ALL Institute – Ideas in ALL

New Voices, Same Mission: Meet the new Editors joining Ideas in ALL

Research Stream: Editorial & Stories/Lived Experiences

Authors: Rachel McGettrick, Sharon Adedapo & Lauren Kane

Dear readers of Ideas in ALL,

As new editors joining the blog, we are extremely happy to take on this position. As we take up our role, we will strive to maintain the excellent standard and energetic impetus attained by our fellow editors and predecessors. The blog has become an influential academic commentary on contemporary physical, social, political, and conceptual dimensions of society in the twenty-first century.

Each of us wish to add a personal note below on our motivation and commitment to this blog, so that you get to know us better!

Rachel McGettrick

I’m Rachel and I am so excited to join the amazing Ideas in ALL team! I am a PhD researcher who first joined the ALL Institute in 2022 during my undergraduate degree in psychology, working as a research intern with the STEM Passport for Inclusion. This is an initiative led by Professor Katriona O’Sullivan that empowers young women from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue STEM education. This experience sparked my love for research and helped me see a future for myself in such a meaningful environment. Now, as a PhD researcher at Maynooth University, I feel incredibly fortunate to continue my journey within the ALL Institute—a space dedicated to inclusion, accessibility, and meaningful research impact.

Inclusion remains at the heart of everything I do. Alongside my continued work with the STEM Passport for Inclusion, I contribute to two interconnected projects – Pathways and Promote – which aim to foster a more equitable research environment, particularly for women and early-career researchers. These projects reflect the ALL Institute’s commitment to tackling systemic inequalities and ensuring that research is shaped by diverse voices. I am also involved with the Maynooth Access Programme (MAP), which encourages under-represented groups to enter third level and provides these groups with support through their time at Maynooth. As I embark on my PhD journey under Professor O’Sullivan’s supervision, I am exploring the impact of parental alcohol misuse (PAM) on children in Ireland. This research seeks to highlight an often-overlooked issue and develop an intervention to support these vulnerable children – in line with the ALL Institute’s broader mission, contribute to evidence-based policies and person-centred support systems.

Sharon Adedapo

I am delighted to join Ideas in ALL as part of the team! I recently joined the PatentsInHumans project as a Research Assistant, working under Professor Aisling McMahon at the ALL Institute. I completed my Undergraduate degree in Law and Business from Maynooth University in 2023 and recently completed my Master of Law (LLM) in 2024.

The PatentsInHumans project bridges the gap between bioethics and patent law, exploring how patents over health-related technologies, such as medicines, medical devices, gene editing techniques, and neurotechnology, interact with fundamental ethical considerations. The ultimate aim of the project is to reimagine European patent decision-making to better integrate bioethical principles.

What drew me to Ideas in ALL is the commitment to inclusive, accessible, and interdisciplinary research. My background in Intellectual property law, human rights, and technology has fuelled my interest in how emerging health technologies are governed, and the ethical challenges they present. I look forward to bringing these perspectives to the blog, helping to share research that sparks conversation, promotes accessibility, and drives meaningful change.

Lauren Kane

My name is Lauren, and I recently joined the ALL Institute as a Research Assistant on the ERC funded PatentsInHumans project, led by Professor Aisling McMahon. PatentsInHumans aims to explore the bioethical implications of how patents are used over health technologies related to the human body, with a view to reimagining the European patent system to adopt a more person-centred approach.

My interest in this area was sparked by the Myriad Genetics case, which related to an (ultimately successful) challenge to the patenting of genetic mutations which predicted a significantly elevated risk of breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Essentially, these patents were being used in such a restrictive manner that diagnostic testing could only be provided through Myriad Genetics, and at a significant cost which prevented access for many women. As someone who had personally undergone BRCA testing, this case made me consider how fortunate I had been to obtain access, and how I may have felt and the impact it could have had if this had not been possible. This really opened my eyes to the impact that the manner in which patents related to the human body are used can have over people’s health and motivated my interest in this area of research and social justice. As such, I was delighted to have the opportunity to join the PatentsInHumans team and Ideas in ALL Blog team. The core values of the Ideas in ALL Blog, such as inclusivity, accessibility, respect for diversity and participation really resonate with me. I feel excited to be part of the Ideas in ALL Blog team as I am passionate about accessibility and greatly value the opportunity to contribute to the blog and participate in the dissemination of interdisciplinary research which is accessible to all.

