Dr McGovern is the Head of Subject for Forensic and Legal Medicine, Chair of the School Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Committee and she is the Deputy Chair of MDC3 and the School Fitness to Practice/Proceed Committee. She has also previously served as Director of CAO Admissions in the School. She holds a PhD from the Department of Law in the University of Sheffield, an MA and BA from UCD and a Professional Diploma in University Teaching & Learning (UCD).
She chairs the National Research Ethics Committee on Clinical Trials and is a member of the Royal Irish Academy; Ethical, Political, Legal and Philosophical Studies Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the Research Ethics Committee, National Rehabilitation Hospital and is an Ethics and medico-legal advisor for the Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians, UK.
Dr McGovern has published both nationally and internationally on medical law and ethics, suicide, coronial data, and she is co-author of Simpson's Forensic Medicine (Irish version).
Reporting to the Dean, Dr McGovern works closely with the School’s Programme Directors, Managers and Teams, student representatives and bodies, and the School’s Associate Deans. This Associate Dean position provides academic support to the School’s undergraduate Programme Teams and Programme Managers in matters pertaining to students including engagement, academic welfare, pastoral care, wellbeing and discipline; academic support to the School of Medicine Student Adviser and team; academic support to the School of Medicine Marketing & Communication Team for student recruitment events and; support to the School’s Degree Committee Chairs in matters related to student affairs, including students whose academic welfare is of concern.