Paediatric Research Facility Opens
29.03.2011
More than 2,000 babies and children will benefit over the next six years from a new, dedicated paediatric research facility opening today in Cork. The Health Research Board (HRB) will invest more than €58,000 in the HRB Discovery Centre where one of the leading research programmes will study why some children develop common diseases while others stay healthy.

Located in Cork University Hospital (CUH) the HRB Discovery Centre will provide the clinical space, IT infrastructure and office space to conduct clinical assessments. Five dedicated research staff will help ensure that the children are being cared for and that the research is carried out to the highest standards. Locating the new Centre at CUH is a strategic move due to the established paediatric research programmes and neo-natal care already in place at the hospital.

Lead researcher on the paediatric programme, Professor Jonathan Hourihane, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at CUH says: "Locating in CUH will ensure that some of Ireland’s leading paediatric researchers in University College Cork will benefit from the opportunity to link their research work to clinical care and training. The centre will support both new and existing research programmes."

"For example; BASELINE, Ireland’s first study to observe children from before birth up to two years of age will examine the development of allergies, metabolic problems such as bone health, diabetes and also common neuro-developmental problems in early life.  Because many adult conditions such as heart disease, obesity and asthma have their origins in childhood, we plan to extend this programme so we can observe the changes in the children as they get older and identify any potential changes or links which could increase understanding of how these epidemic diseases affect Irish children as they grow and become adults. The centre will also be the Irish central point for an emerging international study called NEMO. This study aims to understand, and hopefully mitigate, the effects of hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure) in babies in the womb and related cellular damage that occurs within the brain and spinal cord as a result of the inadequate oxygen", he explains.

The HRB Discovery Centre is part of a much bigger HRB clinical research facility (CRF) and research programme currently being developed by University College Cork, Cork University Hospital and Mercy University Hospital and both centres will be part of a national research network supported by the HRB. The creation of a CRF in Cork represents a critical step towards the development of a clinical research environment within the hospitals in association with UCC. The CRF will facilitate and promote clinical research of an international standard and research results will improve people’s health and patient care as well as providing research career opportunities.

According to Professor Damian O'Connell, Director of the HRB Clinical Research Facility in Cork:  "The HRB Discovery Centre will be an integral part of the HRB Clinical Research Facility in Cork. While this latter facility is still undergoing development, we have already commenced a variety of research programmes in heart disease, cancer and pharmabiotics and nutrition. When the facility is finished later this year it will become an essential component and enabler of these existing high quality clinical research programmes extending their investigative range and depth while also affording an opportunity to open up new clinical research efforts."

Speaking about this latest development in the national network of Clinical Research Facilities, Enda Connolly, Chief Executive at the HRB says: "This HRB Discovery Centre at CUH, and its parent Clinical Research Facility is part of a much bigger plan to increase, develop and streamline health research in Ireland. It will link into a network of HRB clinical research facilities in Dublin, Cork and Galway. The aim of these facilities is to systematically bridge the gap from promising research into new drugs, medical devices or diagnostics that benefit patients and are actually useful in clinical care. This in turn will lead to commercial spin offs and economic benefits."

The BASELINE Study will be carrying out all our appointments in the newly developed 'Children's Discovery Centre' (Sponsered by the Irish Health Research Board).  Please follow the directions and map below to our new location. 

If you are coming in the through the main entrance to the CUH, you should go left and continue along this road until you reach the roundabout which has the Dental Hospital and a public paying car park on the right hand side.  The Consultants Private Clinic and public paying car park is located on the left hand side of this roundabout.  The 'Children's Discovery Centre' is located straight ahead.  Unfortunately there is no direct access for cars to access the building.  The building is the very last brown 2 storey building, with a slanted roof on the left hand side (see 1st photo below).  The entrance to the building is located at the very end of this building (see 2nd photo below).

The building can also be accessed from the back gates entrance to the CUH.  This road is reached by taking a right at the traffic lights opposite the 'Rendez Vous' bar on the Model Farm Road and continuing straight until you see the back gates entrance to the CUH.  There is on street disc parking available here and we are then the first building on the right you see inside the security barrier.

This is the last building on the left side as you look towards the back gates of the CUH and the first on the right if you are coming in the back gates of the CUH.

The front door entrance to the 'Children's Discovery Centre', we are located on the first floor.

