Latest news with #KevinFlanagan
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
‘I hope you don't expect us to win': rival Irish University Challenge captains join forces for a fiendish pub quiz
Oscar Despard and Kevin Flanagan were recent opponents on a semi-final of the long-running BBC show. Louise McLoughlin takes them to a London pub to see how they fare with a less academic test I've never been great at pub quizzes. So the opportunity to team up with two of Ireland's best and brightest minds promised some vindication – even if only as part of a team. On a personal level, a friend had suggested beforehand that the experience had the potential to be humiliating. I suggested 'humbling' was perhaps a better word. A win is a win, after all. In all honesty, I expected my contribution to be minimal. The two other members of my team were Dubliners Oscar Despard (22) from Portobello and Kevin Flanagan (29) from Dundrum, who recently went head-to-head in the semi-finals of University Challenge. Despard, who is studying for a PhD in molecular biology, went on to lead Christ's College Cambridge to its first ever victory on the show, winning a tense final by just five points. Flanagan captained the team from Bristol University, where he is doing a PhD in AI.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cofactor Genomics Presents Breakthrough Work Combining RNA and AI to bring Precision Medicine to Immunotherapy at RNA Society's 30th Annual Meeting
SAN DIEGO, May 30, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cofactor Genomics announced the latest validation results for OncoPrism®, Cofactor's breakthrough RNA-based diagnostic approach at the RNA Society's 30th Annual Meeting. The talk, presented by Dr. Kevin Flanagan (Cofactor's VP of Translational Science), "Bringing Precision Medicine to Cancer Immunotherapy with a Robust RNA Diagnostic Platform", highlighted OncoPrism's dramatic improvement in the prediction of patient responses to cancer immunotherapies relative to other diagnostics. Using an AI approach and RNA expression data from patient tumors, Cofactor's OncoPrism platform has demonstrated a 300–400% improvement in predictive performance compared to other clinical tests. Cofactor also presented for the first time the validation results for OncoPrism-NSCLC, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) representing the single largest patient population eligible for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy. Validated with patients enrolled across 12 clinical sites, OncoPrism outperformed PD-L1, with higher sensitivity and specificity in NSCLC. Cofactor's approach has already proven its clinical value. OncoPrism-HNSCC and OncoPrism-NSCLC are available for clinical use from Cofactor's CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratory. In addition, OncoPrism-HNSCC has secured Medicare reimbursement approval. The robustness of Cofactor's platform comes from its proprietary Health Expression Models – multidimensional RNA models built with machine learning. These Heath Expression Models decode complex RNA expression patterns to measure the immune status of the tumor microenvironment, delivering high predictive accuracy beyond single-gene tests. This unique approach ensures robust, reproducible results across different patient populations and tumor types. "OncoPrism is bridging the precision medicine gap by providing clinicians with reliable insights that far surpass the predictive power of conventional biomarkers," said Dr. Flanagan. "Leveraging RNA's rich information, we can identify immunotherapy responders with unprecedented accuracy. It's an honor to present these findings at the RNA Society's 30th anniversary meeting, which highlights how RNA science is transforming patient care." Cofactor's presentation at the 30th Annual Meeting of the RNA Society of recent clinical cases where OncoPrism is already changing clinical treatment decisions and improving patient outcomes underscores the growing importance of RNA in precision medicine. Celebrating three decades of RNA research, the conference provides a high-profile forum to share Cofactor's advancements, emphasizing how RNA innovations are driving a new era of personalized cancer immunotherapy. Cofactor's leadership in RNA diagnostics exemplifies how decades of RNA research are now being translated into tangible clinical benefits – improving the selection of therapies like checkpoint inhibitors and ultimately aiming for better patient outcomes in cancer care. About Cofactor: Cofactor Genomics is a commercial stage diagnostics company that bridges the precision medicine gap by decoding RNA to solve the biggest problems in healthcare. It accomplishes this by unlocking RNA's use as a transformational barometer of health through its PRISM database of patented Health Expression Models (HEMs). HEMs are a departure from common and often uninformative gene mutation panel tests. They represent the latest advancements in machine learning and RNA, transforming billions of biological RNA data points into Cofactor's high-dimensional RNA models of biology, disease, and therapy response. Cofactor's pioneering work in RNA modeling has been published in The Journal of ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, and recognized by Nature Scientific Reports as breakthrough work in cancer. Cofactor is supported and partnered with 38 healthcare systems, representing 20% of US healthcare. Cofactor's OncoPrism is CAP/CLIA-validated and Medicare-approved. Learn more from and LinkedIn. View source version on Contacts Contact: press@ Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
BreakingNews.ie
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Irish captain leads Cambridge team in final of prestigious BBC quiz University Challenge
