Q&A with the Dean and Head of UCD School of Medicine: Professor Paddy Mallon
What attracted you to the role of Dean and Head of School of Medicine?
Throughout my career I’ve always looked for opportunities to further develop and to affect change, both personally and within the system in which I’m working. Within a long clinical career, change can be invigorating and energising. When the opportunity arose to apply for this position, I felt that I had something to offer. I believe that the UCD School of Medicine contains some of most talented people in Ireland, among our students, staff and alumni. This role offers me the opportunity to further nurture a culture in the School, based on the key values of the pursuit of excellence, integrity and inclusion. This work can help our talented community realise their full potential, and lead our School to greater success.
Why UCD?
UCD has been my academic home since I came back to Ireland from Australia in 2007. Over the years I have seen a continuous transformation of the campus into something that is truly world class, based around providing an excellent student experience. In developing UCD Centre for Experimental Pathogen Host Research (CEPHR), the University has supported me personally to advance academically and has helped me realise my career ambitions to create a world-class research programme in infection.
Despite many challenges, Dublin remains a fantastic place to live and to raise a family and UCD is a great place to work. I love Ireland’s obsession with education and how, as a country, we have managed to maintain access to education broadly across the community. I think UCD embodies that national vision and combines it with a global ambition. UCD’s continuous focus on transformation makes it an exciting place to work.
What is your vision for the School and what key projects are coming up?
I want the UCD School of Medicine to realise its potential as the best medical school in Ireland and take its rightful place among the best research intensive medical schools in the world. We have access to the best human talent and developing that talent, both students and staff, is at the core of this vision.
We are finalising a new School strategy that will outline a pathway to success, based on the pursuit of excellence in research and education across medicine, radiography and biomedical health and life sciences. We will start work immediately, with a busy 2026! We will be implementing our new medical school curriculum, Medicine 2030, which will transform and modernise our medical degree programme to train doctors who are equipped with the necessary skills to practice 21st century medicine. We will also be intensifying training in research and data across the curriculum and will be launching new supports for researchers applying for strategic grants alongside innovation competitions across the School.
What are your passions and hobbies? Have you read a great book lately that you’d recommend? Do you have a favourite place you travel to/holiday?
I love to travel, to experience new cultures and new food. I like to keep fit and love running, cycling, snowboarding and surfing. My favourite places in the world are the far north west coast of Donegal (Gortahork and Gweedore), Bondi Beach, Zarautz, Barcelona and the French Alps! My favourite author is Umberto Eco. My favourite book is Foucault’s Pendulum, and my favourite reading topic is European history.
For Prof Mallon's bio, see the About Us webpage here.