We are all excited to join this team and contribute to the values and mission of the Ideas in ALL blog. All three of us look forward to bringing our different experiences and areas of interest together to foster new collaborations and inspire innovative insights in both this blog and the ALL Institute as a whole. If you are interested in contributing to the Ideas in ALL Blog, please feel free to get in touch via email at ideasinall@mu.ie.

GoGreen Routes in Burgas: Nature-Based Solutions for a Healthier City

Research Stream: Social Lives

Author: Tom Hall, Research Assistant, Go Green Routes Project, Maynooth University

GoGreen Routes

The GoGreen Routes project lead by Principal Investigator Dr. Tadhg McIntyre carried out research in six “Cultivating Cities”: Burgas (Bulgaria), Lahti (Finland), Limerick (Ireland), Tallinn (Estonia), Umeå (Sweden) and Versailles (France). This blog focuses on research undertaken in Burgas (Bulgaria) at “Healing Island” nature-based solutions site in June 2024. Here Tadhg was joined by GoGreen Routes Research Assistant Tom Hall and Project Intern Solène Caron. Assistance was provided by Ivalo Trendilov from the EU Projects Team in the Burgas municipality. The team spent four days collecting observational, interview, environmental and air quality data in order to assess the overall impact that Healing Island is making for the people of Burgas.

The picture shows an overhead view of the park. There is a circular fountain at the center, a raised platform to the left side of this, and a wooden walkway on the right.

GoGreen Routes Aims

GoGreen Routes is a large-scale multinational project which aims to enhance the physical and mental well-being of urban residents by increasing their connection to nature in an inclusive way. To achieve this aim, the project has implemented a collection of nature based solutions (NbS). These solutions center around the use of green corridors, linear parks, pocket parks and shared walkways. By maximizing the available public space, people have greater opportunities to move about cities more actively, enjoy their free time and interact with others. Other NbS benefits include: reduced air and noise pollution, improved urban ventilation and providing ecosystem services and habitat to plant and animal species.

Reclaiming Public Space

The creation of NbS such as Healing Island are crucial due to the lack of green spaces in European cities. Research from the European Environmental Agency (EEA) on public accessibility to green infrastructure (allotments, private gardens, parks, street trees, water and wetlands) indicates that there is limited accessible space available. Here it was found that whilst green space makes up on average 42% of the city area in 38 EEA member countries, publicly accessible green space amounts to 3% (on average) of the total city area. This being so, the focus must be on reclaiming public space and maximising the area available.

“Healing Island”

As the site where Healing Island sits had previously been the location of a derelict and abandoned building, Healing Island represents a fine example of how urban locations can be reclaimed as a green space. Healing Island is so-called due to its proximity to three nearby hospitals. As such, the park provides a place where people can relax and recuperate. Shaded seating areas help cool the park and a running fountain built from local volcanic rock adds to the peacefulness of the environment.

The park can be navigated along bright paths made from recycled granite paving stones. A podium in the centre of the park provides a versatile space for health-related activities such as yoga or Tai-Chi, and can also be used as a stage for events. Beyond this, there is a soft wood-chip play area for children, as well as carved wooden animals and bug hotels for insects. A seesaw made from recycled timber along with interactive and musical features dotted around the park add to the variety of activities available. Despite the park being located close to the city centre, there is a diversity of birdlife which can be seen and heard about the park. Among these is a nearby seagull nest and the sounds of various birds including a woodpecker. Taken together, these features make Healing Island stand out as a sustainable nature-based solution which can be used by all to benefit diverse groups in society.

Access to Green Spaces

A key component of the GoGreen Routes research carried out in Burgas was to examine access to Healing Island. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises the contribution that access to green areas has on the health and wellbeing of urban residents. It recommends that citizens should have access to public green spaces which measure at least 1/2 football field and is located within 300 metres’ linear distance (around 5 minutes’ walk) from their homes.

