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New DCU research centre will leverage design rules of nature to drive tech and healthcare innovations to meet global challenges
New DCU research centre will leverage design rules of nature to drive tech and healthcare innovations to meet global challenges

New DCU research centre will leverage design rules of nature to drive tech and healthcare innovations to meet global challenges

Biodesign Europe, a new applied research centre at Dublin City University, has been officially launched in partnership with Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute.

The new centre will focus on the discovery and translation of knowledge and the development of scientific innovations specifically in the areas of human health, community safety and global sustainability, to meet global challenges.

Launched today by the President of DCU, Professor Brian MacCraith, Biodesign Europe is the result of a long-term strategic partnership between DCU and ASU.

Both universities will focus their internationally-renowned academic expertise and global research networks to work together on ambitious multidisciplinary research programmes that will deliver collaborations based on engineering, computing and biological discoveries and innovations.

Research capabilities in DCU and ASU across healthcare technology, sustainable manufacturing, biotechnology, bioanalytical systems and sustainability for health will come together across a spectrum of multidisciplinary projects.

Under the directorship of Professor Nicholas Dunne, Biodesign Europe will work with the ASU Biodesign Institute, the globally renowned research centre focussed on fundamental research programmes that leverage the processes of nature to devise solutions to specific problems facing the world such as the betterment of human health, mitigating natural disasters and enhancing the sustainability of the planet.

The priority will be on translating scientific discoveries into industry-relevant technical responses that benefit society as a whole.

Crucially, this aligns with DCU’s strategic vision for research that transforms lives and societies.

This development is also an acknowledgement of DCU’s long track record in the areas of knowledge transfer, enterprise engagement and industry partnerships.

This will be of significant benefit in translating findings from Biodesign Europe into technological and clinical developments.

In the longer-term, Biodesign Europe aims to utilise strategic partnerships within the existing global networks of DCU and ASU, including DCU’s strategic affiliation to the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU) and the Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) and ASU’s partnerships with the Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes. Mayo Clinic, Banner Health and PLuS Alliance.

The President of DCU, Professor Brian MacCraith said,

“The establishment of Biodesign Europe comes at a moment when the importance of research and innovation in the areas of human health, community safety and global sustainability has never been clearer.

This joint venture amplifies the respective strengths of DCU and ASU by creating a convergent space for world-class collaborative research to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”

Executive Director of the ASU Biodesign Institute, Dr. Joshua LaBaer said,

“By expanding our research portfolio to include innovative and transdisciplinary collaborations with our partners at Biodesign Europe, we enhance the Biodesign Institute’s ability to impact critical societal problems at a global scale.

Our research strengths, combined with DCU’s, provide new avenues to pursue solutions to some of the world’s most difficult challenges. We’re pleased to launch this new partnership with a sharp focus on impacting scientific innovation in human health, community safety and global sustainability.”

Executive Director of Biodesign Europe, Prof Nicholas Dunne said,

“Biodesign Europe at DCU signifies an important and exciting research initiative of global significance. The model for driving the discovery and translation of research is changing rapidly, and multidisciplinary applied research programs must keep pace with developments. By combining the research expertise, global networks and geographical context of ASU and DCU, and by collaborating with industry partners, we will be in a leading position to deliver scientific innovations that are always at the cutting edge.”

Vice President for Research and Innovation (DCU) Prof Greg Hughes said,

“The establishment of Biodesign Europe at DCU represents a major milestone in deepening our research partnership with ASU and greatly facilitates the development of cross-disciplinary teams of researchers focused on addressing research challenges in conjunction with our colleagues in the ASU Biodesign Institute.”

Executive Dean for the Faculty of Engineering and Computing Prof Lisa Looney said,

“Combined, the interdisciplinary, international and intersectoral dimensions of Biodesign Europe research will deliver significantly enhanced impact for citizens and for industry. We are very excited by the possibilities presented by interweaving our best engineering design, advanced analytics and modelling capabilities with nature's inspiration.”

Executive Dean for Science and Health Prof Michelle Butler said,

This wonderful initiative enables us to build on our complementary research strengths, to deepen our relevance in local communities, to extend our links with industry across both jurisdictions, and to focus on solutions to the grand challenges that we all face.” 

For more information on Biodesign Europe click here

About ASU Biodesign Institute

As the premier scientific research institute in the nation’s fastest-growing research university, Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University addresses an expansive array of global challenges by creating bioinspired solutions, including: new vaccine discovery and delivery; early detection and treatment of cancer and infectious diseases; techniques for detecting and removing contaminants from air and water; and the application of nanotechnology for biomedicine and electronics.

Today, some 1,200 biologists, physicists, chemists, engineers, mathematicians and others are blending their knowledge to address society’s greatest challenges in health, environmental sustainability and national security.

Click here to read more

About ASU

Arizona State University, ranked No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for five years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University by operating on the principle that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience, and the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines.

Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students.