30, October 2021: NUI Galway researcher and academic Dr Karen Doyle has been appointed President of Neuroscience Ireland.
‘A Tiny Spark’ focuses on research being led by Dr Karen Doyle, which involves analysis of removed blood clots to see what information they may yield. This is the first study of its kind in the world and is an international collaborative study between NUI Galway, hospital partners in Beaumont Hospital and throughout Europe and the Mayo Clinic, USA. These little bundles of cells could carry a wealth of information, which could point to big improvement to people’s lives. In the film we meet three incredibly brave stroke survivors who show us that it is sometimes the little things that people miss in life after a stroke, or the small victories during recovery that mean so much.
Directed by Niamh Heery and produced by Caroline Kealy, with a mixture of dramatic first person accounts and beautiful animation sequences by Eric Dolan highlighting the functions of the various parts of the brain, A Tiny Spark is a film about science’s ability to affect real change for human life. A Tiny Spark focuses on stroke and cerebrovascular research being led by Neuroscientist, Dr Karen Doyle from CÚRAM and Galway Neuroscience Centre in NUI Galway, which involves analysis of removed blood clots to see what information they may yield.
Dr Doyle, Senior Lecturer at the University and principal investigator at CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, is a former Vice-President of Neuroscience Ireland (2007–2009). She also led the foundation of Galway Neuroscience Centre in 2004 and was the leader of the centre from 2004–2009.
Dr Doyle said: “I am delighted to accept the role of President of Neuroscience Ireland and look forward to promoting and supporting the important work of the society over the next two years. I want to thank Professor Aine Kelly for her outstanding leadership and contribution to NSI over the last two years.”
Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director at CÚRAM, said: “We congratulate Dr Karen Doyle on this prestigious appointment. Neuroscience Ireland plays a vital role in the promotion of research and education in the neurosciences. We look forward to seeing the society’s impact grow under her leadership in the coming years.”
Dr Doyle specialises in neurovascular stress and neuroprotection, focused on ischemic stroke which occurs when a blood clot blocks or narrows an artery leading to the brain. Her research is investigating the characteristics of human blood clots that cause occlusive strokes, to inform medical device design and discover new biomarkers to advance stroke diagnosis and treatment.
Neuroscience Ireland has a membership of about 200 scientists and clinicians. It aims to advance research and education in the neurosciences and to represent Irish neuroscience researchers both nationally and internationally.