Hosted by Professor Patrick Murray.
Professor Cecily Kelleher graduated from UCD Medicine in 1980. Prof Kelleher is College Principal, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences and Dean of Public Health in the Faculty of Public Health Medicine.
Having completed a master's degree in public health at UCD, Prof Kelleher took up a post as senior scientist in clinical epidemiology at the Medical Research Council Epidemiology and Medical Care Unit in London, working on the large-scale Thrombosis Prevention Trial. She was appointed to the foundation chair of Health Promotion at NUI Galway in 1990. In 2002, she was appointed to the Chair of Public Health Medicine and Epidemiology at UCD and was head of the UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science until 2015. Prof Kelleher is also a member of the Royal Irish Academy.
Join Prof Pat Murray and Prof Kelleher as they discuss her doctor parents wanting her to go into a different profession, that she is currently writing a history of public health and her strong belief that we should be investing more to intervene early in health and wellbeing.
Dr Louis St.L O'Dea graduated from UCD Medicine in 1976. He was appointed to faculty in Medicine, Endocrinology, and Obstetrics-Gynaecology at McGill University and formed a collaborative with the heads of the Radiology/Ultrasound and Ob-Gyn departments to start McGill's first IVF unit.
Due to several reasons including personal health and 17 years of postgraduate training and practice, Dr O'Dea made a shift to an industry career, moving back to Boston and into biotech. He is now a Strategic Advisor to new and emerging Biopharma Companies and has had several BioPharmaceutical appointments, held positions on many Boards and committees, and has been a member of numerous Professional Associations.
Join Prof Pat Murray and Dr O'Dea as they discuss Louis' history of strong family ties to UCD, initially studying Arts before moving to medicine, his career shift into the medical industry sector and his current book recommendations.
Prof Michaela Higgins graduated from UCD Medicine in 2002 and is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin and a Clinical Professor at UCD. She completed a three-year fellowship in medical oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland and was then appointed as an Attending (Consultant) Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. Prof Higgins was also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston from 2010 to 2014.
Prof Higgins specialises in the care of patients with breast cancer and is current President of the Irish Society of Medical Oncology (ISMO).
Join Prof Higgins and Prof Murray as they discuss her ever-present desire to be a doctor and how the passing of her father after her leaving certificate contributed to her focus on oncology. She talks about being in the privileged position of working with close friends and fondly recalls her time as a UCD student.
Prof Bill Powderly graduated from UCD Medicine in 1979. He was Dean of Medicine and Head of the UCD School of Medicine from 2005 – 2012. He is the Dr. J. William Campbell Professor of Medicine and the Larry J Shapiro Director of the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis.
An expert in infectious diseases, he has been actively involved in HIV-related clinical research for over 35 years and oversaw Washington University’s clinical and translational research response to SARS CoV-2. He was lead PI for the NIH’s ACTIV trials of immunomodulators in the treatment of severe COVID.
Join Prof Powderly and Prof Murray as they reminisce about studying, discuss Prof Powderly’s career path and remember the legacy of his time as Dean, introducing the White Coat Ceremony and the Graduate Entry Programme among many other initiatives.