The Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health at the University of Notre Dame, the Dublin City University Life Sciences Institute (LSI), and Notre Dame Global, in collaboration with Notre Dame Dublin, are pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural Notre Dame-DCU Seed Grant in Precision Biomedical Technologies.

This competitive funding program is designed to support high-impact, collaborative research between faculty at the University of Notre Dame (ND) and Dublin City University (DCU) in the field of precision biomedical technologies.

“Following a rigorous selection process, three projects have been awarded funding to develop innovative solutions with real-world applications in global health and diagnostics,” said Professor John Doyle, Vice President of Research at DCU. “Each project will be supported for a two-year period, fostering long-term collaboration between the University of Notre Dame and Dublin City University.”

By leveraging interdisciplinary expertise across both institutions, the awarded projects will drive scientific discovery and technological innovation in the biomedical field.

“The partnership between the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health and the Life Science Institute at Dublin City University represents an exciting step toward further strengthening Notre Dame’s reputation as a global research university,” said Matthew J. Webber, Keating-Crawford Collegiate Professor of Engineering and acting director of the Berthiaume Institute.

2025 Awardees of the Notre Dame-DCU Seed Grant in Precision Biomedical Technologies

“Simple, Low-Cost, On-Site Nucleic Acid Testing for Health, Food, and Environmental Monitoring,” Marya Lieberman (ND) and Anne Parle-McDermott (DCU)

Marya Lieberman is a Professor of Chemistry at Notre Dame, where her lab develops paper analytical devices (PADs) for use in low-resource settings. These devices automate chemical analyses that would typically require laboratory equipment, enabling real-time, on-site testing. Her work spans applications in drug quality screening, opioid harm reduction, and point-of-care chemotherapy drug testing in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

Anne Parle-McDermott is a Professor in Genetics at DCU’s School of Biotechnology and Director of DCU Life Sciences Institute. Her expertise lies in molecular genetics with research interests in DNA-based diagnostics and biosensor development, and functional genetics as it applies to human health. Her group was the first to apply CRISPR-Cas based technology to environmental DNA for the detection of single species.

“We are excited to apply our expertise in CRISPR-Cas based technology to point-of-care chemotherapy drug testing with the Lieberman group,” Parle-McDermott said. “The ability to develop low-cost, highly specific tests with the possibility to multiplex will open the door for a variety of applications that can address unmet needs in a variety of sectors.”

“My group has a lot of experience in translating laboratory-based pharmaceutical analyses into simple test cards, but we've never worked with a CRISPR system. So the seed grant will help both of us learn new things,” Lieberman shared. “Once we figure out the fluidics, we can start research with some of the DNA targets that the Parle-McDermott group has developed.”

“Wearable and Skin-Conformable Theranostic Technology for Disease Management (WeaTher),” Aoife Morrin (DCU) and Nosang Myung (ND)

Aoife Morrin is a Professor of Analytical Chemistry in DCU’s School of Chemical Sciences. She is an expert in electroanalytical devices, stimuli-responsive materials, and epidermal sensing technologies, making her a leader in skin-based diagnostic systems for biomedical and environmental applications.

Nosang Myung is the Bernard Keating-Crawford Professor of Engineering at Notre Dame. His research specializes in nanoengineered materials and their applications in sensing, energy harvesting, environmental remediation, and biomedical devices. His expertise in functional nanomaterials will be key to the development of advanced wearable health monitoring systems.

“The collaboration between DCU and ND is essential due to the multidisciplinary expertise required for the project,” Myung said. “DCU will contribute their knowledge in volatile biomarker discovery, while ND will offer their expertise in sensor technology.”

“In collaboration with the Myung group at ND, we can design new types of wearable sensor interfaces for volatile biomarker detection with excellent specificity and sensitivity, thus addressing some of the bigger analytical challenges in wearable diagnostics,” said Morrin.

"Hit-to-lead progression of two hits binding to the Mac1 domain of SARS-CoV-2 NSP3 using rational computer-aided drug design and in-vitro evaluation,” Darren Fayne (DCU) and Choon Kim (ND)

Darren Fayne is an Assistant Professor of Computational Chemistry in DCU’s School of Chemical Sciences, and his research focus is on the rational computational design of novel small molecular modulators of key disease-related proteins.

Choon Kim is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame. Kim researches bla operon harbored in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a nefarious human pathogen. MRSA kills over 100,000 individuals globally each year, approximately 11,000 of whom are in the United States alone. His research focuses on the potential of converting virulent strains of MRSA to avirulent ones.

“The idea behind this DCU-ND collaborative project is to continue the development of novel small molecule inhibitors that target a conserved site of SARS-CoV-2 NSP3 protein,” Fayne explained. “Looking at the broader picture, targeting and developing novel compounds for the sites on viral proteins, that do not change over time, can help to develop a pan-coronavirus inhibitor to tackle possible upcoming outbreaks caused by new viruses.”

“Collaboration is key to the success of this project as novel compounds will be designed in DCU and biologically evaluated by Choon’s group in ND,” said Fayne. “The goal is to create a common key, which is the bioactive compound, for the common lock, that is the protein binding site.”

"Notre Dame Global is pleased to support this inaugural seed grant program between the University of Notre Dame and Dublin City University, which has been intentionally co-created and co-invested in by the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health and the Life Sciences Institute,” Jonathan Noble, senior assistant provost for internationalization and global executive director, stated.

As one of twelve locations in the Notre Dame Global Network, Notre Dame Dublin plays a key role in supporting and convening international research collaborations between Notre Dame faculty and its partner academic institutions in Dublin. The University of Notre Dame is committed to international engagement as an essential factor in addressing global challenges and advancing human understanding.

“This innovative research initiative deepens the existing relationship between our two institutions and contributes to our shared commitment to the development of new knowledge for good,” said Eimear Clowry Delaney, Michael J. Smurfit Director at Notre Dame Dublin. “We hope that this international research collaboration will build opportunities for sustained cooperation between Notre Dame and DCU long into the future.”

The funded projects will proceed over a two-year term, during which the teams will develop their technologies, conduct proof-of-concept studies, and explore pathways for future external funding.

For more information about the Notre Dame-DCU Seed Grant in Precision Biomedical Technologies and the next round of applications, please visit the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health’s website.

Contact: Maggie Arriola Fagan, Associate Director for Partnerships and Engagement, University of Notre Dame Dublin, marriola@nd.edu

Originally published by Margaret Arriola at dublin.nd.edu on June 04, 2025.