Cohort 4 ICAT Fellows (2020)
Dr Louise Rabbitt
Clinical specialty: Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Dr Louise Rabbitt is a Specialist Registrar in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. She completed an international BA in Psychology and History from NUI Galway before completing a graduate-entry medical degree in RCSI and completed her MRCPI in 2014. Louise holds an MSc in Clinical Education. Current research interests include the interactions between human behaviour, medicines and the healthcare environment.
Dr Kiran Reddy
Clinical specialty: Anaesthesiology
Dr Kiran Reddy is a Specialist Anaesthesiology Trainee with a specific interest in respiratory disease in intensive care. In addition to attaining a medical degree from University College Cork in 2015, he holds a BSc in Biology from McMaster University in Canada, an MSc in Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety from NUI Galway, and the European Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine. His research focuses on precision medicine clinical trials in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Through ICAT, he aims to understand the mechanistic differences between novel subgroups of ARDS and identify their differential responses to therapy.
Dr Maria Tomkins
Clinical specialty: Endocrinology
Dr Maria Tomkins graduated from University College Dublin in 2015. As a postgraduate medical trainee Maria became involved in the Irish Pituitary Study and also undertook research projects concerning new-onset diabetes after renal transplant and the effect of glucocorticoid therapy in renal transplant recipients on adrenal function and metabolic health. Maria commenced Higher Specialist Training in Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus in 2020. As an ICAT Fellow, Maria hopes to further investigate and understand the relationship between cortisol metabolism in chronic kidney disease.
Dr Sarah Kelliher
Clinical specialty: Haematology
Dr Sarah Kelliher graduated from University College Dublin in 2017. She completed early postgraduate clinical training at the Mater Hospital and was appointed to the Haematology Higher Specialist Training scheme in 2020. Sarah's clinical and research interests are primarily in the area of thrombosis and haemostasis. As an ICAT fellow Sarah will explore the role of blood particles, haemostatic factors and extracellular vesicles in health and disease.
Dr Andrea Bowe
Clinical specialty: Public Health Medicine
Dr Andrea Bowe is a graduate of UCD Medical School, where she also completed a Masters In Public Health. She is currently working as a Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine and is particularly interested in disease prevention. She hopes to use this opportunity to develop skills in advanced data analysis and epidemiological research, and looks forward to gaining experience in how research can be applied to address the many public health challenges we face.
Dr Bethany Wong
Clinical specialty: Cardiology
Dr Bethany Wong is currently a Cardiology Specialist Registrar. She graduated from Imperial College Medical School with an intercalculated BSc in Cardiovascular Sciences in 2012. She completed her core medical training in London before undertaking a Cardiology lecturer position in RCSI in 2018 where she completed a diploma in Health Professions Education. Her research interests aim to improve quality of life, physical activity and outcomes in Heart failure utilising technology and exercise.
Dr Ciara McNevin
Clinical specialty: Oncology
Dr Katie Ridge
Clinical specialty: Immunology
Dr Katie Ridge initially trained in Psychology in UCD, completing a Masters in University College London. Her previous research experience includes the design and implementation of behavioural interventions to improve glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes and reduce cardiovascular risk. Katie received her medical degree from UCD in 2015 and commenced Higher Specialist Training in Immunology in 2020. Her research interests include the mechanisms of sexual dimorphism in allergic disease and chronic spontaneous urticaria.
Cohort 3 ICAT Fellows (2019)
Dr Graeme Greenfield
Clinical specialty: Haematology
Dr Graeme Greenfield graduated from the University of Oxford in 2013 following completion of his medical degree and BA in medical sciences. During his BA he undertook a project investigating mechanisms of genome stability in fission yeast. Following completion of his initial stages of postgraduate training, he entered Haematology Specialist Training in 2017 as an Academic Clinical Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast. In this role, Graeme has been investigating how epigenetic changes in myeloproliferative neoplasms occur in response to therapy.
PhD research area: Therapeutic manipulation of epigenetic changes occurring in response to JAK2 inhibition in myeloproliferative neoplasms
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Ken Mills, QUB; Prof. Mary Frances McMullin, QUB; Dr Jaine Blayney, QUB
Queen's University Belfast (QUB)
Dr Stephanie Bollard
Clinical specialty: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Dr Stephanie Bollard is a Specialist Registrar in Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. She received her medical degree (2015) and Masters in Surgery (2017) from NUI Galway, before her appointment to the Higher Surgical Training Scheme. Through the ICAT Programme, Stephanie hopes to develop her interest in translational oncology, specifically in the field of melanoma.
