University College Dublin (UCD) has launched Infection Research Ireland, expanding the university’s infectious-disease research capability and strengthening the infrastructure supporting pharmaceutical research, clinical trials and the development of responses to emerging health threats.

The centre, formerly the UCD Centre for Experimental Pathogen Host Research (CEPHR), was launched at UCD Belfield on 1 October by Professor Mary Horgan, Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer. The new structure brings together researchers across medicine, veterinary medicine, biology and environmental sciences and politics and international relations, creating a One Health approach to infectious-disease research. UCD’s announcement describes the centre as an expanded platform for research spanning pathogens, human health and wider environmental factors.

For Ireland’s pharmaceutical sector, the significance lies in the centre’s ability to connect research and clinical development. Infection Research Ireland is directed by Professor Paddy Mallon and works across UCD and hospital partners including the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St Vincent’s University Hospital. Its wider network extends to hospitals across Ireland, while its All Ireland Infectious Diseases Cohort has recruited more than 5,000 participants. Science|Business reported that the centre has more than €30 million in active research funding.

The centre also has an established role in clinical trials and international research networks. Its activities include investigator and industry-led infectious-disease trials, while its international work extends to research responses involving HIV and mpox. This combination of laboratory research, clinical expertise and trial infrastructure gives pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners access to a research environment capable of supporting projects from discovery through to clinical implementation.

The industry connection is particularly relevant as pharmaceutical R&D becomes increasingly collaborative. Infection Research Ireland has received funding from organisations including the Health Research Board, Research Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Horizon Europe and the US National Institutes of Health. Its multidisciplinary structure also creates opportunities for researchers to work across academic, healthcare and commercial environments, supporting the specialist skills required for infectious-disease research and development.

The launch builds on capabilities developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when UCD researchers contributed to diagnostics, clinical research and vaccine-related programmes. The UCD National Virus Reference Laboratory also provides a long-established national diagnostic and reference service, demonstrating the wider infectious-disease expertise already embedded within the university and Irish health system.

For the sector, Infection Research Ireland strengthens an important part of Ireland’s life-sciences infrastructure by bringing research capacity, clinical networks and international collaboration into a more connected platform. As pharmaceutical companies continue to develop vaccines, anti-infective therapies and other treatments for complex infectious diseases, Ireland’s ability to support research and clinical development can strengthen its position within global biopharmaceutical networks.

Source: University College Dublin / Science|Business / UCD National Virus Reference Laboratory