CÚRAM aims to radically improve health outcomes for patients by developing ‘smart’ medical devices and implants. It develops these devices through collaborations with industry partners and hospital groups to enable their rapid translation to clinics.

CÚRAM positions Ireland as the driver in developing medical device technologies that will provide affordable transformative solutions for chronic diseases. The centre strengthens Ireland’s standing as a major global hub for medical device research and development.

CÚRAM’s research programme focuses on innovative design, assessment and manufacture of medical devices and is driven by specialist researchers, clinicians and industry partners, ultimately translating research into clinical settings.

Research Areas

  • Biomaterials
  • Drug Delivery
  • Tissue Engineering
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Device Design
  • Glycoscience

Backed by €49.6m in SFI and industry funding, CÚRAM’s 650+ researchers are designing and manufacturing implants to respond to the body’s environment and delivering therapeutic agents exactly where they are needed. CÚRAM’s outputs will particularly benefit patients with chronic ailments such as heart disease, wound healing, diabetes and musculoskeletal diseases.

CÚRAM includes more than 30 industry partners, including Irish companies and multinationals. CÚRAM also supports product development and the creation of spin-out companies.

  • Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland
  • Clinical Research Facility
  • Additive/subtractive manufacturing testbed for electrically, optically and thermally activated biomaterials
  • “Hybrid” Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory Suite
  • National Marine Biodiscovery Laboratory of Ireland
  • An advanced high-throughput imaging platform for multi-dimensional analysis of complex biological models in health and disease
  • State of the art surgical facility for the pre-clinical evaluation of medical devices
  • Human Performance Sensing Suite
  • Open Innovation Test Bed for Safety Testing of Medical Technologies for Health
  • Two photon laser lithography system
  • 3D Bioscaffolder (Pilot Line for Bio-microsystems Development)
  • Malvern Viscotek TDAmax GPC system
  • Seahorse Analyser
  • MCR 302 Rheometer
  • Litesizer™ 500 Zeta/Size Analyser
  • Neural Stimulation System
  • Peptide synthesiser and peptide/polymer synthesiser
  • Rheometer and a Tensiometer for mechanical analysis of polymers
  • ImageStream®X Mark II Imaging flow cytometer

CÚRAM’s Education and Public Engagement Programme ‘Breaking Barriers’ aims to inspire and engage the next generation of Irish scientists and engineers and to forge collaborations between our researchers and the community. The programme is based around three core residency programmes for Filmmakers, Artists and Teachers. Researchers also engage directly with the community through public lectures, film screenings, workshops and at national events.

Teachers in Residence Teachers learn about and receive resources for the classroom including science engagement activities, science capital teaching approach methods, and lesson plan kits developed by teachers for teachers, that are linked with the primary and junior cycle science curricula.

Science on Screen CÚRAM and Galway Film Centre together run a partnership project called ‘Science on Screen’  which aims to facilitate, promote and increase the inclusion of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) content in Irish film and TV production. View our trailers

CÚRAM's Art and Science programme includes community STEAM projects and a schools mural programme that helps to inspire and engage new audiences.

CÚRAM's Science Advocacy Training platform aims to educate and support our researchers in effectively advocating for their research to policymakers at a local, national and international level, to better understand science policy development and appreciate the role they can play in influencing science policy.

Key Contact Details

Prof Abhay Pandit
Centre Director

abhay.pandit@universityofgalway.ie

Dr Stefania Spada
Scientific Programme Manager

stefania.spada@universityofgalway.ie

Ankit Pawar
Research Business Lead

ankit.pawar@universityofgalway.ie

Shubham Kochhar
Research Business Lead

universityofgalway.ie

Claire Riordan
Education and Public Engagement Manager

claire.riordan@universityofgalway.ie

Iain Shaw
Centre Manager

iain.shaw@universityofgalway.ie