Structured Population and Health-services Research Education
Cohort 2024
Akhila Rajendran
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: TBC
Funding Source: SPHeRE Funded
Area of research : Health policy and systems research
Project title: Rising aggression, hostility and abuse, an exploration of experiences of safety and support needs in healthcare settings in Ireland
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Amelia Phillips
HEI: University of Galway
Supervisor name: Elaine Toomey
Funding Source: SPHeRE Funded
Area of research: Health policy and systems research
Project title: Using behavioural science to improve recruitment and retention of health policymakers in trials of knowledge translation (KT) interventions
___________________________________________Amelia Phillips holds an honours bachelor's degree in Psychology from the South East Technological University, and recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Health Psychology from the University of Galway. Her academic interests lie in critical health psychology, qualitative research methods, and evidence based health-behavioural interventions. She has a particular passion for PPI in health research and neurodiversity affirmative health research.
Andyno Uwem Akpanukoh
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Prof. Mary Rose Sweeney
Funding Source: RCSI
Area of research: Population Health and Nutrition
Project title: An exploration of breast-feeding environments in Ireland and cross county comparison using a citizen science approach
___________________________________________My research interests revolve around understanding and addressing non-communicable diseases through community-based interventions and behaviour change communication. I am particularly interested in exploring psychosocial influences on health behaviours and applying evidence-based approaches and frameworks to understand and develop sustainable interventions. With a strong foundation in qualitative and quantitative research, my background includes work on using behaviour change communication strategies to understand and improve population health in Nigeria and among ethnic minorities. I am currently looking forward to applying the citizen science approach within Ireland. Ultimately, I aim to contribute to tailored, context-specific solutions for improving population health outcomes.
Ciara Hickey
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Dr Jennifer Ryan
Funding Source: RCSI
Area of research: Equitable health care, Effectiveness of Health Services
Project title: The social cost benefit analysis of a 'Connect' AI support coaching APP intervention to determine the effectiveness in addressing the rising obesity in Ireland
___________________________________________I am a professionally qualified social worker with over twenty years clinical experience. I have extensive experience in Primary Care and the provision of care to those marginalised in society. I am passionate about the utilisation of research and knowledge to inform practice, service efficiency and improve health outcomes. I am interested in completing high impact research that will influence service design and the development of equitable health services.
Eglal Elrayah
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Dr Claire Timon
Funding Source: Health Research Board (HRB)
Area of research: Health policy and systems research
Project title: Using behavioural science to improve recruitment and retention of health policymakers in trials of knowledge translation (KT) interventions
___________________________________________Amelia Phillips holds an honours bachelor's degree in Psychology from the South East Technological University, and recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Health Psychology from the University of Galway. Her academic interests lie in critical health psychology, qualitative research methods, and evidence based health-behavioural interventions. She has a particular passion for PPI in health research and neurodiversity affirmative health research.
Jessica Bennett
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Dr Frank Moriarty
Funding Source: Health Research Board (HRB)
Area of research: Medicines Optimisation and Prescribing
Project title: TBC
___________________________________________Qualified pharmacist, with a strong community pharmacy background. Recipient of the Professor John Kelly Award and JPA Brenson Lawlor Prize from RCSI. My research interests include medicines optimisation and prescribing to reduce medication complexity and treatment burden for patients and to ultimately inform health policy. I believe in a patient centred approach to research to ensure that patients are listened to and that it is informed research that we are conducting. Additionally, my interests lie in healthcare professionals education and health policy.
Jessica Gomez Lemus
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Frank Moriarty
Funding Source: Wellcome Trust
Area of research : Deprescribing
Project title: Developing Innovative Analytical Methods for research ON Deprescribing (DIAMOND)
___________________________________________Junior biostatistician with a passion for leveraging statistical analysis to generate evidence-based insights from data. Proficient in laboratory work, research, and data processing. With a strong academic background and a collaborative mindset, I am eager to contribute to decision making in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors.
Julia Banasiak
HEI: University College Cork
Supervisor name: Professor Patricia Kearney
Funding Source: Health Research Board (HRB)
Area of research: Public and Patient Involvement
Project title: Understanding the role and contribution of PPI contributors to health and social care research
___________________________________________Previous academic background: dental public health, oral health studies and public health. Research interests include: public-patient involvement and participatory health research; implementation science; dental public health policy; evidence synthesis methods; the association between oral health and systemic health (particularly diabetes-oral health and mental health-oral health); community water fluoridation; oral health inequities; social studies in health; type I diabetes.
Karen Brady
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Dr Jennifer Ryan
Funding Source: Cerebral Palsy Foundation
Area of research: Physical activity participation for young people with childhood-onset physical disability
Project title: TBC
___________________________________________Karen is a PhD scholar at CP-Life Research Centre, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences investigating physical activity participation for adolescents and young adults with physical disability. She has a special interest in amplifying the voices and experiences of young people with physical disability. Through collaborative partnerships across sectors, she aims to drive meaningful change for improving community physical activity participation for people with childhood-onset physical disability
Katarzyna Kucharska
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Prof. Mary Lynch, Dr James Larkin, Dr Caitriona Cahir
Funding Source: RCSI
Area of research: Public health
Project title Commercial determinants of health; towards new political and economic models that work to sustain, rather than damage, people and the planet
__________________________________________I am an experienced medicines regulation professional, with a background in medicines shortages, health data sharing and healthcare ethics. I am eager to apply and build on my research skills to enhance public health and health services for chronic diseases.