PhD research area: Investigation Of The Paracrine Roles Of Extracellular Vesicle Derived Chemokines In Malignant Melanoma Progression (PREDiCt - MM)
PhD Supervisors: Dr Shirley Potter, UCD; Prof. Amanda McCann, UCD; Dr Pamela Kelly, UCD
University College Dublin (UCD)
Dr Cathal O'Connor
Clinical specialty: Dermatology
Dr Cathal O'Connor graduated from University College Cork in 2013. Having completed Basic Specialist Training in Paediatrics and Adult Medicine, he entered Higher Specialist Training in Dermatology. His research interests include atopic dermatitis, inflammatory dermatoses, and genocutaneous disease. Cathal looks forward to expanding his research interests in preventative dermatology and novel therapeutic strategies for atopic dermatitis.
PhD research area: Assessing SleeP IN infants with early-onset atopic Dermatitis by Longitudinal Evaluation (The SPINDLE study)
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Geraldine Boylan, UCC; Dr Michelle Murphy, UCC; Prof. Jonathan Hourihane, RCSI
University College Cork (UCC)
Dr Claire Potter
Clinical specialty: Psychiatry
Dr Claire Potter graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2013 and entered Psychiatry training in 2015 obtaining her MRCPsych in 2017. She is currently a Specialty Trainee in dual General Adult and Old Age Psychiatry in Northern Ireland. As an ICAT Fellow with an interest in neuroscience and neurodegenerative disorders, Claire will explore longitudinal cohorts of ageing in Ireland examining the biological and psychological basis of cognitive disorders.
PhD research area: The ELECA study - Early Life strEss and Cognitive Ageing: an investigation of international longitudinal cohorts of ageing
PhD Supervisors: Dr Bernadette McGuinness, QUB; Prof. Frank Kee, QUB; Dr Amy-Jayne McKnight, QUB
Queen's University Belfast (QUB)
Dr Conor Grant
Clinical specialty: Infectious Diseases
Dr Conor Grant graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2013. After obtaining a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 2016 at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, he worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). In 2018, Conor commenced Higher Specialist Training in Infectious Diseases. His goals are to address the global health challenges caused by infectious diseases. Specifically, Conor’s research interests are in finding novel diagnostics and host-directed therapies for Tuberculosis by studying TB immunometabolism.
PhD research area: Exploiting Trained-Immunity and Immunometabolism in Tuberculosis (EXTINCT)
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Colm Bergin, TCD; Dr Mary O’Sullivan, TCD; Prof. Joseph Keane, TCD; Dr Frederick J Sheedy, TCD; Prof. Sam McConkey, RCSI
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
Dr Dearbhla Doherty
Clinical specialty: Haematology
Dr Dearbhla Doherty graduated from University College Dublin in 2014 and commenced Higher Specialist Training in Haematology in 2019. Her area of research interest is in haemostasis and vascular biology. As an ICAT Fellow, Dearbhla hopes to further investigate the molecular and genetic basis of Low Von Willebrand Factor levels.
PhD research area: Defining the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Low VWF in the Low VWF in Ireland Cohort (LoVIC) study
PhD Supervisors: Prof. James O’Donnell, RCSI; Dr Michelle Lavin, RCSI
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Cohort 2 ICAT Fellows (2018)
Dr Helen Fogarty
Clinical specialty: Haematology
Dr Helen Fogarty received her medical degree (2013) and MSc in Molecular Medicine (2016) from Trinity College Dublin. Her MSc project into NOTCH1 mutation status in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia gave her an insight into laboratory research methodology and reinforced her ambition to become an academic clinician. Helen is a first year Haematology SpR in St James’s Hospital and is currently exploring her research interests in coagulation and vascular biology, including investigation of novel roles for von Willebrand factor in cancer-associated thrombosis and sickle cell disease.
PhD research area: Investigation of the role of the VWF-ADAMTS13 axis in the pathogenesis of sickle cell vasculopathy in children
PhD Supervisors: Prof. James O'Donnell, RCSI; Dr Corrina McMahon, Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin; Dr Michelle Lavin, RCSI
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Dr Brendan Kelly
Clinical specialty: Radiology
After studying Radiography Dr Brendan Kelly entered Graduate Entry Medicine, graduating in 2015. He was appointed as a Specialist Registrar in Radiology in St Vincent’s Hospital in July 2017 and received an MSc in Radiology from NUI Galway in 2017. His research interests are in the fields of molecular imaging, especially in its application to personalised medicine and cognitive imaging / dementia, and in potential applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence to radiology.
PhD research area: Clinical ApplicatioN of DEep Learning and Intelligent Vision in Radiology:CAN DELIVeR
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Ronan Killeen, UCD; Prof. Aonghus Lawlor, UCD
University College Dublin (UCD)
Dr Anita Lavery
Clinical specialty: Medical Oncology
Dr Anita Lavery is currently completing higher specialist training in Medical Oncology. She graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2011 and undertook early clinical training in London, including a one-year medical oncology fellowship at Guy’s Hospital. She returned to Belfast for specialty training in Medical Oncology in 2016. Her clinical and research interests are in upper GI and urological cancers, including cancer genomics and developing new targeted treatment strategies. She is looking forward to developing these interests further through the ICAT programme.
