Fifth Annual HECA Student Research Awards

The HECA Board, Research Committee, and Research Poster Judging Panel are delighted to congratulate all students who took part in the 2025 HECA Student Research Awards (HSRA). Now in its fifth year, the competition continues to grow, with an increasing number of outstanding submissions from students across HECA member higher education institutions.

This year’s digital research poster entries showcased remarkable originality, academic rigour, and creativity, reflecting the vibrant research culture within the HECA community. After a competitive judging process, we are proud to announce the winners of the HSRA 2025 Digital Poster Exhibition, to be celebrated at the HECA Research Conference on November 11, 2025, at Dublin Business School.

*Click poster to view larger.

1st prize

The 2025 HSRA Trophy - Cash Prize of €300

Congratulations to Rachael Purcell – Griffith College
Recent Graduate

Utilising Virtual Population-based Anatomic Design Methods in Design of a Glenoid Component in a Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty System

2nd prize 

The 2025 HSRA Trophy - Cash Prize of €150

Congratulations to Hamza Razaq – Dublin Business School
Recent graduate

Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health Practice: Perspectives from Mental Health Professionals and AI Developers

3rd prize

The 2025 HSRA Trophy  

Congratulations to Ignacio Alarcon Varela and Bernardo Gandara - CCT College
Current Students

Development of a Deep Learning Model for Synthetic vs. Real Image Classification

Special Recommendations

Due to high standard and range of posters submitted to HSRA, the Judging Panel would also like to make a special mention to the following entrants:

Rayen Bentemessek – CCT College
Recent Graduate

Brain Tumor Classification using Deep Learning: Custom CNN vs. ResNet50

W M Buddhika Aruna Kumara Wanninayaka – Dublin Business School
Recent Graduates

Integrating Circular Economy Strategies into Construction Project Waste Management in Sri Lanka: Barriers and Enablers

Aditya Kothapalli – Dublin Business School
Current Student

IMPROVING DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY IN CHEST X-RAYS USING AI-BASED IMAGE ENHANCEMENT: A MACHINE LEARNING APPROACH

SOORYA KANATH SUDEER KUMAR – Griffith College
Recent Graduate

PHARMACOGENOMIC METHODS DRIVEN BY AI FOR TAILORED ANTIDEPRESSANT THERAPY: INCREASING TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS AND MITIGATING SIDE EFFECTS

Eric Hii Xun Yi – Griffith College
Recent Graduate

Developing Convolutional Neural Networks for an Automated Waste Classification System

Sharayu Zodpe – Dublin Business School
Recent Graduate

Multi-City Analysis of AirBnB Markets: Key Determinants, Dynamics, Value, and Predictive Modelling with Machine Learning

Eoin Collins – Setanta College
Recent Graduate

High Performance Development Plan to Decrease the Prevalence of Lower-Body Non-Contact Injuries in Under-15 Elite Male Academy Football Players

Caroline Bennis, Annette Lythaby, Stephen Linnane – Griffith College
Recent Graduates

Creating Holistic Environments in Third-Level Education