About Us

The UCD CRC was established in 2006 to deliver high quality, world class, patient-centred research. Together with our hospital partners and the UCD School of Medicine, we have built a skilled and committed research team who help investigators to design and conduct clinical research to the highest standards.

Our expert team work closely with our internationally renowned investigators to test new ways of treating patients to improve their lives. Our research has been incorporated into clinical guidelines and has been translated into clinical practice to improve outcomes.


The UCD CRC has created core research infrastructure to support and advance high quality, impactful investigator-led translational and personalised medicine research at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St. Vincent’s University Hospital.

The clinical research infrastructure includes:

  • Eight out-patient interview rooms for patient examination and tissue collection
  • Four procedure rooms for more complex patient studies
  • An endoscopy suite for internal medical examination, including arthroscopy and bronchoscopy
  • Recovery room facilities for patients post procedure
  • Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) Scanner with full body composition analysis capabilities which support osteoarthritis/osteoporosis studies
  • Climate-controlled storage facilities for Investigational Medicinal Product materials

Laboratory Infrastructure

UCD CRC on-site laboratory facilities support the immediate processing of biological samples collected during research studies. The laboratory infrastructure at the UCD CRC complements biomedical research facilities on the University campus and includes:

  • Cell and tissue culture suites for primary cultures, equipped with sterile cell culture hoods & incubators
  • A molecular biology laboratory with standard equipment and facilities for molecular analysis
  • Imaging Laboratory (with contrast and fluorescence microscopy)
  • Core Biomarker Laboratory

The Core Biomarker laboratory currently houses an automated Abbott ARCHITECT i2000SR, ARCHITECT ci4100, Alinity ci and the Roche Cobas e411 for the high throughput diagnostic analysis of patient samples. The Core lab also has at its disposal an array of semi-automated digital ELISA analysers which include the Quanterix SR-X, Quanterix SP-X and the Bio-Teche Ella. In conjunction with the digital ELISA detectors, the Core lab possesses a number of spectrophotometric detectors for standard Elisa analysis.
The UCD CRC has developed a network of biological resource centres for sample receipt, storage and processing across the hospital campuses in recognition of the importance of access to appropriately consented, well pheno-typed quality controlled biological samples for translational research.

This network includes:

  • Dedicated biobank rooms with monitoring and control
  • Over 40 ULT devices for long- or short-term storage of clinical specimens
  • Large Liquid Nitrogen storage capacity
  • 24/7 real-time temperature monitoring of all cold storage and ambient units facilitated by an accredited temperature monitoring system
  • Preventative maintenance programme to meet auditing requirements
  • Comprehensive security and emergency response plans

Information Systems

The appropriate use of intelligent and secure IT solutions is key to the Centre’s translational research mission, permitting the generation and exchange of data and information between the ‘bed’ and the ‘bench’.

The UCD CRC is addressing these challenges by implementing cost-effective IT solutions which combine to create a sophisticated clinical research information infrastructure that supports all aspects of clinical research. Specifically, the research teams at the UCD CRC have access to a secure electronic data capture system which enables them to collect coded research data via any device which can connect to the internet.

Links to our annual reports to follow.