Professor Martin O’Halloran
Techrete Professor of Medical Electronics, Executive Director BioInnovate, Director of the Translational Medical Device Lab, Health Innovation Hub Ireland
Professor Aoife Lowery
Consultant Surgeon and Clinical Lead for the Clinical Research Facility,
University of Galway
Dr Alanna Stanley
Lecturer in Anatomy and Radiology, University of Galway
A bench to bedside approach pioneers collaborative solutions, advancing research to meet patient needs.
Patient-focused research involves clinicians working with researchers to solve unmet patient needs — from reducing drug side effects to developing medical devices that help patients lead more comfortable lives during and after treatment.
Trials accounting for lived experiences
University of Galway’s Institute for Clinical Trials runs ‘Bench-to-Bedside’ research, which takes stock of what patients feel they really need.
Aoife Lowery, Professor and Consultant Surgeon at University of Galway, focuses on clinical trials, which sit between conception and delivery. “Patient engagement is a critical element of the clinical research process. We work with patients as research partners and value their experience and perspective when investigating a research question and designing a clinical study to validate the pre-clinical findings of the scientists and bioengineers.
An example of a patient-led conception was reducing post-operative side effects such as pain for lung cancer treatment. “Patients often say they feel worse six months post-surgery than they did before,” explains Professor Martin O’Halloran, a bioengineer on the programme. “As a result, we are beginning trials on minimally invasive lung cancer treatment.”
Scientists at University of Galway regularly talk to clinicians and patients as part of the process when validating an unmet need. That means they understand their needs and are motivated to come up with solutions.
Professor Aoife Lowrey
Studying the human body
Dr Alanna Stanley, Lecturer in Anatomy, University of Galway, says: “Through anatomical research, we can improve our understanding of the human body, enabling us to better interpret results from our pre-clinical models. For instance, in the Anatomy Imaging and Microscopy facility, we carry out advanced analysis on the interaction of medical technologies and device with cells and tissues,” she explains.
Professor O’Halloran’s team worked with Dr Stanley to develop a device to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. “There has been an under-emphasis on the trauma and pain of hair loss,” he says. “Patients and their families are very affected by this. We developed a technology that reduces blood supply to hair follicles, to reduce this side effect.”
Quickly developing solutions
The Bench-to-Bedside approach focuses on translating science for patient benefit. “Scientists at University of Galway regularly talk to clinicians and patients as part of the process when validating an unmet need. That means they understand their needs and are motivated to come up with solutions,” explains Professor Lowery. Moreover, having clinicians, scientists and bioengineers under one roof means change can happen more quickly. “We had the idea for one of the breast cancer technologies in November. By March, we had started a patient study, which is extraordinarily quick,” says Professor O’Halloran.
“Harnessing the immense potential of collaborative patient-focused research, the Institute for Clinical Trials promises to drive innovation and deliver on cutting-edge clinical trials that are regionally relevant and globally impactful,” says Professor Lowery.