The consequences of not achieving this WHO target were examined in a study led by GoGreenRoutes project partner ISGlobal. This research used satellite imagery to assess the impact of green space on mortality in 922 European cities. As part of the study, it was found that 62% of the urban populations have lower green space access than recommended. Consequently, it was estimated that 42,968 annual natural-cause deaths in these cities could be prevented if the WHO standard was brought about.

With this in mind, the GoGreen Routes team recorded the numbers of citizens using Healing Island over three days. Walking interviews with local residents added context to how people use and perceive the park. The data recorded at this time will be compared with similar data recorded a year earlier (before the park was constructed). In the final report on the project, these figures will indicate how successful Healing Island has been in attracting increased footfall.

360 Degree Health Approach

Beyond the number of people using the park, their activities (such as walking, standing, biking etc.) were recorded to allow for physical and psychological health measurements to be assessed. This is part of 360-Health approach taken by the GoGreen Routes project. This approach integrates multiple health domains. It focuses on mental health and well-being, physical activity, nutrition, sleep, cognition and performance, social health, human-nature interaction and sustainability in relation to urban nature. The results of the research in these areas are important as they can indicate the impact of Healing Island on the well-being of residents in a very powerful way.

Provisional Results

Among the provisional results of data collection in Burgas, local residents expressed their happiness at the building of Healing Island, stating that it was a much-needed amenity. Some reflected on the usefulness of the park as a place to relax and spend time with family and friends. Others including local planning professionals, pointed out that there is a future need for more green areas similar to Healing Island in the city of Burgas.

Overall, the GoGreen Routes research in Burgas has demonstrated that infrastructure projects such as Healing Island represent a viable naturebased solution which benefits people as well as nature. This can be achieved by reclaiming public spaces and providing accessible and safe places where all residents’ physical and psychological health and well-being needs can be met.

Funding Acknowledgement: The GoGreenRoutes Project is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreeement No 869764.

Celebrating the Fourth Anniversary of the ‘Ideas in ALL Blog’: A Note from ALL Co-Directors

Research Stream: Symposium

The year 2024 has seen several elections, new and old conflicts, and instability in many parts of the world. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, global challenges have continued to grow. Our blog, set up on 3 December 2020, has given account of these challenges and has shown how interdisciplinary research be a powerful catalyst for change, bringing new hope and enhancing the wellbeing of people. In fact, well-being is the key word of this symposium which aims to showcase how our research, by shining a light on often neglected areas, such as mental health and social infrastructures, social services, cultural goods, and assistive technologies, addresses issues affecting our overall quality of life. In that regard, the yearly symposium (and the Ideas in All blog as a whole) situates at the cutting edge, tallying with the renewed scholarly attention to wellbeing from multiple disciplinary perspectives.

At Their Fingertips: The First International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Research Stream: Social Lives

Author: Eva Sophie Krolla, Research Assistant, Protecting the Right to Culture of Persons with Disabilities and Enhancing Cultural Diversity in EU Law: Exploring New Paths (DANCING)

On 17^th October 2003, exactly 21 years ago, the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereinafter: the 2003 Convention). The 2003 Convention represents a milestone in recognising immaterial cultural heritage and complements UNESCO’s efforts under the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972 with its well-known World Heritage List. In honour of this, the General Conference of UNESCO declared 17 October the ‘International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage’ at its 20^th anniversary in 2023, which will be celebrated for the first time this year. To date, 183 States Parties have acceded to the 2003 Convention including all 27 European Union (EU) Member States, with Malta being the last one to ratify it in 2017.

A Note from the Editors of the Ideas-In-ALL Blog to Start the Semester

Research Stream: Editorial

Editorial Team: Cassandra Murphy, Hannah Casey, Matthew McKenna, Neasa Boyle

After a brief, restorative hiatus over the summer months, the blog has now returned full time and is ready to once again highlight and facilitate the communication of strong, important research happening in the ALL community. As always, we aim to share knowledge that best encapsulates our ethos, a task that is made all the more possible by the diverse and exciting range of projects under the ALL Institute banner.