Dublin's Oscar Despard (22) will captain the team from Christ's College, Cambridge in the final of the prestigious BBC student quiz show University Challenge on Monday night at 8.30pm. Despard is currently studying for a PhD in molecular biology and hopes to 'continue in some form of academic research' after completing his studies. Advertisement The final - against the University of Warwick - has already been recorded. Despard and his teammates will watch it on a big screen during a special event in their college lecture theatre. Back home in south Dublin, where his father William owns The Bretzel Bakery in Portobello, another screening will take place at his former sailing club in Dún Laoghaire. Despard said he has been surprised - and delighted - by how many people have been following his team's progress. 'Lots of people who I didn't think would be interested have been very enthusiastic and have been wishing us well, which has been very nice to see and to have,' he told The Irish Times . 'You then find out who all the people are [who watch University Challenge], all the other weird people who decide the best thing they can do with their Monday evenings is watch eight university students answer questions.' Advertisement While University Challenge is open to UK university teams, Ireland was well-represented this year. Not only is Despard competing in the final, but another Dubliner, Kevin Flanagan from Dundrum, captained the team from the University of Bristol. The pair faced off in the semi-final, but remain firm friends. Queen's University Belfast also performed strongly, reaching the quarter-finals. Despard has long had a love for quizzes. Growing up, he watched The Chase with his grandmother, while he and his mother - Prof Niamh Moran of the Royal College of Surgeons - 'always watched University Challenge and Only Connect in particular.' A stellar Leaving Certificate performance helped bring Despard to Cambridge. He was one of just two students to achieve nine H1 grades in the 2021 Leaving Cert, and in 2020 he won the Individual Award at the BT Young Scientist competition.
RTÉ News
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Dubliners do battle in University Challenge semi-final
Starter for 10 - it's a battle between two young Dubliners tonight on BBC Two's University Challenge to claim a place in the grand final of the legendary quiz show. Kevin Flanagan from Dundrum in Dublin is the captain of the Bristol University team. Opposing him is fellow Dubliner Oscar Despard from Portobello who captains Christ's College Cambridge. Both teams have qualified for the semi-final stage of the prestigious show. Filming for the series began in Manchester early last year and then continued in blocks over the following months as both teams separately made their way through the competition rounds. Oscar Despard said: "Getting involved in the programme has been really, really enjoyable... even more than I thought it might be! Hearing phrases like 'Starter for 10' feels fun!" "Amol Rajan (presenter) has been good fun too, very entertaining and tells fascinating stories about politicians he has met," he continued. "Meeting Roger Tilling was very cool too," Kevin Flanagan said. He is the legendary 'voice of University Challenge ' and Kevin said that "he was very nice and talking to him was fun too". The two Irish captains have become friendly despite the prestigious prize at stake. "When we met and discovered we were both from Dublin it was so nice and we get on well," Oscar said. The pair also became friendly with the team from Queen's University Belfast, he added, saying: "We both went up to visit the Queen's University team over the holidays to meet up, which was lovely." Claiming a prized spot on the teams was no easy task for either contestant though. Kevin Flanagan said that Bristol University has had "a run of good teams who got to the quarter-finals and then two years ago, one of the teams got to the final, so it has been building". "Two years ago, I didn't get a place on the University Challenge college team," he laughed. "But I practised a bit since then, which involved a lot of watching the show and doing a lot of quizzes, so it was fun to get it on the team this time." Cambridge captain Oscar Despard explained how they recruited this team by "running a quiz with 100 questions that you completed on your own time". "Then we invited the top scorers back and did it again against the clock," he explained. "We needed a range of skills, so we have luckily ended up with a scientist, a linguist, a mathematician, and a classicist." While both team captains have impressive academic achievements, they are incredibly modest and seem bemused at the attention they are attracting. Twenty-eight-year-old Kevin Flanagan studied at the De La Salle College in Churchtown where he obtained 7 A1s in his Leaving Cert in 2014. Talking about his former school, he said: "I had a pretty good experience there, especially with the science and maths subjects. I found it very enjoyable. The school had a good atmosphere, and there was a quite close-knit school community there, so I think for me De La Salle struck a good balance, [a] nice environment... without feeling too much pressure." Kevin went on to study physics and astronomy in University College Dublin, progressing on to a research master's using AI Methods to analyse astro images, explaining how he then "realised that I wanted to go further with that area so I decided to pursue an AI-focused PhD". He has been studying in Bristol for four years and really enjoys the atmosphere and the community. Twenty-two-year-old Oscar Despard attended Sandford Park School in Ranelagh in