Prize winners
Two ICAT Fellows were awarded top prizes at the recent Spring meeting of the all-island Irish Association of Dermatologists in Belfast.
Two ICAT Fellows were awarded top prizes at the recent Spring meeting of the all-island Irish Association of Dermatologists in Belfast.
Dr Cathal O’Connor won the prestigious Burrows Cup for research from his PhD study –‘assessing sleep in infants with atopic dermatitis’ (SPINDLE) study. Dr O’Connor performed detailed research on sleep and neurophysiology in young babies with severe eczema. He says, ”our novel research looks at the impact of eczema on the sleep patterns of babies with eczema and their parents’, potentially identifying treatments that could benefit these families”.
You can read more about the SPINDLE Study here.
Dr Lisa Kiely was awarded the runner-up prize for her research into using a novel multispectral camera to improve the accuracy of remote patch testing (testing for contact allergies). Dr Kiely sought to find a solution to patients needing to come to hospital three times a week for assessment of cutaneous (skin) allergy. She says, “using this novel camera could reduce the need for patients to travel long distances to a hospital for skin allergy testing, making it more affordable, environmentally friendly and equitable”.
Dr O’Connor and Dr Kiely are both fellows in the all-Ireland ICAT Programme and are combining their Dermatology higher specialist training with research leading to a PhD. Lisa will start her ICAT fellowship in July 2023. Cathal is completing his PhD and returning to full-time clinical practice to complete his higher specialist training in both dermatology and paediatrics. He will then undertake a fellowship in paediatric dermatology in an international centre of excellence, and hopes to return to Ireland as a consultant dermatologist.
