2nd ATU Symposium showcases research in Modelling and Computation for Health and Society

This year's symposium, held at ATU Sligo, was officially launched by President of ATU, Dr Orla Flynn and featured keynote speakers who shared their insights on various topics. Dr Stephen O’Driscoll, the National Challenge Fund Manager at SFI, explored the theme of "Challenge Research – A New Opportunity for Impact," shedding light on how a focus on societal challenges can enhance the impact of research work. Prof Frances Lucy, the ATU Lead of EU GREEN, delivered a compelling presentation on "Sustainable Sustainability," sharing the challenges and opportunities in sustaining initiatives in the long term.  

The third keynote speaker, Dr Gavin McArdle from UCD School of Computer Science, tackled the intricate dynamics of building smart city platforms in his presentation titled "Praxis, Politics, and Consequences of Building Smart City Platforms."  

ATU's Dr Marion McAffee, one of the organisers of the symposium, thanked the keynote speakers for sharing their insights into research, “Their experiences highlighted the need for researchers to engage with stakeholders and communities for their work to have a real impact in addressing societal challenges.”

The event also featured the participation of 15 PhD students from the Postgraduate Research Training Programme in Modelling and Computation for Health and Society (MOCHAS PRTP). The students showcased their groundbreaking research through poster presentations, covering a wide range of topics from disaster response radio networks to advancements in skin grafts.

Co-organiser Dr Eoghan Fury expressed his congratulations to the PhD students for their excelllent presentations, “The combination of a poster and an oral presentation challenged the students to know their audience and the impact of the professional training they received at the summer school was evident.”

Presenting the awards at this years symposium, Head of College at ATU Sligo, Úna Parsons said: "The quality and diversity of research presented by the PhD students is a testament to the excellence and dedication within the ATU research community."

Among the standout presentations, Mandana Kariminejad received the Best Overall Presentation award for her work on the "Development of a Digital Twin for Polymer Injection Moulding Process." Audrey Fayne was recognised as the Runner Up.

In the poster presentation category, Mahrokh Jamshidvand claimed the title of Best Poster for her outstanding contribution. Nanshin Nansak was acknowledged as the Runner Up in this category.

Dr Liam Morris who co-organised the event said, “This was another inspiring event, and it is great to see the MOCHAS symposium growing in size. Events like these provide an opportunity to showcase ATU research to a wider audience.”

The two-day symposium was officially closed by Úna Parsons who thanked the organisers, researchers and keynote speakers for organising a very successful event, "Events like these foster collaboration and inspire the development of innovative solutions to societal challenges." 

Featured image: Front row L-R: Prof Frances Lucy, ATU Lead EU Green, Dr Orla Flynn, ATU President; Dr Stephen O’Driscoll, National Challenge Fund Manager at SFI; Gavin McArdle from UCD; Dr Marion McAfee, Úna Parsons, Head of College, ATU Sligo.  

Back row l-r: Dr Eoin Cullina, Head of Research, ATU Galway-Mayo; Dr Eoghan Furey, ATU Donegal; Dr Chris O’Malley, Vice President, Regional Development & Engagement and Dr Liam Morris, ATU Galway.  
 

Aidan Haughey 
ATU Communications Manager /
Bainisteoir Cumarsáide OTA
Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta an Atlantaigh (OTA), Éire
Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Ireland       
Tel: +353 86 086 6913
www.atu.ie/communications