PhD research area: Understanding the DNA Damage Driven Immune Response in Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma (OAC): Opportunities for Improved Stratification and Treatment
PhD Supervisors: Dr Richard Turkington, QUB; Dr Jaine Blayney, QUB; Dr Kienan Savage, QUB
Queen's University Belfast (QUB)
Dr William Martin
Clinical specialty: Nephrology
Dr William Martin graduated from NUI Galway in 2014 and completed an MSc in Preventive Cardiology at NUI Galway in 2015. His postgraduate medical training was conducted at University Hospital Galway and Mayo Clinic, before joining the Higher Specialist Training programme in Nephrology in 2018. He has contributed to studies examining renal functional trends in patients with diabetes, mesenchymal stem cell therapy for diabetic kidney disease, and immunological aspects of chronic kidney disease progression.
PhD research area: The Impact of Intensive Lifestyle, Medical and Surgical Control of Diabetes on Human and Experimental Rodent Diabetic Kidney Disease (LIMIT-DKD Study Group)
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Carel le Roux, UCD; Dr Neil Docherty, UCD
University College Dublin (UCD)
Dr Mark Gurney
Clinical specialty: Haematology
Dr Mark Gurney graduated from NUI Galway in 2013. He completed basic specialist training in general internal medicine, and further developed a clinical and research focus on malignant haematology while a visiting medical resident at Mayo Clinic in 2016. Mark commenced Haematology higher specialist training in 2017 at University Hospital Galway. As an ICAT fellow Mark will explore his primary interest in the field of natural killer cell biology, and the application of natural killer cells as a cell-based cancer immunotherapy.
PhD research area: The Development and Optimization of Anti-CLEC12A Targeted Umbilical Cord Blood Derived CAR-NK Cells in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Michael O'Dwyer, NUIG; Prof. Clair Gardiner, TCD
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)
Dr Karen McCarthy
Clinical specialty: General Paediatrics
Dr Karen McCarthy graduated from University College Cork in 2013 and is a specialist registrar in General Paediatrics. Through her clinical training she has developed a sub-speciality interest in Infectious Disease and is completing a Master’s in Paediatric Infectious Disease at the University of Oxford. Having had an interest in research from undergraduate level she has developed broad-ranging research interests, particularly in the areas of antimicrobial resistance and stewardship.
PhD research area: Respiratory immune responses and their interaction in control of nasal colonization with Bordetella pertussis and Staphylococcus aureus in humans. Local immune responses to respiratory infection in the nasal tract
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Rachel McLoughlin, TCD; Prof. Kingston Mills, TCD
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
Dr Jennifer Scott
Clinical specialty: Nephrology
Dr Jennifer Scott is a graduate of NUI Galway (2013). She is a specialist registrar in Nephrology and has completed postgraduate clinical training in Galway University Hospital, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Australia and the Mayo Clinic, USA. Through the ICAT programme, Jennifer is looking forward to delving into big-data and advanced data analytics, to explore the pathophysiology, detection and treatment of autoimmune disease, with ANCA Associated Vasculitis as the exemplar disease.
PhD research area: VAPRE: Exploring the Relapse Prodrome of ANCA associated Vasculitis
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Mark Little, TCD; Prof. Cathal Walsh, University of Limerick; Prof. John Kelleher, Technological University Dublin; Dr Arthur White, TCD
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
Dr Gerard Walls
Clinical specialty: Clinical Oncology
Qualifying in Undergraduate Medicine in Belfast (2012), Dr Gerard Walls obtained MRCP (2015) whilst completing general medical training in London, including Royal Marsden rotations. He secured Specialty Training in Clinical Oncology in Northern Ireland (2016) and took up an Academic Clinical Fellowship at QUB in 2017. He is in the final stages of an MSc in Clinical Education and is preparing for Final FRCR examinations. Before joining ICAT, Gerard published and presented research on a range of topics including advanced radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Through the ICAT Fellowship Gerard aspires to transform care for patients with lung cancer using impactful translational research.