Dublin and was one of just two Leaving Cert students in Ireland in 2021 who clocked up 9 H1s. He also found time to win the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition Individual Prize in 2020. "I loved my school. I found it a very intellectually stimulating environment," he said. "I used to think to myself, 'Someday I will be on University Challenge and all this assortment of information will come into use'," he laughed. After finishing his Leaving Cert, Oscar then moved to the UK where he obtained a BA in Natural Sciences at Cambridge. Since filming began, he has continued his studies at Cambridge, progressing on to studying for his PhD in molecular biology. Back at home in Dublin, meanwhile, the excitement is building for tonight's show. Kevin Flanagan explained how his parents Joe and Christine will be tuning in to watch from home in Dundrum, as will his sister, who is in Manchester University. "I have quite a big extended family too," he explained. "I get messages from the WhatsApp group with the aunts and uncles." Kevin explained that his dad Joe got into horticulture later in life, adding that his mum Christine "was an engineer, so I probably got the numbers from her too". "I think they have all enjoyed it," he went on to say. "They have been saying there is a good buzz around and it's really nice to bring a positive thing like this to the family." Oscar Despard's mum is a scientist, Professor Niamh Moran at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and he recalls fondly watching the quiz show with her on TV over the years. Oscar's dad William is the man behind the popular Bretzel Bakery in Dublin's Portobello and has been cheering Oscar on, as has his sister Clara, who lives near him in Cambridge. "They have all been watching and my mum has been organising watch parties on the nights we're on," he laughed. "One night when the show was on, there was a knock at the door and my mum went out and said, 'Sorry, I have to run, my son is on the TV', which I thought was so funny!" For Kevin, he and his friends have a weekly watch party at a pub in Bristol. "Loads of friends from the Quiz Society come along, so it makes for a good atmosphere, a bit like watching a football match," he said, adding that "you get a cheer when you get an answer right!" Both captains were tight-lipped about the winner from tonight's round, but they both say the friendship will continue regardless of the outcome. "We went into the competition looking to enjoy it as much as possible and we got further than we were expecting, so that has been great," is all that Kevin will say. Oscar, meanwhile, says that the reaction to their appearances on University Challenge have been really positive so far. "A stranger even congratulated me on the street the other day, so it's been a nice surprise," he added. To find out which Dubliner triumphs, tune in for the semi-final tonight on BBC Two at 8:30pm.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
'Teachers are quitting over vicious online abuse'
Teachers are facing "vicious" online abuse which is leading to many quitting the profession, a head teacher who sued the parents of two pupils has said. Kevin Flanagan, head of Pensby High School in Wirral, obtained a court settlement of £10,000 after taking legal action against a couple he accused of harassing him. The parents denied his claims and the settlement was agreed in mediation. Mr Flanagan said he feared increasingly "vicious and more vocal" abuse from parents was forcing teachers out of the profession. "People are just quitting - giving up teaching, giving up headships," he said. "We've had all sorts of allegations thrown at people via things like Facebook and social media, which we cannot answer back. "We've had people in tears as a result of what's been said about them. "We've had people thinking that they cannot do their job properly without fear of being targeted." He told BBC North West Tonight there had been a "huge increase" in online abuse in a manner which "would not be possible in a face-to-face situation". "It gives people not only the space to project a level of vitriol and viciousness that they wouldn't otherwise do to your face, but it allows for that to happen in a manner that they cannot be questioned," he said. "A one-off, you can live with it. But over time it's hard for people." He said people were saying and doing what they wanted online because they were "hidden from sight with no repercussions". "You are on your own as a school - there is very little support from anyone," he added. Mr Flanagan claimed he had been accused of "bullying" children when they were punished for breaking school rules. He said taking legal action had been "the last resort" and followed efforts by school governors to seek to end the alleged harassment. The head teacher also claimed there had been a "lack of support or meaningful intervention from the police and other relevant parties including, regrettably, the local authority". Wirral Council declined to comment. In a statement, Merseyside Police said there had been "no evidence of any criminal offences being disclosed or any course of conduct taking place which would amount to a criminal offence". The parents involved were approached for comment. They previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We strongly deny the allegations of harassment and assert that we have acted reasonably, transparently, and lawfully throughout." A Department of Education representative said the Teaching Regulation Agency did not comment on individual cases. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer. Head teacher suing parents over 'harassment' Department for Education Merseyside Police Pensby High School Wirral Council
