INNOVATION
New memory-supporting app for people with dementia
A new app designed by ulster university (uu), the Public Health Agency and Health and social Care NI in conjunction with scaffold Digital, will help people living with dementia and their carers to store photographs, music and film clips, which can then be used to prompt conversations about past experiences and important life events.
InspireD is a revolutionary step in the digitisation of the healthcare sector and will make scaffold Digital a pioneer in the field with a first-of-a- kind app to be endorsed by prominent healthcare authorities and physicians.
The app boasts a guided uploading and navigation process to allow users
to add and organise content as well as recording voice notes and more.
‘For most people,’ said Assumpta Ryan, uu’s Professor of Ageing and Health, ‘the thought of a dementia diagnosis and the fear of losing their ability to recall treasured memories is devastating. We know that for many people, longer-term memories can be accessed in the early to moderate stages of dementia and reminiscence can be used to support this process. Our recent research which used an iPad to help 60 people living with dementia to reminisce showed how important it is for people living with dementia to focus on the memories that they still have, rather than thinking about what is lost.’
DesPITe THe CHALLeNGes BeING CReATeD FOR THe HeALTHCARe sYsTeM BY COVID-19, NORTHeRN IReLAND’s ReseARCH CAPABILITIes CONTINue TO Be sOuGHT OuT WORLDWIDe… .
uu harnesses power of mass spectrometry imaging for research into degenerative diseases
ulster university’s Mass spectrometry Centre is pioneering mass spectrometry imaging (MsI) on the island of Ireland, spearheading the use of this innovative technology to uncover new treatments for common degenerative diseases.
Led by Dr Diego Cobice, the centre is part of an international collaborative network, with ulster researchers working closely MsI centres worldwide.
MsI is an innovative technology which allows visualisation of the spatial distribution of molecules, eg, pharmaceutical compounds, biomarkers and metabolites in biological tissue sections. MsI has a broad scope of applications and is being successfully applied in biology, pathology, medicine, and pharmacology amongst others.
The research team at ulster is currently using MsI to unravel potential biological mechanisms that can lead to new therapeutic targets for degenerative diseases including prostate cancer.
‘Degenerative diseases are prevalent and devastating,’ said Dr Cobice. ‘While extensive research has been done, we are still far from understanding what causes degeneration and how we can prevent or reverse it. systems biology approaches have led to a holistic examination of the ‘interactome’ such the proteome and metabolome to shed new light on degenerative pathogenesis. Mass spectrometry imaging is a fascinating emerging technology that is currently helping researchers to have deeper and better understanding of disease mechanisms at the molecular level. My team is currently using MsI- based approaches to map the molecular fingerprint of several degenerative diseases including castrate resistant prostate cancer. We hope to uncover new biological mechanisms that can lead to the discovery of novel biomarkers for disease progression and stratification along with new therapeutic targets.’
unique global collaboration has doubled cancer research, saving thousands of lives
A new study led by queen’s university highlights how invaluable cross-border collaboration is to enhance research, leading to improved cancer care.
In 1999, as an output from the Good Friday agreement, a Memorandum of understanding was signed between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Washington usA. This led to establishment of the Ireland–Northern Ireland–NCI Cancer Consortium (the All Ireland Cancer Consortium (AICC)), which aimed to enhance cancer research and cancer care on the island of Ireland.
An analysis of the AICC’s impact, published in the european Journal of
Cancer, shows that collaborative cancer research on the island of Ireland has doubled as a result of the consortium, with vastly increased access to clinical trials, delivering significant life-saving care for many cancers including breast, oesophageal and myeloma cancers.
‘AICC has been truly transformational,’ said Professor Mark Lawler, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor of Digital Health and Chair in Translational Cancer Genomics in the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at queen’s university Belfast and lead author of the study. ‘Collaborative cancer research has doubled, the quality of the research and its impact have increased significantly when
Pictured (front row, second from right) are Professor Mark Lawler from Queen's University Belfast with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director, Dr Ned Sharpless, and his senior leadership team at a meeting at the NCI to discuss the All Ireland Cancer Consortium and the potential for an All Island Cancer Research Institute.
compared to other european countries and cancer researchers from the island of Ireland are now publishing high quality scientific papers with the very best researchers from the most prestigious institutions in the usA.
Critically, the research has delivered significant impact for cancer patients on the island of Ireland. The activities and influence of the AICC have undoubtedly helped save thousands of lives on the island of Ireland.’
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