PhD research area: Radiotherapy-Related Adverse Cardiac Events In Lung Cancer (RACING)
PhD Supervisors: Dr Karl Butterworth, QUB; Dr Suneil Jain, QUB; Dr Aidan Cole, QUB
Queen's University Belfast (QUB)
Cohort 1 ICAT Fellows (2017)
Dr Peter Barrett
Clinical Specialty: Public Health Medicine
Peter graduated from University College Cork with First Class Honours. He has undertaken Masters degrees in Global Health from Karolinska Institutet, and in Public Health from the University of Cambridge. He has worked clinically and in Public Health Medicine in the UK and Ireland, and is currently a third year Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine. Through the ICAT programme, Peter hopes to develop his interest in large-scale epidemiological research, and to gain practical experience in implementing research findings into evidence-based policy.
PhD research area: Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and the Risk of Kidney Disease in Women: A Nationwide Cohort Study
PhD Supervisors: Dr Ali Khashan, UCC; Dr Fergus McCarthy, Cork University Maternity Hospital; Prof. Ivan Perry, UCC
University College Cork (UCC)
Dr Delia Bogdanet
Clinical Specialty: Endocrinology
Dr Delia Bogdanet is an SpR in Diabetes and Endocrinology. She is a graduate of ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Romania. She has a Masters in Diabetes and Endocrinology from Queen Mary University of London. Delia is an emerging clinician scientist. Her main research is in the field of gestational diabetes where she has presented nationally and internationally and published in a wide range of journals. She also has a keen interest in rare diseases epidemiology research and part of her work has focused on this topic.
PhD research area: Plasma glycated CD59 (gCD59), a Novel Biomarker for the Diagnosis, Management and Follow up of Women with Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Fidelma Dunne, NUIG; Dr Paula O'Shea, Galway University Hospital; Prof. Jose Halperin, Harvard Medical School
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)
Dr Conor Judge
Clinical specialty: Nephrology
Conor is currently completing his Higher Specialist Training in Nephrology. Prior to medicine, he completed an honours degree in Electronic and Computer Engineering. Being on the boundary between academic disciplines he has sought unmet clinical needs that can be translated into software engineering solutions. His current interest is novel software solutions for large-scale clinical research.
PhD research area: SMART Trials - Investigation of technology-enabled adaptive clinical trial methodologies for more efficient and effective clinical research
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Martin O'Donnell, NUIG; Dr Martin O'Halloran, NUIG
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)
Dr Sarah Cormican
Clinical specialty: Nephrology
Sarah graduated from NUI Galway in 2014. As an undergraduate she participated in research related to complications of diabetes and the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Sarah completed three years of postgraduate clinical training in Galway University Hospital and Beaumont Hospital. As a postgraduate medical trainee Sarah became involved in research concerning accelerated atherosclerosis in chronic kidney disease, recurrent glomerular disease after renal transplantation and the prevalence of genetic kidney diseases in Ireland.
PhD research area: The pathophysiological role of intermediate monocyte sub-populations in progression of chronic kidney disease and its cardiovascular complications
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Matthew Griffin, NUIG; Prof. Laurence Egan, NUIG
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)
Dr Kapil Sharma
Clinical specialty: Psychiatry
Dr Kapil Sharma graduated from The National University of Ireland Galway in 2011. He commenced the general adult psychiatry higher specialist training scheme in 2016, dual training in forensic psychiatry. He is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Irish College of Psychiatrists. His research interests are in the area of neuroscience and mental health, especially the biological basis of major mental disorders.
PhD research area: The effects of antipsychotics on human glial cells, neuroinflammation and demyelination
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Kumlesh Dev, TCD; Prof. Aiden Corvin, TCD
Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
Dr Róisín Hambly
Clinical specialty: Dermatology
Roisin is a graduate of NUI Galway and completed 4 years vocational General Practice Training through the Trinity College Dublin /Health Service Executive Training Programme in 2012. She is a dermatology specialist registrar in St Vincent’s University Hospital and her research interests include hidradenitis suppurativa and chronic inflammatory skin disease such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
PhD research area: Immunological pathways in Hidradenitis Suppurativa and potential therapeutic targets
PhD Supervisors: Prof. Brian Kirby, UCD; Prof. Walter Kolch, UCD; Prof. Jean Fletcher, TCD; Dr Rosalind Hughes, St Vincent's University Hospital; Prof. Peter Doran, UCD
University College Dublin (UCD)
Dr David Mongan
Clinical specialty: Psychiatry
David graduated in Medicine from Queen's University Belfast in 2012 and has been working in Psychiatry since 2014. His clinical and research interests lie in the aetiology and prevention of mental disorders such as psychosis, and how insights in these fields might aid early intervention.
PhD research area: An inflammatory biomarker study of psychosis: a longitudinal study in an at risk population
PhD Supervisors: Prof. David Cotter, RCSI; Prof. Mary Cannon, RCSI
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
Dr Liam Townsend
Clinical specialty: Infectious Disease
Dr Liam Townsend is an Infectious Disease trainee, with interests in premature ageing and the effects that inflammation, social factors, and chronic disease have on the ageing process.