Molecular Medicine Ireland provides support and guidance across the Irish biomedical research industry. This is all possible thanks to links with the NUI Galway, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Then there are the partnerships with Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, and University College Dublin.
The impact of Molecular Medicine Ireland is on the work achieved with other institutions across the country. These collaborations work to improve the research and development of important projects.
In some cases, these projects are bold approaches to patient care and cancer treatment. In others, they are more subtle changes to improve industry standards and the reputation of Ireland more generally.
Clinical research is at the heart of Molecular Medicine Ireland.
The driving force of this organisation is the desire to improve clinical research. This occurs on a broad scale within the partnered institutions and disciplines. This all began in 2006 when they created the Irish Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ICRIN). The Clinical Research Roadmap followed it in 2010.
The aim here is the strategic and operational development of clinical research. The goal was not simply to improve the work within Ireland, but to improve the capacity to bring in more opportunities.
Across this period, the MMI and its partners worked to ensure this new capacity through additional facilities and ventures. This also includes the new Clinical Research Facility at Dublin’s St James’s Hospital and the creation of the Irish Clinical Research Infrastructure Network.
Much of this comes through with a desire to improve solutions for both patients and practitioners in Ireland.
Improved clinical research programs ultimately provide a new approach for patient-focused solutions. It is all about finding the best fit for those in need of care, not just those providing it.
This all means greater patient focuses research. This is now achieved through PhD programs with the MMI Clinician Scientist Fellowship. Furthermore, there are also Clinical & Translational Research Scholars Programmes.
Then there is the desire to provide better resources for technicians and researchers too. Ireland’s growing and an active community of researchers need resources at the highest standard. This is why MMI created the ISOBiobanking Group.
This came about as the national forum for those in the Irish industry. A focal point for modern research into biotechnology. At the same time, this group works to improve national standards.
This is all vital to the important work and research programs in Ireland regarding cancer.
There are many important programs headed by MMI that look into cancer treatment and care options. There is a strong focus on support for prostate cancer.
This is first seen in the Irish PROgramme for Stratified ProstatE Cancer Therapy (iPROSPECT). Here professionals strive to develop patient stratification and improvements to stratified oncology.
Further work occurs at the Prostate Cancer Research Consortium. Here researcher looks at disease biomarkers to improve rates of detection and prognoses. Another key partnership is with the Irish National Network for Ovarian Cancer Collaboration.
Further research and partnerships ultimately improve the potential for education on these important issues.
Education is a top priority for building upon these research programs, and there are many partnerships with this aim in mind. The Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training program is one of these.
Then there is the joint effort between Molecular Medicine Ireland and the SFI Center for Research in Medical Devices. Here the work by the research team translates into educational programs to help new researchers.
Education has been high on the agenda here since 2009 since the launch of the training program in Good Clinical Practice (GCP). All those in the industry required the highest standards of training to carry out the best work.
These programs and increased links to PhD candidates show that education is still important here.
Molecular Medicine Ireland is about the partnerships and collaborations, rather than any singular driving force.
It is too simplistic to say that MMI exists to improve standards of research, nursing, and care in Ireland. It is about developing standards in many applications and progressing schools of thought into new areas.
The work highlighted here shows the breadth of the organisation and its potential in all these areas. Clinical research is a starting point. Still, it is not easy to fully achieve without those additional ventures, facilities, and educational prospects.