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As always, we look forward to hearing from the researchers behind these projects, who have historically contributed generously to us, both in our regular postings, and across our three symposiums, the fourth of which will be posted this coming December. We have been fortunate enough to witness the progress of these projects over the last four years and look forward to doing so again by affording researchers the opportunity to submit posts to us, in which they tell us about their ongoing achievements in their own words. Therefore, as we enter a new academic year, we the editors wish to drop our readers a brief note to highlight the continued excellence of the ALL Institute, and to give a brief overview of the work that we hope to feature on the blog in the coming months.

To this end, the remit of the ALL Institute continues to expand, forging strategic connections across a diverse network of professional researchers and organisations. It incorporates a synergistic array of state-of-the-art research projects that, at their core, seek to promote person-centred and inclusive digital, social and technological development into the future.

In the words of the ALL Institute, “We work across disciplines, sectors and while remaining committed to independent research, we collaborate with civil society, policy makers, industry, intergovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies and most particularly individuals, especially those belonging to different marginalised groups”.

Principles of inclusivity, human rights, accessibility, respect for diversity and equal participation guide the research projects taking place at ALL Institute. Flagship projects include, ADVANCE CRT, AT 2030, ERC Project DANCING, Digital Wealth, Global Collaboration on Assistive Technology (GATE), GoGreenRoutes, PatentsInHumans, ReCreating Europe, SHAPES, STEM Passport for Inclusion that well epitomize the ALL ethos and mission to advance accessibility, equality and human rights for all persons in a digitalising society. Two of the above projects, ReCreating Europe and SHAPES, have recently concluded, bringing together years of invaluable work while furthering and strengthening the mission and impact of the ALL Institute in the process.

In the space of a few years, the Ideas-in-ALL blog has helped to significantly enhance the public profile of the ALL Institute. The blog complements the work of the ALL Institute and continues to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring that person-centredness, human rights and inclusivity underpins technological advancement and digitalisation in our societies. As such, the blog provides a platform for our diverse array of partners to draw attention to, and explain in straightforward terms, the importance of each research project and initiative taking place in ALL. Invaluable blogpost contributions from ALL members, external stakeholders and independent voluntary submissions, have greatly enhanced general civic interest in the work of the ALL Institute.

We look forward to continuing to hear the voices from the wide variety of projects ongoing within the institute, alongside potential posts from those which have recently concluded or that are coming towards the end of their journey. We strive to provide learning experiences for all, so hearing from PIs and researchers working on these successful projects helps to develop best practice principles in our own research and contributes to the generation of new ideas and collaborations. As a group our aspiration is to engage more external stakeholders in the blog process, hearing from those who are directly impacted by our research and exploring the beneficial nature of what we do as an Institute. We have some exciting posts coming up from several of our ongoing projects so stay tuned.

We appreciate your engagement with our posts as we continue to share commentary on the intersection between our principles and the wonderful research activities happening internally within the ALL Institute and externally with our partners. ALL Institute - Maynooth University

My Experience as Project Manager of DANCING… Some Personal Reflections on the First Four Years

Research Stream: Social Lives

Author: Hilary Hooks, Project Manager, Protecting the Right to Culture of Persons with Disabilities and Enhancing Cultural Diversity in EU Law: Exploring New Paths (DANCING) Project

As the Project Manager for the ERC-funded DANCING Project, led by PI, Prof. Delia Ferri, my role has been to manage the project’s administrative and operational aspects and supporting the PI in ensuring that the project stayed on track with its key milestones.

I have endeavoured to create a robust project management framework. This involved developing a suite of tools, including a spreadsheet to track finances, another to track project activities and deliverables and another to record meetings—ensuring that we met all milestones efficiently. With a project of this scale, managing a €2 million budget requires close attention, and by working closely with other university offices, I ensured compliance with all relevant regulations. The administrative side of the project is complex and involves coordinating with multiple university offices, as well as external entities like graphic designers, filmmakers, and dance companies, the latter two through a tendering process. By managing these details, I freed up our researchers to focus on their work without worrying about the operational hurdles.