 Welcome to the 'Children's Discovery Centre'

Today was another milestone for BASELINE. Our very first baby returned for his 2 year appointment with us. We celebrated not just his second birthday but also that of the BASELINE Study.  We had cake and balloons and we celebrated the last year of hard work  for mum, dad and the BASELINE Study Team. 

We have a few thank you's to say at this stage of our study, firstly to thank all the mothers and fathers who have given their time to our study, we really appreciate it as we could not do it without you.  This study is unique in Ireland, your babies will have been followed from inside the womb to 2 years of age.  Many more babies have yet to be born into the BASELINE Study, while one thousand babies are already on board!

Secondly to thank all the people in UCC, CUH and CUMH who continue to work hard to make the BASELINE Study a success and who cannot belive that our very first baby is now an adventurous 2 year old!

On January 22nd 2010, the BASELINE Study held its first Scientific Advisory Committee meeting.  The meeting was designed to invite recognised international research leaders in the fields of allergy, nutrition, obstetrics, epidemiology and ethics. The function of this meeting was  to discuss the progress of the BASELINE birth cohort, and to plan the structure and growth of the project.  This annual meeting was seen as an opportunity for shared research and collaboration. We were delighted with the success of the meeting and greatly appreciate the efforts everyone made to get to Cork. In addition we greatly appreciated all the expertise and advice that was so freely given by the group.  We look forward to meeting our Scientific Advisory Committee again in 2011 and look forward to working with them in the future.

The members of the Scientific Advisory Committee are Prof. Hans Bisgaard, Prof. Carlos Blanco, Dr. Jane Lucas, Prof. Neil Marlow, Prof. Irwin McLean, Prof. Deirdre Murphy, Dr. Ann Prentice, Dr. Nicola Robertson and Prof. Hywel Williams.  For more information on our committee menbers, please follow the links below.

Prof. Hans Bisgaard http://www.copsac.com/content/hans-bisgaard-professor-paediatrics-dmsci-md-head-copsac

Prof. Carlos Blanco http://www.childrensresearchcentre.org/team.html?id=9

Dr. Jane Lucas http://www.som.soton.ac.uk/about/staff/listing/profile.asp?jlucas1

Prof. Neil Marlow https://www.ucl.ac.uk/slms/people/show.php?personid=100119

Prof. Irwin McLean http://www.lifesci.dundee.ac.uk/people/irwin_mclean/

Prof. Deirdre Murphy http://hrb.rcsi.ie/dm.html

Dr. Ann Prentice http://www.mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk/about/People/senior-staff.html

Dr. Nicola Robertson http://www.ucl.ac.uk/neuroscience/Page.php?ID=12&ResearcherID=477

Prof. Hywel Williams http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cps/index.php?page=2.0.0.21

Today was a milestone for BASELINE. Our very first baby had his 12 month appointment. We celebrated not just his first birthday but also that of the BASELINE study.

Firstly to thank all the mothers and fathers who have given their time to our study. We could not do this without you. Thank you for realising the difference this study can make to our understanding of childhood allergies and eczema and our knowledge of feeding and nutrition in Irish babies. This study is unique in Ireland, your babies will have been followed from inside the womb to 2 years of age.

Secondly to thank all the people in UCC, CUH and CUMH who have worked to make this happen. From the SCOPE midwives who ask "would you like to take part in BASELINE?", the BASELINE midwife who takes the first measurements, the research team who ask the questions at the 2, 6,12 and 24 month visits and the background staff who keep BASELINE organised.

We had cake and balloons and we celebrated the last year of hard work both for mum and us. Thank you again to all the staff, the parents and the babies.

BASELINE babies are now having their body composition measured using the new 'Pea Pod' at 1/2 days old and at the 2 month follow up visit.

Look how big we have grown!

In August 2008 the first mothers recruited to the SCOPE pregnancy study began to deliver.

In October 2008 these first babies arrived to the Cork University Hospital for their 2 month checks. Their weight, length, head circumference and body fat was measured and mum and dad were asked about the home environment and baby's health. Little things like how they bath their baby, how they wash their clothes, where they live and how many pets they have. Some of the answers to these questions may give us useful information about why some children develop illness, whilst others do not.

We will be seeing all of these babies again in February for their 6 month visit. Look forward to seeing you then!