A scientist who is researching inflammatory bowel disease has won the 1999 Merville lay seminars competition. Ms Lorraine Maher, of the UCD department of pharmacology, is investigating the role of the chemical lipoxin, which is produced by normal immune systems in treating the disease.
The President, Mrs McAleese, presented awards to the winners last night at the O'Reilly Hall, UCD. The aim of the seminars is to encourage young scientists to communicate their work in a way that the public can understand.
Mr Michael Sharkey, who was working on the role of new proteins called serpins in the body, was runner-up. Third place went to Mr Oliver Blacque, who is researching the role of the protein maspin in breast cancer.
The winners were selected from six finalists, all PhD students from UCD's departments of pharmacology and biochemistry. They presented their research to a lay audience and a panel of judges which included Ms Liz McManus TD (chairwoman); film director Mr Jim Sheridan; Mr Dick Ahlstrom, science editor of The Irish Times; and UCD president Dr Art Cosgrove. The broadcaster Gay Byrne hosted the evening.
The seminars were an innovative and timely venture, Ms McManus said. "As science and technology increasingly impacts on our lives, we need to know more and we need help more. As a parliamentarian, I'm conscious of the public interest in, and at times, the public perplexity about matters scientific. In helping to demystify the mysteries of science, this venture is well worthwhile."
The event is sponsored by the Forfas Science, Technology and Innovation Awareness Programme and Guinness Ireland.
Prof Paul Engel, of the UCD department of biochemistry, one of its founders, said scientists were used to talking to fellow scientists in jargon-filled shorthand. "It is easy to forget how impenetrable and off-putting all the terminology can be for the average lay person."
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