Structured Population and Health-services Research Education
Cohort 2022
David Comer
HEI: University of Galway
Supervisor name: Dr Chris Noone
Funding Source: HRB SPHeRE/2022/1
Area of research: Health Psychology, HIV, Sexual Health, LGBTQ+ Health, Health Equity, Critical Health Psychology
Project title:
The acceptability of the Irish HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Programme for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) ___________________________________________Prior to my PhD in Psychology & Health, I completed a BA in Psychology and MSc in Health Psychology. Currently, my research focuses on sexual health among gbMSM, including work on HIV, HPV, and mpox. Broadly, I'm interested in research on health equity, especially in relation to social and structural issues of healthcare access. I see research as an opportunity to inform the development of more equitable healthcare interventions, services, and systems. As such, I feel issues of equity should be central to all health research. I'm also interested in improving community participation in research and improving research methods to better reflect the diversity of those research claims to represent.
Luisne Mac Conghail
HEI: Trinity Colege Dublin
Supervisor name: Associate Professor Sara Burke
Funding Source: HRB SPHeRe Scholarship
Area of research: Irish health policy
Project title: A Policy Analysis of Universal Healthcare in Ireland ___________________________________________
Prior to undertaking her Ph.D, Luisne worked as a researcher on the HRB-funded Foundations' project, researching the key learnings from Ireland's health systems responses to COVID-19 to inform the implementation of Sláintecare. Luisne has a strong passion for healthcare. She has experience in healthcare management, supporting the commitment to deliver advances in patient care by providing operational support. Luisne's research interests include health policy and politics, health systems thinking, health equity, access to care, and the social determinants of health.
Andrew Dullea
HEI: Trinity Colege Dublin
Supervisor name: Professor Susan Smith
Funding Source: HIQA
Area of research: Research Methodology & Health Services Research
Project title: Complex Evidence Synthesis for Generic Justification: Addressing Methodological Challenges ___________________________________________
Andrew Dullea is a Health Services Researcher within the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Directorate at Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). Andrew qualified as a radiation therapist and worked for several years at St. Vincent’s Private Hospital, where he led the clinical implementation of surface-guided and ‘tattoo-less’ radiotherapy. He completed an MPhil in Public Health at the University of Cambridge and later worked at the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), focusing on the development and implementation of medical device and in vitro diagnostic policy. At HIQA, Andrew's work predominantly centres on generic justification and HTA. His SPHeRE research, which is funded by HIQA, focuses on evidence synthesis and research methods and is based at Trinity College Dublin.
Josephine Green
HEI: Maynooth University
Supervisor name: Dr Joanna McHugh Power
Funding Source: HRB SPHeRE Scholar
Area of research: Older people, health and housing
Project title: Housing security, health, and access to community services amongst older adults in Ireland ___________________________________________
Jo Greene is a HRB funded research scholar on the SPHeRE programme. Her PhD thesis is on the integrated healthcare needs of older populations with particular focus on cognitive ageing, social engagement and service provision among older adults. Jo holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Social Research (Distinction) and is a first class honours graduate of BA Sociology and Social Policy from Trinity College Dublin. As Associate Lecturer, Jo teaches Social Policy and Sociology at the IPA.
Pawel Hursztyn
HEI: University College Cork
Supervisor name: Professor John Browne
Funding Source: HRB SPHeRe Scholarship
Area of research: Mental Health Services, Publica Health Emergencies
Project title: How Should Mental Health Services in Ireland Prepare for and Respond to Publica Health Emergencies? ___________________________________________
My interest lies in expanding my knowledge and research skills to deepen my understanding of epidemiology, study designs, and statistical analysis methods relevant to research. My primary focus is on mental health and service provision, particularly in areas such as suicide, self-harm.
