ICAT Cohort 9 Fellows (2025)
Dr Adrien Da Silva
Clinical Specialty: Small Animal Internal Medicine
Dr Adrien Da Silva graduated from Veterinary Medicine in The National School of Veterinary Medicine of Alfort in Paris in 2019. After completing an internal medicine and emergency/critical care internship in the south of France in Montpellier, Adrien joined the Small Animal Internal Medicine department of the University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital in 2021 and completed his residency training.
Adrien’s research interest include veterinary endocrinology and adrenal diseases in particular. As an ICAT fellow, Adrien intends to explore interspecies and individual sensitivity to corticosteroids using a One Health approach.
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Dr Áine Varley
Clinical specialty: Public Health Medicine
Dr Áine Varley is a Specialist Registrar (SpR) in Public Health Medicine. In addition to her medical degree, she holds Master’s degrees in Health Economics (MSc) and Public Health (MPH). Prior to her appointment as SpR, she worked as a health technology assessor at the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics Ireland. As an ICAT fellow, Áine intends to explore the application of health economic principles and methodologies to inform the prevention and control of infectious diseases.
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Dr Alice Talbot
Clinical Specialty: Medical Oncology
Dr Alice Talbot graduated from RCSI in 2019. She completed her academic track internship in 2020 followed by the Bendat Research Fellowship in Medical Oncology in St John of God Hospital, Perth. On completion of postgraduate medical training in St James’s Hospital in 2025 she was appointed to the Medical Oncology Higher Specialist Training scheme.
Her current research interests are cancer genetics and early onset gastrointestinal malignancies. As an ICAT fellow, Alice will explore the use of fragmentomics for screening for malignancy in patients with hereditary cancer syndromes.
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Dr Brian Maloney
Clinical Specialty: Orthodontics
Dr Brian Maloney graduated in Dentistry from Trinity College in 2023. He subsequently completed a house officer position in the Dublin Dental Hospital and gained further clinical experiences in the National Maxillofacial Unit in St James’s Hospital. During his undergraduate studies, he developed an interest in the application of adjuvant therapies for the treatment of oral cancer. He has authored several publications in peer-reviewed journals and was awarded the prestigious Hatton prize from the IADR in 2021 and 2023 . As part of his ICAT fellowship, Dr Maloney endeavours to explore the potential of novel targeted therapy in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
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Dr David Synnott
Clinical Specialty: Nephrology
Dr David Synnott graduated from University College Cork in 2020 where he also completed his Basic Specialist Training. In addition to his medical degree, he completed a Masters in Health Professions Education in UCC. David was appointed to RCPI Higher Specialist Training in Nephrology in 2024 and has an interest in Onconephrology. As an ICAT fellow, David will explore the toxicities of immunotherapy and immunosurvivorship.
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Dr Lauren Madden Doyle
Clinical Specialty: General Internal Medicine/ Endocrinology & Diabetes
Dr. Lauren Madden Doyle graduated from RCSI in 2019 with a First Class Honours degree, and completed her Basic Specialist Training through Beaumont Hospital. During this time, Lauren worked on a number of clinical research projects delivered through the RCSI Androgens in Health & Disease group, and the international CaHSE-2 consortium. She was appointed to the Endocrinology and Diabetes Higher Specialist Training in 2023.
Lauren’s clinical and research interests primarily focus on the complex interplay between androgens and metabolic health. As part of her ICAT fellowship she aims to further elucidate mechanistic drivers of metabolic dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome.
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Dr Niamh Dhondt
Clinical Specialty: Psychiatry (General Adult)
Dr Niamh Dhondt graduated in Medicine from RCSI in 2020 following her undergraduate studies in Psychology. She completed an Academic Track Internship and her Basic Specialist Training in Psychiatry with the Trinity College Dublin Scheme in Tallaght, Naas, St James’ and St Patrick’s Hospitals. Her research interest is in the development of, screening for and early intervention in mental illness. As an ICAT fellow she intends to investigate the development of personality disorders with a view to validating screening for and laying the foundation for early intervention in personality disorder.
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Dr Shahd Elamin
Clinical Specialty: Dermatology
Dr Shahd Elamin graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2014 and completed a Masters in Clinical Education in 2020. She began her dermatology specialist training in 2021. She has a particular interest in pigmentary skin disorders. As an ICAT fellow she hopes to gain better understanding of the complex immune pathways observed in vitiligo, with the aim of identifying potential targets for treatment.