Latest news with #RCSI
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
What is CTE and why does it matter for Irish athletes?
Analysis: Brain injuries in sport are a growing public health issue that affects players at all levels, from local community teams to seasoned professionals By Chris Greene, RCSI Whether it's a clash of heads during a rugby tackle, a late hit in Gaelic football, or a crunching collision on the soccer pitch, head impacts in sport are unfortunately part of the game. But what are the long-term consequences? And what should we be doing about them, especially here in Ireland? Brain injuries in sport aren't just a concern for elite athletes or international stars, they're a growing public health issue that affects players at all levels, from local community teams to seasoned professionals. In the United States alone, an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur every year. But not all head knocks result in a full-blown concussion. In fact, many more go under the radar as "sub-concussive" impacts, blows that might not cause obvious symptoms but still impact the brain. There is mounting evidence that it is the cumulative effect of these repeated, lower impact hits; not just the number of concussions, that plays a key role in the development of a serious condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). From RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin, Ombudsman waiting eight years for children's sport concussion policy What is CTE? CTE is a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head injuries. It's been seen in boxers, American footballers, rugby players, and increasingly in other contact sports like soccer or MMA. At present, it can only be definitively diagnosed after death, during an autopsy. Neuropathologists look for an abnormal build-up of a protein called tau, which clusters around small blood vessels in the brain. This build-up appears to damage nearby brain tissue and over time may lead to memory loss, mood swings, and confusion. Because diagnosing CTE in living individuals remains a challenge, researchers have developed a set of clinical guidelines called Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome (TES). Think of TES as a way to spot red flags like memory problems or changes in behaviour in people with a history of head injuries. These criteria, updated by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in 2021, were developed by studying confirmed CTE cases. While TES does not provide a definitive diagnosis, it indicates the possibility of trauma-related brain injury. Ongoing international projects, like DIAGNOSE CTE, are trying to find ways to detect signs of the disease earlier, but we're not quite there yet. From CNN, Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains the causes and symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy What's the role of the blood-brain barrier? One of the most important and least understood players in this story is something called the blood-brain barrier (BBB). It's a kind of security gate that protects the brain from harmful substances in the bloodstream. Disruptions to the BBB have been seen in many neurological disorders, including traumatic brain injury. In CTE, researchers have found that the protective barrier may start to leak, allowing toxic proteins or inflammatory molecules to seep into brain tissue. Our research group, alongside others, has found that athletes exposed to repetitive head injury, even without a diagnosed concussion, can show signs of this barrier breaking down. It's not just in American football or boxing; similar patterns are being investigated in Irish rugby and GAA players too. Ireland isn't just watching from the sidelines. A collaborative project between RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, and St James's Hospital is exploring how repeated head trauma affects the blood-brain barrier and how this might contribute to memory issues or cognitive decline in later life. The project, funded by Research Ireland, uses advanced imaging techniques, such as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, to measure BBB health in retired athletes. What's striking is that even years after leaving the sport, some former players still show signs of brain changes. The next step is to understand how this relates to things like depression, memory loss, or dementia. Why it matters Traumatic brain injuries have been linked with a higher risk of conditions like dementia, mood disorders, and even suicide. In the US, retired American footballers are five times more likely to develop dementia. But this isn't just an American story. A Scottish study found that former professional soccer players were 3.5 times more likely to die from a neurodegenerative disease. Swedish studies have shown similar findings. While Irish data is still emerging, there are real concerns for former rugby players here at home. Rugby only turned professional in the mid-1990s, so we're just beginning to understand the long-term impacts on those who played at the top level. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, Consultant Neurologist at the Mater Professor Tim Lynch on concussions in sport A game of balance Sport is a vital part of Irish life. From weekend GAA matches to the roar of the Aviva on a Six Nations Day, it brings people together, builds community, and supports mental and physical health. But with this passion must come responsibility. Protecting brain health isn't about taking the joy out of sport, it's about ensuring that players can enjoy those benefits long after the final whistle. That means better awareness, smarter rules, improved protective equipment, and ongoing research into how to detect and treat brain injuries early. It also means listening to former players, parents, coaches, and medical professionals as we build a safer future for the next generation of Irish athletes.
