetics, Seamus Martin and another, led by Dr Ed Lavelle, made an important breakthrough in our understanding of the mechanism of action of the IL-33 protein, a protein involved in driving immune responses which are frequently associated with asthma and allergic reactions.

Using an enzyme which can cut proteins very selectively, the team has discovered a way of switching off the activity of the protein IL-33. IL-33 may be overproduced in certain immune conditions such as allergies and asthma, therefore, a means of inactivating this immune system messenger protein may prove to be benefi cial to sufferers of allergies and other chronic immune conditions.

www.tcd.ie/Genetics/


Computer Science Students Win Microsoft Imagine Cup

Third year students from the School of Computer Science and Statistics, Aidan Lynch, Eoin O'Brien, Ros McMahon, and Maria Francesca O'Connor were awarded fi rst prize in the 2009 Irish Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition. This year’s competition theme was Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today.

Known as the Trinity Sight Team, the students developed and built a simulator for eye-surgery training which uses computer game technologies to teach the hand and eye co-ordination needed for delicate surgery, in particular complex operations such as cataract removal surgery. Existing simulators cost approximately €100,000. The Trinity team state their new simulator can be made with off-the-shelf components enabling surgeons in the developing world to be trained faster and at lower cost.

www.imaginecup.com

(photo captioned: (l-r) Eoin O'Brien, Ros McMahon, Paul Rellis (Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland) Aidan Lynch, Mary Hanafi n, Maria Francesca O'Connor, Daniel O'Byrne (team mentor))


Trinity Business Student of the Year 2009

Brian Martin was announced as this year’s Trinity Business Alumni/Bank of Ireland 'Business Student of the Year' for his outstanding contribution to college society life, community engagement and entrepreneurial activities. www.tba.ie

(photo captioned: Finalists of the Business Student of the Year Awards)


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