Anthony Maher
HEI: University of Galway
Supervisor name: Professor Gerry Molloy
Funding Source: HRB SPHeRe Scholarship
Area of research: Public health
Project title: Antibiotic treatment-seeking behaviour in Irish primary care ___________________________________________
My research interests lie at the intersection of health economics, pharmacy-led interventions and population health. As a pharmacist by training in RCSI, I am now pursuing a PhD in Psychology at the University of Galway to explore the behavioural and systemic drivers of public health outcomes. My experiences across clinical, industry, and research settings have highlighted the ability to bridge research and real-world impact together.
Rosemarie McGee
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Dr Grace O'Malley, Dr Ailish Malone, and Dr Fiona Kent
Funding Source: Atlantic Technological University, Donegal
Area of research: Paediatric Disability
Project title: A realist evaluation of progressing disability services in Ireland ___________________________________________
My research interests lie in the realm of paediatric disability having worked clinically as a paediatric physiotherapist for many years. I am currently focused on using realist methodologies to explore how family-centred care is implemented within interdisciplinary teams under the Progressing Disability Services (PDS) programme in Ireland. I aim to identify what works, for whom, and in what contexts by developing and testing programme theories using context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations. I also have a strong interest in exploring middle-range theories such as self-efficacy, empowerment, and relational coordination from which family-centred care has emerged. Through my research, I aim to generate practice-relevant insights to support the implementation of family-centred care.
Jennifer Murphy
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Professor David Cotter
Funding Source: HRB Psychosis Ireland Structured Training and Research Programme (PSI-STAR)
Area of research: Biological Psychiatry
Project title: Prediction and Prevention in Psychosis ___________________________________________
I am a PhD candidate with the HRB funded Psychosis Ireland Structured Training and Research Programme (PSI-STAR) at RCSI, as well as a trainee with the SPHeRE programme. I have a dual degree in Primary Teaching and Psychology from Mary Immaculate College in Ireland and a Master’s degree in Neuropsychology from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. My research is primarily focused on prediction and prevention in psychosis, examining risk factors that may contribute to the development of psychosis and the biological mechanisms behind them such as inflammation, and early intervention in psychosis.
Ciara Scott
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Jolanta Burke
Funding Source: Health Research Board (HRB)
Area of research: Adolescent Positive Health Behaviour
Project title: Supporting Positive Oral Health Behaviour in Adolsecent Orthodontic Patients ___________________________________________
Ciara is a Specialist Orthodontist with extensive experience in public, private and teaching settings and her interest in the delivery of patient centred health systems led her to complete an MSc at RCSI Institute of Leadership and a ProfDip in Positive Health before commencing the SPHeRE programme at RCSI Centre for Positive Health Sciences. She is an accredited coach (EMCC) and her PhD research explores the language of patient centred care with adolescents to support positive oral health on patient journeys. Ciara was Honorary Editor of the Journal of the Irish Dental Association from 2018-2021 and President of the Orthodontic Society of Ireland from 2020-2022.
Lisa Telford
HEI: RCSI
Supervisor name: Prof Mary Clarke
Funding Source: Health Research Board (HRB)
Area of research: Psychiatric epidemiology
Project title:
An Examination of Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences and their Associations with Later Mental Health Outcomes ___________________________________________I hold a Bachelor of Social Science Honours degree and a Master of Public Health degree specialising in Epidemiology both from the University of Cape Town. Since then I have worked in the health research space in various roles and on projects spanning multi-drug resistant TB to rheumatic heart disease. My primary research area is in epidemiology which I will be applying to the field of health psychology/psychiatry along with a sociological perspective throughout my PhD.
Daisy Wiggin
HEI: University College Cork
Supervisor name: Eve Griffin, Elaine McMahon, Fiona McNicholas
Funding Source: HRB SPHeRe
Area of research: Public Mental Health
Project title: Self-harm in young people: onset, trajectory, and associated risk factors ___________________________________________
In addition to my PhD topic, I'm interested in mental distress in young people, the language we use to discuss self-harm and suicide, how the way we conceptualise things like mental distress and self-harm impacts our ability to help and improve people’s lives, research methodology in health services and public health research