Kylie Fenech
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Professor Mary Rose Sweeney
Funding Source: RCSI
Area of research: Health Systems
Project title: An exploration of the impact of the mass movement of people into Ireland on the health system: A mixed methods study
___________________________________________I graduated with a B.Sc. in Nursing, throughout which a keen interest for population health started to develop, followed by a M.Sc. Public Health to further such interest. Whilst obtaining said qualifications, I focused my research on transitional care, quality of life, and sexual health. My research interests are based on health issues faced at community level, primary care, health promotion and disease prevention, and health services.
Maja Dumana
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Dr John Paul Byrne
Funding Source: Health Research Board (HRB)
Area of research: Healthcare Management, Public & Population Health
Project title: Solidarities of Healthcare Work: Leveraging collective representation and collective experience to improve working conditions and inform workforce retention
___________________________________________My primary research interests lie within the area of healthcare workforce organisation, epidemiology and surveillance, public health and preventative medicine, and population health outcome inequalities. My academic background is in Microbiology (BSc) and Public Health (MPH), awarded by University College Dublin. Upon finishing my Master’s degree, I have undertaken administrative and support roles in HSE Children and Family Services, namely TUSLA, charity bodies, for example BodyWhys, the Eating Disorder Association of Ireland, and reputable health research institutions such as RCSI.
Mohammed Sammour
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Mary Lynch
Funding Source: RCSI
Area of research: Population Health and Health Services
Project title: The economics of frailty and use of community assets
___________________________________________I'm interested in particular in topics related to health economics. I see that we have a lot of waste in resources and a lot of misuse that lead to economic strains and reduce the governments abilities to use the money in the right place. This project aims to build a systematic approach by using project management tools like cost-benefit analysis to model the economic arguments of implementing interventions to prevent/improve frailty and delayed transfers of care for older people with complex and heterogeneous needs. I finished Masters of Public Health, which helped me to broaden my horizon regarding the importance of community health and economy.
Natalie O'Connell
HEI: University College Cork
Supervisor name:
Funding Source: Self
Area of research: Social Determinants of Health and Health related behaviours in young people transitioning to adulthood
Project title: TBC
___________________________________________In partaking a Masters in Family Support a module that resonated with my passion and interests was health promotion in families as a significant aspect of my career had been spent working with families on health and well-being. This ignited my passion and interests for research to explore for my masters dissertation what are the emerging needs of young parents and families in the areas of determinant's of health. I have been fortunate enough to lecture on the BSc Health and Social Care Programme I have developed from module content and assessments from exploring research in the area of biopsychosocial influence's in health well being and illness across the Lifecourse
Orla Jenkins
HEI: University of Galway
Supervisor name: Dr Ronan Mahon
Funding Source: Employer funded
Area of research: Health Economics/HTA
Project title: TBC
___________________________________________I have a background as a clinical physiotherapist but I recently retrained as a Health Economist. I am interested in the economic evaluation of health technologies as part of health technology assessments, and the subsequent organisation, ethical and social factors this may impact. I am also interested in the study of inequities in health service delivery.
Patrick Daniel Dineen
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Mary Lynch
Funding Source: HRB-APRO-028
Area of research: Population Health and Health Services
Project title: The economics of frailty and use of community assets
___________________________________________I'm interested in particular in topics related to health economics. I see that we have a lot of waste in resources and a lot of misuse that lead to economic strains and reduce the governments abilities to use the money in the right place. This project aims to build a systematic approach by using project management tools like cost-benefit analysis to model the economic arguments of implementing interventions to prevent/improve frailty and delayed transfers of care for older people with complex and heterogeneous needs. I finished Masters of Public Health, which helped me to broaden my horizon regarding the importance of community health and economy.
Ronan Hayes
HEI: University College Cork
Supervisor name: Dr Miriam Clegg
Funding Source: Health Research Board (HRB)
Area of research: Health policy and systems research
Project title: Co-creating food-based interventions to meet policy guidelines with older adults in disadvantaged communities (CREATE)
___________________________________________I have completed my college studies at UCC as the BSc Nutritional Sciences and Master of Public Health. Continuing my interest in public health nutrition, I was the Community Food & Nutrition Worker as part of Sláintecare Healthy Communities, based in West Dublin. Working in disadvantaged communities for an equitable approach to population health is essential. The socioeconomic aspect of getting enough food for a healthy diet was central to this, inclusive of the built urban environment and social welfare schemes. Conducting the first Food Poverty Needs Assessment on the island of Ireland was my work, an evidence-based approach to improving local diets by addressing pertinent issues, with community involvement.
Simone Ryan
HEI: University of Limerick
Supervisor name: Dr Sara Hayes, Prof. Rose Galvin, Prof. Katie Robinson
Funding Source: SPHeRE funded
Area of research: Population health research
Project title: Priorities for the Secondary Prevention of Stroke in Ireland
___________________________________________Simone is an occupational therapist with diverse clinical experience in acute stroke, psychiatry of later life, intellectual disability, and paediatric orthopaedics. After earning her BSc from the University of Galway, she completed an M.Phil in occupational therapy research, where she conducted a pilot trial of a cognitive stimulation intervention for individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia. Simone has a keen interest in care of the older adult and cognitive rehabilitation, and is dedicated to enhancing the evidence base for allied healthcare in this area. Her PhD will focus on the secondary prevention of stroke in Ireland under the supervision of Dr. Sara Hayes, Prof. Rose Galvin and Prof. Katie Robinson.
Uyen Ngo
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Dr Nicholas Clarke
Funding Source:
Area of research: Population Health
Project title: Investigating cognitive processes in Breast cancer screening participation in Ireland.
___________________________________________With a background in Medicine and Public Health, my research spans various public health topics, including youth with disabilities, domestic violence, postpartum depression, and alcohol consumption. Currently, my PhD focuses on investigating cognitive processes and defensive information processing in cancer screening uptake.