UCD Academic Track Interns

Dr Ali Donnelly

Project title: 'The Impact of Atopic Dermatitis on Adolescent Identity Formation'

Academic track project supervisors: Professor Alan Irvine, Consultant Dermatologist at Children’s Health Ireland and St James’s Hospital, and Professor of Dermatology at Trinity College Dublin; Dr Chantal Cotter, Consultant Dermatologist with a special interest in Paediatric Dermatology at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Paediatrics at Trinity College Dublin.

Project summary: Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic skin condition affecting up to one in five children in Europe. While its physical symptoms are well documented, far less is known about its psychosocial impact during adolescence — a critical period for identity formation and social development.

Our project explores how moderate-to-severe AD affects adolescents’ self-perception, peer relationships, and experiences of stigma. It also examines the influence of digital platforms on treatment decision-making and daily functioning. Using a mixed-methods approach, data is being collected from adolescents and their caregivers across multiple clinical sites. The findings aim to inform the development of targeted psychosocial supports and integrated care pathways for young people living with chronic skin disease.

Dr Basem Fouda

Project title: 'Home-Based Monitoring of Ocular Perfusion Pressure: A Pilot Study'

Academic track project supervisors: Professor Colm O'Brien, Professor of Ophthalmology at UCD and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin.

Project summary: Ocular Perfusion Pressure (OPP) is the pressure at which blood enters the eye, ensuring adequate perfusion of ocular structures. Nocturnal dips in OPP, typically when an individual is in a supine position during sleep, are thought to be a significant factor in glaucoma progression.

However, the clinical assessment of OPP is currently limited to single-point measurements taken in an upright position during daytime hours. This pilot study therefore offers a novel methodology combining the Aktiia cuffless 24-hour BP monitor with the iCare HOME2 rebound tonometer to provide an estimate of OPP changes throughout the day and longitudinally over multiple days.

The preliminary data collected as part of the academic track internship confirmed the feasibility of our methodology to successfully capture circadian fluctuations in MAP, IOP, and OPP in healthy volunteers and glaucoma patients. This approach will enable monitoring of these key physiological parameters in future research and clinical practice.

Dr Eimear Kyle 

Project title: 'The Utility of a Multi-Centre Radiomics Model for Recurrence Risk in T4 Rectal Cancer'

Academic track project supervisor: Mr Michael E. Kelly, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, St. James’ Hospital and St. James’ Cancer Institute.

Project summary: T4 rectal cancer presents a significant clinical challenge due to its aggressive nature and rates of postoperative recurrence, despite multimodal therapy and radical surgery. Current prognostic tools, including clinical and pathological staging, offer limited ability to accurately predict which patients are most likely to experience disease recurrence after treatment.

Radiomics is an emerging imaging science that extracts quantitative data from standard medical imaging, potentially revealing hidden patterns that correlate with tumour behaviour and patient outcomes. This technology may allow for the development of personalised, non-invasive prediction models based on routine pre-treatment imaging.

This project aims to create and validate a radiomics-based model using T2-weighted MRI to estimate recurrence risk in patients with T4 rectal cancer undergoing exenterative surgery. By using multi-centre data, this work will assess the model’s generalisability across different clinical settings. The goal of this project is to improve risk stratification and support individualised postoperative care in this high-risk group.

Dr Kielan Wilson

Project title: 'The impact of psychiatric illness on outcomes following spine surgery.' 

Academic track project supervisor: Professor Joseph Butler, Consultant Spine Surgeon and the Clinical Lead at the National Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. 

Project summary: Psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, dementia, psychosis and bipolar affective disorder represent a significant global health burden. These conditions have been linked to poorer physical health outcomes, including increased postoperative complications in surgical populations. However, the impact of pre-existing psychiatric comorbidities on spine surgery outcomes remains poorly understood.

This study evaluates whether patients with psychiatric disorders undergoing spine surgery experience worse postoperative outcomes compared to those without such conditions. Additionally, it investigates whether specific psychiatric subgroups exhibit distinct post-operative morbidity patterns.

