A medical science student from GMIT has taken home the prestigious President’s Prize at the biannual LabCon2019 conference on the latest advances in medical sciences for the second year running.
Kate Dever from Lahardane, Co Mayo, a fourth year Medical Science degree student at GMIT, won the President’s Prize for her research into reversing antibiotic resistance.
The paper titled “Antibiotic Resistance Reversal in Multi-Drug Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: Exploring the soxS Dependant Regulon” was her final year project.
Kate will now represent Ireland at the European Association of Professions in Biomedical Science (EPBS) International Conference in Geneva in October.
Last year, GMIT student Hayley Foy-Stones from Offaly won the President’s Prize of the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine and went on to represent Ireland at a pan-European science competition, winning the top award in her category.
The biannual LabCon conference is co-hosted by the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine (ACSLM) and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA).
Dr Seamus Lennon, Acting Registrar and formerly Head of the GMIT Dept of Biopharmaceutical & Medical Science, paid tribute to the two students and staff in the Department.
“Well done to Kate, and to all involved in the Medical Science programme,” he said, adding that the IT works to ensure that all medical science students get a broad spectrum of experience.
“The Medical Science degree has a high practical component with students completing various projects during their studies, culminating in a major year 4 project, normally completed in a clinical laboratory setting.”
“On top of this, we have a 28-week Clinical Laboratory Placement in year 3 of the programme. Thus, the Medical Science students are well placed to do well in national and international competitions.”
