Horizon Europe: UCD researchers among early career scholars awarded ERC Starting Grants
Posted 10 September, 2024
Two UCD researchers are among almost 500 early career scholars to receive nearly €780 million under new Horizon Europe funding.
To help support their cutting-edge research projects, European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants have been awarded to (opens in a new window)Dr Junli Xu, Ad Astra Fellow at UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering and UCD Conway Fellow, and (opens in a new window)Dr David MacManus, UCD School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
The pair were among seven in Ireland included in the 494 early career scholars to receive funding under the Horizon Europe programme.
Dr Junli Xu was awarded €1.5 million for her project, Plastox – which will use machine learning and spectral imaging to investigate the impact of micro and nano plastics (MNPS) on human digestive health.
“We will develop new models that can predict the health impacts of MNPs, potentially transforming how we assess the risks they pose and reducing the need for costly lab experiments. The significance of this work lies in its potential to revolutionise our approach to toxicology, environmental safety, and public health, by offering more accurate and efficient ways to assess the risks associated with MNP exposure,” she said.
“PlasTox provides me with the opportunity to explore highly ambitious and innovative research ideas that are both transformative and impactful, expanding beyond microplastic research into other areas of toxicology.
“Attaining competencies in the microplastic domain involves environmental science, life science, analytical chemistry, mathematics and data analytics to make substantial progress and anchor this field of research as a standalone activity. The ERC Starting grant provides an optimal solution for such evolution, allowing for the acquisition of essential instruments and the expansion of my research team,” Dr Xu continued.
For his project, Brainsex, Dr David MacManus receive €1.5 million to help bridge the sex gap that exists when it comes to modelling traumatic brain injuries.
“We currently lack female and geriatric specific computer models. This limits our understanding of TBI biomechanics and the efficacy of protective, diagnostic, and therapeutic technologies for these demographics,” he said.
“This crucial support from the ERC will provide my lab with the necessary resources to embark on frontier research to understand the role sex specific neuroanatomy plays in TBI biomechanics.”
Dr MacManus and his team will develop the first sex specific computer models of the brain that incorporate sex specific neuroanatomy and material damage properties of brain tissue, its blood vessels and cells.
To obtain these damage properties, they will develop new experimental technologies to measure how such tissues and cells become damaged under conditions similar to those experienced during high energy head impacts.
Congratulating Dr Xu and Dr MacManus on receiving coveted ERC grants, UCD Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact Professor Kate Robson Brown said “their groundbreaking projects will contribute significantly to their respective fields”.
“UCD is committed to supporting academic career development and ambitious projects at every career stage and we are excited to follow the progress of these promising researchers and their fascinating projects.”
European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, added: “The European Commission is proud to support the curiosity and passion of our early-career talent under our Horizon Europe programme.
“The new ERC Starting Grants winners aim to deepen our understanding of the world. Their creativity is vital to finding solutions to some of the most pressing societal challenges. In this call, I am happy to see one of the highest shares of female grantees to date, a trend that I hope will continue.”
President of the European Research Council, Professor Maria Leptin, continued: “Empowering researchers early on in their careers is at the heart of the mission of the ERC.”
For further information and a full list of awardees, visit the (opens in a new window)European Research Council website.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations (with materials from Emma Loughney, UCD Research and Innovation)
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