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
Student who did not do the Leaving Cert now sets sights on being a heart surgeon
With the Leaving Cert beginning in just a few days, we are hearing from some of the young people who took alternative paths to the CAO points race. The first of these is a university student from Dublin who did not sit the Leaving Cert but has set his sights on achieving their dream of becoming a heart surgeon. 20-year-old Liam Nugent has wanted to be a doctor since he was a child. But when he was unable to sit his Leaving Cert due to missing so much school, he feared that dream had slipped away. Liam is autistic and has a chronic anxiety disorder which made attending school very difficult for him. "Secondary school for me was terrible," he explained. "I think the structure of school was part of it, it's so rigid and it's about learning in a specific way, when there's a million different ways to learn." When he realised he would not be sitting his exams, he worried about what other people would think of him, and how it could impact his career aspirations. "I was worried people would think I was stupid, I felt like a failure to be honest," he said. "I was told it wasn't realistic for me to get into college or university. It was a difficult time for me to figure out what I was going to do with my life because I really just wanted to be a doctor." Liam's parents helped him to find a path to where he wanted to be. It began with being accepted into a pre-university science PLC course at Greenhills Community College. "It was a fresh start, I got to meet new people and get educated in things I'm really interested in," Liam said. He has just completed second year studying Biotechnology at Dublin City University, and has his next steps mapped out. "So, it's four years in biotech, then four years of graduate entry medicine, then a two-year residency, and then eight years doing the surgery course in RCSI," he explained. "People are like, 'This is a crazy commitment.' But when you want something, it's not, really. This is what I want, and this is the pathway." Liam shared a piece of advice to students ahead of their exams: "If you want to do it, you can do it. There is a route in, no matter what other people say.
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘We are living through a Sepsis pandemic, but no one is talking about it'
But there's another condition that silently yet aggressively takes lives, often without being spotted in time – it's called sepsis. Since the Covid pandemic was declared in 2020, the world recorded 7.1 million deaths linked to the disease. But during that same period, sepsis caused around 11 million deaths globally each year. According to Professor Steve Kerrigan of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), this lack of attention is deeply alarming and awareness of sepsis remains dangerously low. 'That's not a pandemic?' he said. 'Sepsis is a pandemic.' Tonight, Professor Kerrigan, who is head of the Cardiovascular Infection Research Group and co-founder/Chief Scientific Officer at Inthelia Therapeutics, will host a talk on the dangers of sepsis as part of the Pint of Science festival. He'll be sharing the stage at The Waterloo Bar on Baggot Street with a sepsis survivor and the relative of a woman who died from the condition. In February 2018, Professor Kerrigan and his team carried out a survey and found that only 28pc of the population could define sepsis, which is considered a 'silent killer' both in Ireland and around the world. He aims to increase public awareness on how to recognise sepsis and understand why early detection is critical. 'It's not like cancer or stroke, where there are widely known signs. Sepsis is very non-specific,' he said. 'That's where the big problem is.' Professor Kerrigan said sepsis can kill in as little as 12 hours. Even in hospitals, there is no definitive test or biomarker for sepsis, unlike other diseases like cancer. ADVERTISEMENT 'Sepsis is an exaggerated, sudden, overwhelming reaction to an infection by the body,' he said. 'We really need to get people to be able to spot the signs and symptoms because it happens so fast.' If caught early, the only effective treatment available is antibiotics. 'If we catch the patient early enough, sepsis is fully curable,' Professor Kerrigan said. 'But for every hour you delay treatment, the risk of death increases by 8pc.' Sepsis remains difficult to spot. Its symptoms often resemble the flu or a cold: fever, chills, fast heartbeat, rapid breathing, disorientation, extreme fatigue. 'The big problem is that the signs and symptoms of sepsis are non-specific. That's why many people ignore them – they think it's just the flu,' Professor Kerrigan said. 'You need to get to the hospital as fast as possible and ask the question: Could this be sepsis? That one question can trigger the right treatment protocol and save a life.' However, raising awareness is only the beginning. Professor Kerrigan said that healthcare worker training is equally important. 'We need to ensure that all of our health care workers, all of them, need to be trained in understanding what sepsis is and how to spot signs and symptoms,' he said. Professor Kerrigan also highlighted the urgent need for government-backed research to fight against sepsis and antibiotic resistance. 'We are heading back to the pre-penicillin era, where infections and sepsis could not be effectively treated. If antibiotics fail, we have nothing else to rely on,' he said. 'We're hoping we can develop some tests to see if a person has sepsis, because we have identified a potential biomarker we think is playing a really important role. 'That might be the new diagnostic and the reason why you would give a drug and start initiating antibiotics.' Professor Kerrigan's talk takes place on Thursday, May 21, at The Waterloo Bar, 36 Baggot Street Upper. Doors open at 6.30pm, with the event set to begin at 7pm. Tickets can be obtained for free on the Pint of Science website
Zawya
20-05-2025
- Health
- Zawya
U.S Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain affirms RCSI Medical University of Bahrain's role in advancing medical and academic partnerships with U.S. Institutions