Dr Lucy Dockery

Project title: 'Navigating The Transition: A Comprehensive Study on the Impact of Primary to Secondary School Transition Care on T1D Management'

Academic track project supervisor: Professor Clodagh S O Gorman, Professor of Paediatrics, University Hospital Limerick.

Project summary: Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an auto-immune disease typically diagnosed in childhood, and requires lifelong vigilance. Previous studies link decreased school performance and increased diabetes-related complications in children with T1D as they approach adolescence and take on the burden of disease care themselves.

The transition from primary to secondary school poses challenges, requiring greater disease autonomy amid unpredictable behaviour and physiological difficulties in glycaemic control. A high burden of responsibility is placed on caregivers to check young children's blood glucose levels, administer insulin, and monitor diet/physical activity.

At this time, a higher degree of disease autonomy is required with both an increased desire of the child for independence and a reduced ability of the school to act as caregiver. This project aims to understand this cohort and how we can better equip T1D outpatient services to plan for and adjust to this change in schooling, aiming to prevent the negative impact on disease management and improve disease autonomy. 

As T1D becomes more prevalent in the Irish population, maximising care effectiveness and preserving quality of life is of fundamental importance. The primary aim of this study is to assess the challenges associated with T1D in children in this cohort and assess the quality of life of these children before and after starting secondary school. It will also evaluate parental concerns and the support available to the families at this time. The premise of this study is that the typical T1D child will need more disease autonomy in secondary school compared to primary school. The goal is to use the strengths and weaknesses described by the children and their families to support developing age-appropriate autonomy for this transition. We aim to work with representatives from the patient/parent cohort so that this autonomy support will be co-produced in collaboration with the children and families it will serve.

Dr Matthew Laffey

Project title: 'Outcomes of prostate artery embolization in the setting of benign prostatic hyperplasia in poor surgical candidates'

Academic track project supervisor: Dr Cormac Farrelly, Consultant Interventional Radiologist, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

Project summary: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common cause of lower urinary tract symptoms and obstruction in men. Current guidance recommends transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) and prostatectomy as the standard of care surgical treatments to address lower urinary tract symptoms and obstruction in medically refractory BPH, however, these are not suitable in all patients.

This project aims to assess the efficacy and safety of prostatic artery embolization as a minimally invasive treatment option for those with symptomatic BPH who are poor candidates for TURP or prostatectomy.

Through this project, we shall retrospectively assess baseline characteristics, procedural factors, and clinical outcomes of patients who underwent bilateral prostatic artery embolization at our institution. All patients either declined or were otherwise deemed poor candidates for TURP or prostatectomy by their referring Urological team.

Findings from this study will contribute to the existing evidence base and better inform the role of prostatic artery embolization as a treatment option in this cohort.

Dr Damien Doherty

Project title: ‘Mantle Cell Lymphoma in Ireland: A Real-World Database Registry Study’

Academic track project supervisor: Professor Elisabeth Vandenberghe Clinical Professor Trinity College Dublin, and Consultant Haematologist and Lymphoma Clinical Lead at St James’s Hospital.  

Project summary: This project aims to contribute to and analyse the first registry of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in Ireland. MCL is a non-Hodgkins lymphoma that has seen a paradigm shift in treatment options in recent years.

Through this project we hope to collect current, real-world data on MCL in the Irish context with a view to contributing to the European MCL group's database. Our findings will help us to better understand the epidemiology of MCL in Ireland, inform health resource planning, and provide a basis on which future translational and clinical research can be conducted.

Dr Robin Keane

Project title: ’Investigating the requirements for a transition care service for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer in Ireland’

Academic track project supervisor: Professor Owen Smith CBE; Professor of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, UCD; Consultant Paediatric Haematologist, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin; Chief Academic Lead to the Children’s Hospital Group; Hon. Regius Professor of Physic [1637], TCD.

Project summary: The current pathway for AYAs transitioning from paediatric to adult cancer services is ad hoc and individually based. Poor transition is associated with poor clinical outcomes, increased ED presentations, and increased hospital and ICU admissions.

