Authors: Alessia Palladino & Lauren Kane
Introduction
In April 2026, the NeoSepsis Consortium won the prestigious Best Research Project Award at the 2026 Education Awards. The project, led by PI Principal Investigator Prof. Sean Doyle, Co-PI Dr. Peter Waiswa and Co-PI Dr. Nicola Mountford, aims to reduce neonatal and maternal mortality through a rapid, low-cost, patient-side diagnostic test (NeoSep-SAA) capable of identifying sepsis within 10 minutes using only 5 µL of whole blood, which is particularly suitable for neonates in resource‑limited healthcare systems. More specifically, the objectives of the project include the implementation of a robust and easy-to-use diagnostic for neonatal and maternal sepsis; the validation of the accuracy of the diagnostic through large-scale clinical evaluation in hospitals and community settings in Uganda; the assessment of feasibility, adoption barriers and health system fit; and the production of a scalable manufacturing and regulatory pathway that can be deployed in Low to Middle Income Countries (LMICs).
What is the NeoSepsis Consortium?
The NeoSepsis project is a collaboration between the School of Business and the Department of Biology at Maynooth University, and also involves Accuplex Diagnostics. The project is funded through the Research Ireland (formerly Science Foundation Ireland) Future Innovator Prize, and supported by Irish Aid. The project is led by Principal Investigator (PI) Prof Sean Doyle (Maynooth University), and Co-PIs – Dr Nicola Mountford (Maynooth University) and Dr Peter Waiswa (Makerere University), Industry Partner Accuplex Diagnostics, and several Societal Impact Champions including Dr Flavia Namiiro (Mulago Hospital) and Ms Mandy Daly (Irish Neonatal Health Alliance). The NeoSepsis project is supported by a team of research assistants, postdoctoral researchers, field coordinators, clinical specialists, and industrial collaborators, with various fields of expertise spanning across neonatal health, business, mathematics, biology, public health and diagnostic manufacturing – across both Uganda and Ireland. This makes the project not only multidisciplinary, but also able to have direct on-the –ground applications. The Consortium includes Makerere University (Uganda), Mulago National Referral Hospital, Accuplex Diagnostics, the Busoga Health Forum, and the Irish Neonatal Health Alliance, giving an international breadth to the overall research, and allowing for the cooperation of different experts in the field. The project started on the 1st February 2022 and concluded on the 30th April 2026.
Outputs & Achievements
The project has, so far, produced multiple outputs, including a publication reporting the performance of the NeoSep‑SAA test in neonatal and adult populations; a research paper which outlines the optimal methods to conduct economic evaluations in Low to Middle Income Countries; and a Stakeholder Report (a forthcoming article on this aspect of the research is currently under review with PLOS One) which presents the results of the interviews conducted with different stakeholders from across the Ugandan healthcare system. In addition to this, the project attended numerous national and international conference presentations, and conducted clinical evaluations across multiple Ugandan hospitals.
The Consortium provides multiple services, including the development and optimisation of diagnostic devices, their clinical study and execution in LMIC settings, the analysis of health systems, cost modelling and patient-pathway mapping, the engagement of stakeholders across clinicians, health systems and policy actors, and lastly the manufacturing and regulatory pathway requirement for the adoption in LMICs.
Since the beginning of the project in 2022, several goals and objectives have been achieved, and the NeoSep-SAA device showed exceptional diagnostic performance, demonstrating a 92% sensitivity and 73% specificity for probable neonatal sepsis. In addition to this, the Consortium has successfully delivered, among other things, a validated diagnostic used at patient bedside and the largest neonatal SAA testing dataset ever generated in Uganda.
These achievements were recognised at a ceremony held on 16th April 2026 at the Johnstown Estate (Enfield, Co Meath) through the Best Research Project Award, one of the Education Awards. These awards celebrate and encourage excellence in third level education in Ireland, and provide the opportunity to showcase the strengths and achievements of different projects.
Through its focus on development and provision of accessible and low-cost diagnostic testing for sepsis in Uganda, with a view to expanding this to other LMICs, the project closely links with the mission of the Assisted Living & Learning (ALL) Institute, which is to empower people, and especially marginalised groups, across their life course to achieve well-being and full participation in society. The focus of the NeoSepsis project also resonates with Maynooth University’s ‘Health and Wellbeing’ Research Beacon, which has been outlined as a strategic research priority in Maynooth University’s Strategic Plan (2023-2028). Notably, the research conducted through the Consortium also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. In particular, the reduction of neonatal mortality is relevant to the achievement of SDG 3: to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” – key components of this goal include the reduction of maternal and infant mortality (Target 3.1 & 3.2).
Conclusion
We, as members of the ALL Institute, are therefore very proud that such excellent research was showcased and celebrated, as this is another recognition of the impact of the NeoSepsis project, that goes well beyond academia.
