President McAleese receives recipients of the President of Ireland Young Researcher Award (PIYRA)
UCD and NUI Maynooth based researchers receive €1.9 m funding from Science Foundation Ireland
President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, has today (Tuesday, 14th December 2010) received the Science Foundation Ireland President of Ireland Young Researcher Award (PIYRA) two winning researchers, Dr Neil Ferguson, UCD, and Dr Nataša Mitić, NUI Maynooth, at a special ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin.
Speakin in Áras an Uachtaráin, President Mary McAleese said, “I am delighted to receive this year’s winners, Dr Ferguson and Dr Mitić. These awards are testament to their dedication to investigating infections which cause countless fatalities across the globe each year.The work being carried out by Dr Ferguson and Dr Mitić are just two examples of the groundbreaking research that is being conducted in science facilities across the country. Exceptional talent and pioneering results, such as that of Dr Ferguson and Dr Mitić, continue to position Ireland as a global leader in innovative science research.”
Now in its seventh year, PIYRA is one of Science Foundation Ireland’s most prestigious accolades, acknowledging young engineers and scientists who have displayed extraordinary ability and leadership in their particular field.
Dr Ferguson is being recognised for his research into human hepatitis B virus (HBV) biology. Using genetic engineering with state-of-the-art biophysical techniques to dissect HBV into its component molecules, Dr Ferguson’s aim is to obtain new insights into the mechanism of HBV replication, and to design antivirals that will prevent HBV biomolecules from interacting with partner molecules.
Dr Mitić’s research will address the emergence of antibiotic resistance, a problem existing in clinical settings, having serious implications on the well-being of post surgery scenarios. Her studies will reveal regions in the target enzymes associated with antibiotic resistance that are conserved and not prone to mutation and, hence, present suitable targets for the design of new drugs with greater longevity.
Dr Ferguson said: “My work on HBV has unquestionably been the most challenging and ambitious research of my scientific career and receiving this recognition is the pinnacle of my career to date – but the quest continues unabated. We are effectively trying to scale a scientific ‘Everest’, but the vast scale of human
suffering caused by HBV provides a strong incentive to continue. The granting of this award provides vital funds for a team resolute on finding a cure for a virus that causes one million deaths annually.”
Dr Mitić said: “Receiving this award is a great honour for me. It will allow for the establishment of a research group at NUI Maynooth where we can build a team with extensive experience and, in turn, foster young minds. Our aim is to use a structure-based drug design and directed evolution to predict and combat resistance to a particular class of antibiotic widely used in the treatment of many bacterial infections.”
Commenting on the awards, Mr John Travers, Director General, Science Foundation Ireland, said: “The SFI PIYRA award was established to position Ireland as a prime location from where young scientific and engineering researchers with exceptional ability could work. SFI’s involvement in this programme continues to ensure the recruitment of young influential
researchers to research bodies across the country, and serves to highlight the extraordinary scientific work that the younger generation of researchers are immersed in.”
