ICAT Champions

Alison Lee studied Veterinary Medicine and graduated from UCD in 2013. She also obtained an intercalated BSc degree in Veterinary Pathology from the Royal Veterinary College. After working in companion animal veterinary practice, she undertook an anatomic pathology residency in UCD and graduated with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medical Specialisation (DVMS) in 2020. She passed the board exams of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 2019, becoming a specialist in Veterinary Anatomic Pathology. Alison worked in a diagnostic veterinary pathology laboratory in the UK for three years before returning to Dublin to start her ICAT fellowship and PhD in 2023.

She is now a PhD student at Trinity College, based in the Dublin Dental University Hospital, where she is researching the impact of oral bacteria on the development of feline oral squamous cell carcinoma. She also works in UCD’s School of Veterinary Medicine as an anatomic pathologist. Alison’s research interests include companion animal pathology, cancer biology and microbiology.

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Dr Cathal O’Connor is a dual-trained consultant dermatologist and consultant paediatrician. He graduated from University College Cork and undertook Basic Specialist Training and membership with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) in both Paediatrics (2015) and Adult Medicine (2017). He undertook higher specialist training in dermatology with the RCPI and a PhD with the Irish Clinical and Academic Training (ICAT) programme, followed by postdoctoral research as part of the Kinsler Lab at the Francis Crick Institute London and a senior clinical fellowship in genodermatoses and paediatric dermatology in Great Ormond St Hospital London. He is author of several dermatology textbook chapters, has over 100 academic publications and has a special interest in paediatric dermatology, with primary research interests including eczema and genetic skin disease. He won the prestigious William Stokes award in 2024 for best research performed by a specialist registrar in Ireland and the RAMI research award in 2024 for best research paper in dermatology. He is the programme lead for the RCPI iHeed dermatology postgraduate course. He was chosen as a ‘Future Leader’ by the executive boards of the European Society for Paediatric Dermatology for 2021-2024 and the European Society of Dermatological Research for 2023-2024.

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Dr Karen McCarthy is a Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases in Children’s Health Ireland. She completed dual clinical and academic training through the Wellcome-HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Fellowship. She was awarded her PhD in Immunology from Trinity College Dublin in 2024 and completed higher specialist training in Paediatrics in 2024 following a fellowship in Paediatric Infectious Diseases.

Her PhD focused on developing greater insights into the role of mucosal immune responses to respiratory pathogens following infection and immunisation and harnessing this knowledge to develop next generation vaccination strategies. Her research interests include host pathogen interactions and mucosal immunology. 

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Dr Eithne Nic an Ríogh is a Nephrology Specialist Registrar and second year ICAT fellow. Eithne graduated in with first class honours from University College Dublin, Class of Medicine 2018 and completed an Academic Track Internship in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. Following this Eithne was awarded a distinction in Trinity College Dublin’s post graduate certificate in Statistics and Data Science.

 Through her PhD Eithne is developing skills in high dimensional flow cytometry, single cell RNA sequencing and HLA typing. Eithne is interested in understanding the various endotypes of patients with autoimmune diseases. Collaborating with the RITA-Ireland Vasculitis Registry and Biobank, Eithne is focusing her research on patients with ANCA Associated Vasculitis who stay in long term remission off therapy. 

As an ICAT Champion, Eithne is looking forward to engaging with prospective fellows and sharing an insight into the many opportunities in academic medicine available through ICAT.

Dr Daniel O’Reilly is a Specialist Registrar in General Paediatrics. He completed a BSc in Human Health and Disease from TCD (2013) before commencing Graduate Entry Medicine in RCSI (2017), an MSc in Child Health and Paediatrics from Imperial College London (2021) and a graduate diploma in Healthcare Informatics from UCD (2022).

Over the course of his ICAT PhD Daniel has developed an interest in big data including proteomics and population-based data and how these can be harnessed to improve the evidence based care of the critically unwell newborn/infant. His PhD specifically focuses on prospective identification of neonates with late onset sepsis using extracellular vesicles and proteomics.

Dr Saied Ali is a Clinical Microbiology Specialist Registrar originally from Trinidad and a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He has a strong interest in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is passionate about the exploration of novel therapeutics, disinfectants and is dedicated to supporting and strengthening molecular diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes as part of a comprehensive approach to tackling AMR.

With a firm belief in the value of clinical academia, Dr Ali aims to contribute to translational research that bridges laboratory findings with frontline clinical practice. Outside of medicine, he is always keen to experience culture in all its forms, particularly food and music.

As an ICAT Champion, Saied hopes to inspire and encourage more clinicians to engage in academic medicine and help shape the future of healthcare through innovation and evidence-based practice. 

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Dr. Michael Duggan graduated from the University of Bristol in 2017 with a degree in veterinary medicine and spent a number of years in mixed species, first opinion equine and referral equine practice throughout the UK and Ireland. Michael is an EBVS European Specialist in Equine/Large Animal Surgery & RCVS Specialist in Equine Surgery at University College Dublin and has recently completed a Doctorate in Veterinary Medical Specialisation focusing on the equine lipopolysaccharide model of joint inflammation and the use of platelet rich plasma in joint disease. Michael is the associated editor of the Irish Veterinary Journal. 

Michael’s research interests lie within One Health and the optimisation of clinical outcomes for both human and animals through translational research with his PhD looking at the effects of joint loading on neonatal and adult cartilage with a specific focus on the effects of space travel on cartilage.  

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Dr Lisa Kiely is a Specialist Registrar in Dermatology with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. She has an honours Bachelor degree in Medicine from the University of Limerick and an honours Bachelor Degree (BSc) in Physiology from University of Galway. She also completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Education at Queens University Belfast and served as an Adjunct Clinical Lecturer with University College Cork.  

 Lisa has a strong interest in innovative diagnostic approaches within dermatology. As an ICAT fellow, Lisa is currently undertaking a PhD at University College Cork, where her research focuses on  advanced imaging and machine learning techniques for the assessment and monitoring of localised scleroderma (Morphea).  

Dr Brian O’Mahony graduated from University College Cork in 2017, before commencing his Psychiatry training in the UCC Deanery. He completed an MsC in Clinical Neuropsychiatry in King’s College London, where he was awarded the Sir Anthony David Award for academic achievement. His research interest is in the treatment of psychotic disorders, and Brian hopes to investigate if the metabolic effects of antipsychotic medication can be mitigated and explored using resistance training.

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