The AYA cohort constitutes a unique group requiring tailored medical and psychosocial care. Survival rate improvement for AYAs as well as rates of enrollment in clinical trials lags behind both adult and paediatric groups. The number of patients within the Irish Children’s Cancer Service requiring transition services is unknown. Quantifying this and researching the needs and expectations of these patients are vital first steps in the provision of a proper transition service.

This project involves the creation of a rich dataset of the patients in the National Children’s Cancer Service (NCCS) who will require transition services, including their diagnoses, locations, and clinical follow up needs. As well as this, the concerns, self-reported needs, and expectations of AYAs preparing to transition to adult care will be assessed.

Dr Stephen Kelly

Project Title: ‘Evaluating the safety and efficacy of the new RetinaScreen pathways’

Academic track project supervisor:  Professor David Keegan Consultant Ophthalmologist at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Clinical Professor University College Dublin and Clinical Lead at Diabetic RetinaScreen.

Project Summary: RetinaScreen is the diabetic retinopathy screening programme run by the National Screening Service. It was started in 2013 with most patients being screened on an annual basis but has evolved over time as different pathways have been introduced on a rolling basis. These new pathways include the two-year interval screening, digital surveillance, and the pregnancy screening pathways.

While these pathways have been shown to be safe and effective in similar programmes in other countries, they still need to be evaluated in an Irish context. This project aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the three new pathways within Ireland.

Dr Blanca Lenoci

Project title: ‘Posturography and cognitive motor interference in cervical dystonia’

Academic track project supervisor: Dr Conor Fearon, Consultant Neurologist, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital

Project summary: I am collaborating with the Irish Dystonia Research Group to investigate cognitive-motor interference in patients with cervical dystonia. We use the dual task paradigm to assess the extent to which simultaneous performance of attention-demanding cognitive tasks interfere with automatic motor activity.

It is hypothesized that the poor balance and postural control seen in cervical dystonia is not only due to dystonic posture per se but is significantly impacted by impaired dual-task performance, or cognitive-motor interference, resulting in increased risk of falls and lowered quality of life in this patient cohort.

Investigating how these tasks compete for the same resources within the cognitive system can help us understand how network connectivity is impaired in cervical dystonia as well as improve patient rehabilitation and mitigate fall risk.

Dr Harry Marland

Project title: ‘Comparative outcomes of early vs delayed surgical intervention in geriatric patients with spinal fractures and concomitant spinal cord injuries’

Academic track project supervisor: Professor Joseph Butler, Consultant Spine Surgeon at the National Spinal Injuries Unit, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

Project summary: Trauma remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for patients of all age groups. Currently, the literature suggests that early surgical fixation of the spinal column reduces the rate of perioperative complications in traumatic spinal cord injuries.

However, the elderly population have high rates of morbidity and mortality following traumatic spinal cord injuries but are also at increased risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications. This makes treatment decision-making less clear and more challenging in this cohort compared to younger patients with similar injuries.

The purpose of this study, to identify the optimal time to surgical fixation in elderly patients presenting with traumatic spinal cord injuries and to determine whether delaying surgical intervention to optimise patient comorbidities affects outcomes.

 Dr Sarah Miles

Project title: ‘Exploring the association between systemic inflammation, HIV reservoir size and the CTIP2 biomarker in people with HIV (PWH) within the All-Ireland Infectious Disease Cohort’

Academic track project supervisor: Professor Paddy Mallon, Consultant Infectious Diseases SVUH, Professor of Microbial Diseases, Director of the Centre for Experimental Pathogen Host Research (CEPHR), Director Welcome Trust - HRB Irish Clinical Academic Training Programme.

Project summary: While antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV medicine, People with HIV (PWH) remain at higher risk of age-related comorbidities compared to the general population, which is thought to be related to ongoing immune dysfunction and inflammation. This study will be a subanalysis of a larger study, which aims to characterize the relationship between inflammation and prevalent clinical outcomes in PWH.

I will advance this project by firstly measuring HIV viral reservoir size and circulating levels of CTIP2 within the study population. I will then correlate these findings with markers of inflammation and clinical outcomes within this group.