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) – Medical University of Bahrain welcomed yesterday His Excellency Steven C. Bondy, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and a delegation including Mr Nathanael Lynn, Chief of the Public Affairs Section, Ms Samar Hasan, Education Specialist, and Dr Fathima Nasmy, Physician, at its campus in Busaiteen. Welcoming the delegation, Professor Sameer Otoom, President of RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, and members of the University's Executive Committee, provided a guided viewing of the University's New Academic Building currently under construction - a significant development set to enhance the student experience. The meeting commenced with an overview by Mr Stephen Harrison-Mirfield, Managing Director, detailing the University's history, relationship with partner hospitals and strategic direction. A key focus of the meeting was the University's robust academic and clinical collaborations with leading US universities and hospitals. Mr Fadi Ghosn, Head of Recognition, Careers & Alumni, provided details on student research and clinical electives through such partnerships with prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Tennessee Health Science Centre, Penn State College of Medicine and George Washington University. As a result of this collaboration, 224 graduates of RCSI Medical University of Bahrain — including 117 American nationals — are now practising in the United States, a testament to the University's rigorous international standards and world-class training it provides. During the meeting, the delegation also explored potential federal funding opportunities for American nationals to study at the University, further expanding the collaboration between the University and U.S. institutions and demonstrating a shared commitment to advancing medical education and research. Underscoring the expanding ties between RCSI Medical University of Bahrain and the U.S. education and healthcare sectors, His Excellency Steven C. Bondy, stated, 'RCSI Medical University of Bahrain exemplifies the strength of international academic collaboration. Its partnerships with leading U.S. universities and hospitals are expanding opportunities for clinical training, research, and student exchange. These efforts deepen the educational ties between the United States and Bahrain while advancing global healthcare.' Commenting on the visit, Professor Otoom stated, 'RCSI Medical University of Bahrain extends its sincere thanks to His Excellency Steven C. Bondy, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain and the delegation for their visit, which highlights the strategic importance of our collaborative partnerships with esteemed U.S. institutions. These partnerships are crucial to our mission of providing students with a world-class medical education, fostering invaluable international exchange in healthcare, and ultimately enhancing the quality of care both regionally and globally.' RCSI Medical University of Bahrain is committed to expanding its international outlook to ensure its graduates are well-equipped to meet the evolving challenges of the healthcare landscape and to make meaningful contributions worldwide. About RCSI Medical University of Bahrain RCSI Medical University of Bahrain is a constituent university of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), which was established in Dublin, Ireland, in 1784. RCSI Medical University of Bahrain, an independent private university, opened its doors to a cohort of 28 medical students in 2004. Today, the purpose-built campus is home to a student body of more than 1,600 across the Schools of Medicine; Nursing and Midwifery and Postgraduate Studies and Research. It is a not-for-profit health sciences institution focused on education and research to drive positive change in all areas of human health worldwide.
Irish Independent
19-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘Science isn't distant … it's in your city over a pint' – Pint of Science Festival kicks off in Dublin pubs
Like how artificial intelligence can interpret your emotions, or how sepsis can strike without warning, and what you should do if it does? Tonight marks the launch of the three-day Pint of Science Festiva l, taking place across nine pubs in Dublin. Running from May 19 to May 21, the festival invites the public to engage with researchers and scientists in a relaxed and informal setting. Pint of Science is a charity organisation committed to making science accessible to everyone. 'We are trying to break down the traditional barriers between scientists and the public,' says Dr Namrata Iyer, a microbiologist and director of Pint of Science Ireland. 'Science isn't just for labs and lecture halls. It's for everyone – and what better place to talk about it than over a pint?' Two events in Dublin will also include Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreters. 'The interpreters study the talks in advance, prepare for technical terms, so that people can join in and enjoy,' says Dr Iyer, who one day hopes to give her own talk on topics like human microbiome or how women's health is underrepresented in science. One of the anticipated talks this Wednesday night comes from Professor Steve Kerrigan, Deputy Head of the School of Pharmacy (Research) at RCSI, whose work on sepsis focuses on saving lives by raising awareness. 'The whole point of Pint of Science is... I just want people to understand this is what sepsis is, from what we know what it is, and take it from there,' he says. Professor Kerrigan warns that the signs of sepsis are dangerously easy to miss. 'If you've got cancer, you may feel sick, and you'll go to your doctor and be looked after,' he said. 'If you have a stroke, there are visible signs – your face might change, your speech may slur, or you might have difficulty with your tongue. 'But with sepsis, nothing changes, and this is where the problem lies: it's non-specific. 'If people ignore the signs and symptoms associated with sepsis, that is when the infection spreads to all parts of the body and is very difficult to treat after that.' Rachna Gowlikar, co-manager of the event, says Pint of Science also brings people closer. 'It's a chance to walk into a pub, grab a pint, and ask a scientist, 'What exactly do you do, and why?' That simple question can spark real conversations and new ideas,' she said. 'Events like these don't just make science accessible, they make it human. It's not a lecture hall or a lab. 'It's a creative space where you meet locals, challenge ideas, and realise that science isn't distant. It's right here, in your city, over a pint.' Events run from 7pm to 9pm each evening, and the festival is free to attend. For full details visit
