University College Cork’s INFANT Centre, Ireland’s first translational research hub dedicated entirely to pregnancy, birth, and early childhood, marks over a decade of groundbreaking work. Since its establishment in late 2013, INFANT—The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research—has been at the forefront of significant breakthroughs that are saving lives and improving outcomes for babies and their families daily, while also shaping perinatal medicine globally.

From its beginnings as a team of eight founding principal investigators, INFANT has evolved into a multidisciplinary powerhouse, now comprising over 100 dedicated professionals, including healthcare practitioners, research scientists, engineers, and support staff. The Centre’s expertise spans diverse fields such as obstetrics, paediatrics, neonatology, neuroscience, nutrition, biomedical engineering, informatics, and artificial intelligence.

A Decade of Impact and Innovation

Since its inception, INFANT has achieved some remarkable milestones:

• Developed innovative technologies to detect brain injuries in newborns, including the creation of the world’s first AI algorithm for seizure detection in infants.
• Contributed to groundbreaking therapies for peanut allergies in children.
• Developed a pioneering device to measure cognitive function in children that is independent of language barriers.
• Spearheaded the establishment of Ireland’s first dedicated network for children’s clinical trials  – in4kids
• Supported the Establishment of the National Bereavement Standards within Ireland’s maternity services.

INFANT’s pioneering research has not only advanced maternal and child healthcare in Ireland but has also garnered recognition as a global leader in innovative research and transformative healthcare solutions. Today, the Centre collaborates with over 35 countries and maintains alliances with more than 45 industry partners, driving forward its mission to improve outcomes in pregnancy, birth, and early childhood.

Voices of Leadership

Professor Geraldine Boylan, Director of INFANT, reflects on the Centre’s journey: “INFANT has grown tremendously in scale, ambition, and research excellence over the past decade. Our team’s dedication has led to transformative international breakthroughs that positively impact the lives of babies, children, and families worldwide every day.”

Looking ahead, Professor Boylan highlighted INFANT’s commitment to continued innovation: “We will build on our current breakthroughs, moving them from the lab to clinical application, and spearhead the next wave of research to achieve better outcomes for mothers, babies, and children.

We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from funding agencies, donors, industry partners, and families since our launch in 2013, and we remain dedicated to enhancing care for this often underserved population. In the coming years, a major focus will be on early detection, prevention, and novel interventions for cerebral palsy (CP), the most common lifelong physical disability acquired in childhood. Additionally, we will strengthen our leadership in children’s clinical trials in Ireland, working closely with parents and young children to ensure our research is directly informed by those we aim to serve.”

A Global Perspective

University College Cork President, Professor John O’Halloran, commended the Centre’s global impact, stating, “INFANT has had a demonstrable global impact over the last 10 years. The excellent research conducted by this multidisciplinary team of experts has enhanced maternal and child health, improved lives, and given hope and confidence to families. The Centre’s strong infrastructure and expertise base will be an integral driver of research excellence at UCC, and position INFANT at the forefront of innovative international research in maternal and child health”

Professor John F. Cryan, UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation said: “I would like to congratulate Professor Geraldine Boylan and the entire INFANT research team on an incredible ten-year journey of world leading innovative research that has had a profound impact on children and their families. The INFANT Research Centre is widely recognised as an international leader in maternal and child healthcare, and as a key strand of the UCC Futures – Children thematic area, INFANT will continue to be at the forefront of transformative research and groundbreaking innovative solutions that will be of benefit to all in society.”

Echoing this sentiment, Professor Helen Whelton, Head of the College of Medicine and Health at UCC, congratulated INFANT on its achievements: “We, at UCC are immensely proud of INFANT’s transformative research contributions to maternal and child health care over the last decade, and we’re very excited to see the next decade of groundbreaking discoveries and advancements that will continue to improve outcomes for mothers, babies and their families worldwide.” 

As INFANT looks to the future, its unwavering commitment to pioneering research and improving healthcare outcomes for mothers, babies and children remains resolute. The Centre’s legacy of innovation and collaboration will continue to shape the global landscape of maternal and child health in the decades to come.

Irish Examiner Article by Niamh Griffin: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41465776.html

Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision

• Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and In4kids, the Irish Network for Children’s Clinical Trials launch new National Young Person’s Advisory Group (YPAG) which invites children and young people to share their voice and help shape child health research in Ireland.
• This launch marks a significant step forward in involving young people in health research and ensuring that their perspectives shape the future of paediatric care in Ireland.
• Funded by the Health Research Board (HRB), In4Kids and CHI Clinical Research Centre will jointly coordinate the Young Person’s Advisory Group.

A new initiative to bring together young people from across Ireland, so that the voices of children are central in shaping child health research and clinical trial design in Ireland is launched.

The national Young Person’s Advisory Group (YPAG) are looking for children and young people aged between 12-18yrs who have experience of chronic health condition, have participated in a clinical trial, have a family member or friend with such experience, and or who have a keen interest in science and research. This YPAG is a collaboration between Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and In4Kids, the national children’s clinical trials network led by the INFANT Research Centre at University College Cork (UCC).

Transforming children and young people from subjects of research to active research partners

Research indicates that hospitals actively involved in research tend to achieve better patient care outcomes. The creation of this YPAG is based on feedback from children and young people participating in various public and patient involvement (PPI) activities across Ireland, as well as insights gained from established YPAGs in Europe.

Professor Geraldine Boylan, lead for the In4kids network and INFANT, UCC Director, said:

“We are thrilled to launch this initiative, which empowers young people to actively contribute to the future of child health research in Ireland. Their insights and experiences are invaluable in guiding our efforts to improve healthcare outcomes.”

Professor Paul McNally, CHI Director of Research & Innovation and consultant in respiratory medicine, added:

“It is vital for us that the research we support is designed to have a direct impact on the child and family. One of the best ways to do that is to involve children and young people in the design and conduct of that research – as part of the team as opposed to ‘subjects’. The new national YPAG will drive a greater involvement of children and young people in child health research and is a fantastic new development.”

The YPAG will collaborate with healthcare professionals and researchers nationwide, transforming children and young people from subjects of research to active research partners. Funded by the Health Research Board, In4Kids and CHI Clinical Research Centre will jointly coordinate the group, which will become a member of the European network of YPAGs, eYPAGNet.

More information and application details can be found here.

This launch marks a significant step forward in involving young people in health research and ensuring that their perspectives shape the future of paediatric care in Ireland.