CTIP2 is a cellular cofactor which has been shown to play a role in HIV-1 gene silencing in latently infected reservoirs. The mechanistic role of CTIP2 in the inflammatory process remains unclear.  We hypothesize that elevated levels of circulating CTIP2 in plasma are associated with higher levels of inflammation and could be indicative of the HIV reservoir size in PLWH.

This study will help to further define the underlying molecular mechanisms driving persistent inflammation observed in PWH, which will be essential for the future management of health outcomes in this population.

 Dr Ned Quirke

Project title: ‘Primary Closure Versus Myocutaneous Flap Closure Of Abdominoperineal Resection (APR) And Pelvic Exenteration Defects, A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis’

Academic track project supervisor: Ms Shirley Potter, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin 

Project summary: Recent advancements in the surgical management of advanced pelvic malignancies have improved oncological outcomes while simultaneously posing a challenge to reconstructive surgeons. New surgical techniques have permitted extended oncological resections which result in extensive tissue defects.

Despite the improved oncological outcomes from such radical surgeries, there can be considerable postoperative morbidity associated with these procedures. Perineal wound complications occur in as many as 60% of cases, with wound dehiscence and breakdown the most severe, having a significant impact on patient recovery and quality of life, oftentimes necessitating longer hospital stays and further interventions.

To manage this problem, several perineal closure techniques have been applied over the past decades. Myocutaneous flaps have been proposed in place of primary closure to improve wound healing. Currently, there is no clear consensus on which method to use.

I will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare primary closure with myocutaneous flap reconstruction of perineal defects following abdominoperineal resection or pelvic exenteration regarding surgical-site complications.

 Dr Ruth Walsh

Project title: ‘Blood-Brain-Barrier Evaluation of Patients with Highly Refractory Focal Epilepsy Before and After High Dose Intravenous Methylprednisolone’

Academic track project supervisor: Dr Elisabeth Doran (Consultant Neurologist and Director of the Epilepsy Service at St James's Hospital, Dublin).

Project summary: The Epilepsy Service at St James’s Hospital has been investigating and treating patients with highly refractory focal epilepsy with immunotherapy as a palliative treatment trial based on the assumption of possible underlying autoimmune epilepsy.

Initial results are promising, with some patients exhibiting sustained responses to treatment with Methylprednisolone and significant reductions in seizure frequency. Our new hypothesis is that, in some of these patients, the response to Methylprednisolone may have been caused by stabilisation of the blood brain barrier (BBB) rather than the immunomodulatory effect of Methylprednisolone.

To study BBB function, we will use dynamic contrast MRI (dcMRI) as well as serum testing of several brain-specific or brain- enriched proteins.

To investigate this further, I aim to recruit patients from the Refractory Epilepsy Clinic who will be receiving a course of intravenous Methylprednisolone for highly refractory epilepsy and investigate their BBB function using dcMRI and BBB serum marker testing.

Dr Michael Keane

Project Title: ‘Neural Correlates of Executive Dysfunction in People with Obesity’ 

Academic Track Project Supervisor: Professor Donal O Shea, Consultant Endocrinologist, Head of the Obesity Research Group, St Vincent’s University Hospital

Dr Sorcha Murray

Project Title: ‘The impact of Dupilumab on Quality of Life in patients with atopic dermatitis – a qualitative study’ 

Academic Track Project Supervisor: Professor Anne-Marie Tobin, Professor in Clinical Medicine Trinity College Dublin and Clinical Lead National Dermatology Programme Health Service Executive

Dr Robert Power

Project Title: ‘Non-genetic cancer risk factors among Irish individuals with Lynch syndrome: a cross sectional study’ 

Academic Track Project Supervisor: Professor Maeve Lowery, Professor of Translational Cancer Medicine at Trinity College Dublin and Consultant Medical Oncologist at St James's Hospital

Dr Emily Panteli

Project Title: ‘Eye-Tracking Technology as an Adjunct in the education of Paediatric Trainees to identify abnormal head shapes associated with non-syndromic craniosynostosis’ 

Academic Track Project Supervisor: Mr. Dylan Murray, Consultant Craniofacial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, National Paediatric Craniofacial Centre, Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street and the Department of Plastic Surgery, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Clinical Lead at the National Paediatric Craniofacial Centre