School News
Opening of a new Biochemistry - Bioprocess technology laboratory in the School of Biological Sciences
The School of Biological Sciences has recently opened a new laboratory with facilities for teaching and research in the Biotechnology area. The underlying ethos of the laboratory is that both research and undergraduate work can take place there. Equipment includes bioreactors, sterilisation equipment, spectroscopy and other equipment for Bioprocess teaching and research.
Hon K Sze (BSc Bio-molecular Sciences 2011-2012) undertaking his final year biotechnology research project in the newly developed G-029 laboratory in Kevin Street opened in November 2011.
Students from the BSc Biosciences (DT259) year 3 taking Biotechnology practicals in the new Biotechnology/Biochemistry laboratory recently opened in G-029 (Kevin Street), with lecturer Dr Gwilym Williams.
Achievement of excellence awards
The School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently awarded achievement of excellence awards to 10 of the first year class of 2010-2011. Three of the BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Dietetics students were among those who received awards. These were Cliona Godwin, Megan Merrick and Lorraine Spotten. Congratulations to all three.
For more information see
http://www.sparks.ie/news-a-events/21-dit-award-winners.html
Students Learning with Communities Project
Enhancing the Learning Experience: Learning for an Unknown Future
The Learning Innovation Network 4th Annual Conference took place on 27th October 2011.
Dr Catherine Bates, Project Co-ordinator, DIT Students Learning with Communities (SLWC), presented on an innovative collaboration between academic staff teaching on the BSc Human Nutrition and Dietetics programme and the SLWC team. A lot of interest was expressed in this project.
When the BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition & Dietetics programme underwent curriculum reform in 2009, emphasis was placed on the development of professional skills. A new module, ‘Professional Practice Studies’, was introduced into the second year curriculum. This module facilitated the development of student professional skills through a SLWC project with older persons living in Dublin. Students were required to interview, develop evidence-based nutrition related educational materials and provide dietary advice for older persons. Each student maintained a reflection log and formally presented their experiences to the class. Feedback from the older people was positive and included a request to formally meet the same students in Autumn 2011 for evaluation of their progress with the dietary advice provided. This successful evaluation meeting took place in October 2011.
Student feedback highlighted the value of the learning methods used and a high level of student engagement and motivation was observed by academic staff teaching the module. To develop the professional skills of students, working in a group of three was introduced; ‘Dietitian’ (student), ‘Client’ and ‘Observer’ (student). The role of the student Observer was to give constructive criticism to the student ‘Dietitian’. Students found this concept difficult initially but quickly recognised the value of receiving effective feedback from the Observer. This method of skills development has been very effective in preparing students for their mandatory HSE practice placement education which is undertaken in student pairs.
Speakers at the Transfusion and Transplantation Science Advisory Body meeting held at the recent AMLS annual conference on 23rd to 24th September in Athlone
Speakers at the Transfusion and Transplantation Science Advisory Body meeting held at the recent AMLS annual conference on 23rd to 24th September in Athlone
[From L-R: MrJohn Sheehy, (Cork University Hospital) chair of meeting, Mr Joe Goulding, (Galway University Hospital), Ms Sheila Joyce, (Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick), Ms Margaret Layde (Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar), Mr Fabian McGrath (Dublin Institute of Technology) and Mr. Tony Finch (Irish Blood Transfusion Service and HSE); Mr. Tom Byrne, (Beaumont Hospital, Dublin) also spoke but not pictured]
Graduation of final year Biomedical Science Students. Saturday 15th October 2011
75 final year Biomedical Science students graduated from the School of Biological Sciences on saturday the 15th October.
The Biomedical science class with President Brian Norton and a selection of lecturers at the graduation ceremony.
The Haematology and Transfusion Science groups at graduation
DIT Students Present at International Papilloma Virus conference in Berlin
Students from the School of Biological Sciences and collaborators presented 3 posters and an oral presentation at the recent International Papilloma Virus conference in Berlin. The conference was attended by over 2000 participants and focused on the role of Human Papilloma Virus in the development of cervical cancer, a disease that kills 250,000 women worldwide each year.
Beatrive Orru presents on
Ciaran Cunniffe and X Z Li present posters on
Expression of tight and adherens junction proteins in cervical neoplasia
Cunniffe C, Cummins P, Lambkin H, O’Donovan E, Ryan F, Brankin B
RNA element supresses HPV-16splice site SD3632
X Z Li, B Orru, M Somberg,F Ryan, S Schwartz.
Beatrive Orru presents a poster on
Novel factors involved in regulation of HPV-16 late gene expression.
B Orru ,S Schwartz, F Ryan.
Students Learning with Communities Project
For the second year running, the 4th year BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Dietetics successfully undertook a range of community-based projects. Working with two of their lecturers in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Mary Moloney and Sheila Sugrue, and the SLWC project team, the students implemented small intervention projects in St Michaels’s House, a centre for intellectual disability, Goirtín Skillbase Training Centre which provides rehabilitative training programmes for people with learning disabilities and mental health difficulties, the Vincentian Refugee Centre women’s group, the MAIN (Men Alone in No Man’s Land) Group and Rialto Day Care Centre. Although these students had successfully completed their 26-week nutrition and dietetics hospital and community practice placements, they found the project work undertaken with the SLWC groups demanding. Despite the challenges which had to be overcome, all reported the experience as extremely rewarding and a wonderful learning and life experience. The four students nominated by their two lecturers for the SLWC award were Sarah Wrafter (team leader), Noelle Corrigan, Paula Hayes and Mary Horan who successfully shared their nutrition knowledge to improve the diet and lifestyles of the women attending the Vincentian Refugee Centre.
Mary Moloney and Sheila Sugrue were also given a well deserved award for their enthusiastic work in embedding Students Learning With Communities in the BSc Human Nutrition and Dietetics programme by the DIT President, Professor Brian Norton over the past two years.
Given the success of the 4th year projects, Mary Moloney and another lecturer in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Dr Clare Corish, incorporated a SLWC project into the year 2 Professional Practice Studies module of the BSc Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Twelve older persons travelled into DIT,Kevin St on two occasions. They were interviewed by the students who then prepared nutrition materials and provided talks and client advice to these older people. The feedback from both the students and the older people was positive and the older people wish to return for a follow-up assessment by the students next Autumn. Fiachra Duffy, the class representative, received a certificate of participation in SLWC on behalf of the class for the enthusiastic and hard work each class member put into this project.
Irish Human Nutrition students undertake research at Purdue University USA (More)