Competition Law Enforcement in the EU and Access to Health Technologies: An Overview of the EU 2024 Competition Law Report on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technologies – Update on Competition Enforcement in the Pharmaceutical Sector (2018-2022)

Author: Dr. Opeyemi Kolawole Post-doctoral Researcher, PatentsInHumans Project, ALL Insittute and Department of Law and Crimonology

Research Stream: Social Technologies

Competition law is pivotal in maintaining market equilibrium and safeguarding consumer welfare. In the European Union, competition law principles are enshrined in Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). While Article 101 prohibits the formation and enforcement of agreements that have the object or effect of distorting competition, Article 102 prevents a dominant firm from abusing its dominant market position.

Competition in healthcare services is critical to providing access to affordable medicines and medical technologies, ensuring expensive pharmaceutical and medical technologies do not significantly strain public and private finances. With their proactive enforcement of competition rules, the EU Commission and the 27 National Competition Authorities (NCAs) have been instrumental in this regard. In the recent Report on Competition Enforcement in the Pharmaceutical Sector, published in January 2024, the EU Commission provides an overview of how EU competition rules have been enforced to prevent and rectify business practices which may harm competition in the common market and consumer welfare. This article examines some of the key decisions reached by the Commission and some of the NCAs and highlights potential improvement opportunities to maximise consumer welfare.

‘Lived Fiction’ Goes on Stage: Reflecting on a Major Milestone for the DANCING Project and the Collaboration with Stopgap

Research Stream: Stories / Lived Experiences

Author: Eva Krolla Research Assistant DANCING, in dialogue with Professor Delia Ferri and Lucy Glover, Executive Producer at Stopgap Dance Company

Image on the left shows Eva Krolla smiling and wearing white, image in the centre shows Professor Delia Ferri smiling and wearing black, image on the right shows Lucy Glover smiling and wearing navy.

On 11^th April, the contemporary dance piece ‘Lived Fiction’ premiered at Dublin’s Lir Academy Theatre in collaboration with Project Arts Centre (PAC). The piece was commissioned by DANCING, a European Research Council (ERC) funded academic research project based at the School of Law and Criminology of Maynooth University. It was created by Stopgap Dance Company’s Deaf, Disabled, neurodivergent and non-disabled creatives under the lead of co-artistic director Lucy Bennett. Stopgap are a global leader of disability access in dance and are based in the UK. ‘Lived Fiction’ artistically embeds accessibility for dancers and audiences through an integrated creative access approach.

The ERC funded PatentsInHumans Project – Year One Project Report And Reflections!

Research Stream: Social Technologies

Authors: Professor Aisling McMahon, Principal Investigator (ERC PatentsInHumans Project) & Sinéad Masterson, Project Manager (ERC PatentsInHumans Project)

It is hard to believe that the PatentsInHumans Project has passed the one-year point having commenced in November 2022! And what a quick and busy year it was! Alongside recently publishing our Year 1 Report which gave us pause to reflect on the project, we were delighted to write this article for the IDEAS in ALL Blog to mark the first year of the project and to provide a snapshot of the research and other activities the PatentsInHumans team have undertaken during this time.

The PatentsInHumans Project:

What Role is There for Artificial Intelligence in the Assessment of Neurodiversity?

Research Stream: Social Technologies

Author: Emily McConway, Undergraduate Intern in Psychology, Maynooth University and Mac MacLachlan, Professor of Psychology & Social Inclusion, and Co-Director of the ALL Institute, Maynooth University

Early assessment and intervention are vital in facilitating positive developmental and behavioural outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Early intervention has a positive long-term effect on both autistic children and their caregivers. The current process of assessing the needs of children with possible autistic traits focuses on the use of behavioural clinical diagnostic instruments such as Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Both instruments require direct clinician-to-child observation and can take hours to administer and score. In many countries, long waiting lists, coupled with social, economic and geographic barriers hinders timely assessment of neurodiverse children. The ALL Institute is interested in pragmatic ways to streamline access to services, including assessing a person’s needs for services and supports.

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