Six Trinity research projects have secured government funding to fight the effects of the coronavirus, after a €5 million funding call that saw more than 20 initiatives greenlit by Irish research councils.
The projects will investigate the effect of the virus on older people’s health; public health interventions, the use of telemedicine systems for vulnerable groups, those with systemic autoimmune disease and estimate the scale of the prevalence of the disease.
Some 21 projects received funding through a new research call set up by the Irish Research Council and Health Research Board, with a further five receiving funding from Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Agency Ireland.
Dean of Research Linda Doyle said in a press statement that the funding “is an example of how vital research is to the health of our nation, and truly shows that research matters for all of us”.
“The rapid response our researchers have shown to the current crisis is an example of the strength and depth of talent and expertise that is available in Ireland to address the challenges we face from COVID-19”, she said.
She congratulated the principal investigators of the Trinity projects – Catherine Comiskey, Orla Hardiman, Catherine Darker, Nollaig Bourke, Rose Anne Kenny and Mark Little – ”and all of our colleagues across the sector who have secured funding”.
Two teams from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) – a Trinity-based research centre – won funding. Led by Dr Nollaig Bourke and Prof Rose Anne Kenny, they’ll explore issues related to ageing and how it affects the impact of the coronavirus.
Prof Catherine Darker, an associate professor of Health Services Research, will investigate public health interventions with her team, comparing the implications of the coronavirus on the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Another project – led by Prof Catherine Comiskey – aims to estimate the number of asymptomatic cases of coronavirus with the hope of informing policy-makers about a possible second epidemic and the easing of social restrictions put in place due to the pandemic.
Prof Orla Hardiman, a professor of neurology in Trinity and consultant neurologist at Beaumont Hospital, will implement, evaluate and modify with her team a new telemedicine system developed by collaborators in Sheffield University.
They will examine the strengths and opportunities for modification of this system, tailoring it to enhance care for Irish patients and their families.
The final project, called DECOMPRESS, is led by consultant nephrologist Prof Mark Little from Trinity’s School of Medicine. It aims to define the course of coronavirus infection in patients with underlying systemic autoimmune diseases.
Dr Lisa Keating, the director of research and innovation of the Irish Universities Association, said in a press statement that the projects “will make a real difference in fighting this virus, helping us recover as a society and build a strong future together”.
“The benefits of a broad-based research system that can respond rapidly to new challenges have never been clearer and we will work with Government to protect and enhance national research funding”, she added.
