GEMS and UHL Research Wins at Irish Society of Clinical Microbiologists

Dr Ciara O’Connor, MD candidate at University of Limerick’s Graduate Entry Medical School, has been awarded the Irish Society of Clinical Microbiologists prize for best Oral Presentation at a meeting held in Dublin on 27th Feb 2016.

Dr O’Connor, who is supervised by Prof Colum Dunne (GEMS Director of Research) and Dr Nuala O’Connell (Consultant Microbiologist and Adjunct Clinical Senior Lecturer at GEMS), presented two studies focused on the clinical challenges posed by multidrug-resistant bacteria: "A report of the first outbreak of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) – 1 carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae in Ireland” and "Irrepressible carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the Mid-West of Ireland? A retrospective epidemiological and microbiological review of 140 isolates from 2009 to 2015”.

Dr O’Connor has also recently published a report describing the incidence of a multidrug-resistant bacterial outbreak and its successful management, with a focus on patient outcomes.