Farewell Andrew!

Andrew Ledley has finished his research experience in the group. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew for his hard work and enthusiasm during the semester and for being a good lab-mate. Andrew is heading back to the USA this weekend, but not before having a leaving beverage with the group this evening.

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Welcome Jorge!

We welcome Jorge López to the group. Jorge joins the group on a 3-month secondment from Gadea Grupo Farmacéutico in Valladolid. His project is part of a larger EU collaboration, 3DNet, led by Dr Breandán Kennedy (UCD School of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science, Fellow of the UCD Conway Institute), that involves researchers in the UCD School of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, the University of Valladolid (Spain), and industrial partners in RenaSci Ltd (UK), KalVista Pharmaceuticals (UK), Gadea Grupo Farmacéutico (Spain). There is an unmet clinical need for more effective treatments to halt or reverse eye diseases that lead to blindness (like age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and corneal inflammation) with increasing prevalence as the EU population ages. The European network focuses on the exchange of knowledge, people, and expertise to enhance the discovery and development of drugs that target these ocular pathologies. It is funded by a FP7- Marie Curie IAPP grant.

UCD Hosts the 40th ICI Annual Congress

UCD hosted the 40th Annual Congress of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland yesterday. Eoghan was the chairman of the organising committee and the group played a central part in running the congress smoothly. Well done everyone! We are all a bit tired today! The congress focused on Asymmetric Synthesis and had speakers (pictured right) and ca. 100 delegates from all over the island of Ireland. Talks varied from the synthesis of natural products and bioactive molecules, to the use of enzymes and catalysts in asymmetric synthesis. Gary, Nathan and Avene presented their research results in a poster during the poster session. We enjoyed this good day of science. For more details see the congress website.