MU researcher awarded €400,000 for obesity-related research

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 - 10:00

Dr Andrew Hogan of Maynooth University’s Department of Biology has been awarded funding of over €400,000 for research on targeting iron to boost immune function in obesity and improve patient outcomes.

His research project was one of 29 health-related Investigator-Led Projects (ILP) to receive €12.4 million in funding from the Health Research Board.

Commenting on his award, Dr Hogan said: "The HRB’s ILP scheme has been critical for our group to lead internationally important research into one of the major global healthcare challenges that exists today, namely obesity. This award will allow us to continue to increase our understanding of this complex disease and investigate novel interventions to help improve outcomes for our patients.”

The 29 successful projects were selected by an international panel of experts following a rigorous application process. The projects were selected based on their scientific quality and innovation, potential impact, and feasibility. Each project will be funded for a maximum of four years.

Dr Mairead O’Driscoll, Chief Executive at the Health Research Board, said: “The ILP scheme illustrates the HRB’s commitment to support high-quality investigator-led research. We want to create new internationally relevant knowledge that will help to address major health challenges in society. And we want to make a positive impact on tomorrow’s health care.”

This latest round of funding brings the total number of grants supported under the ILP scheme in the past five years to 56 awards with a combined value of €20.6 million. The next round is expected to open around August 2025.

Dr Anne Cody, Head of Investigator-Led Grants, Research Careers and Enablers at the Health Research Board also added: “In recognition of the rising costs of research, the maximum budget per grant has been increased in this round. We did not want to compromise on our aspirations for these grants.”