Medicine and Healthcare

NOVAUCD INVENTION OF THE YEAR 2021

Alumnae PROFESSOR PATRICIA MAGUIRE (BSc 1995, PhD 1998) and DR PAULINA SZKLANNA (BSc 2013, PhD 2019), together with PROFESSOR FIONNUALA NÍ ÁINLE and PROFESSOR MARY HIGGINS are the team behind the development of the AI_PREMie diagnostic test, used to diagnose pre-eclampsia. Preeclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication that is notoriously difficult to diagnose. The team discovered the presence of biomarkers in the blood can be used to diagnose pre-eclampsia risk. The AI-powered test determines the presence of these biomarkers. It not only accurately diagnoses pre-eclampsia, but also predicts the severity of individual cases. AI_PREMie is the flagship project of UCD’s AI Healthcare Hub, founded in September 2020. Patient studies were initiated in the three largest maternity hospitals in Ireland. Professor Maguire, Dr Szklanna, Professor Ní Áinle and Professor Higgins won the 2021 NovaUCD Invention of the Year Award for their discovery.

MÍCHEÁL SHERIDAN

Diploma Organisational Change and Transition 2019, MSc Business Leadership 2020

In January 2021, Mícheál Sheridan was appointed CEO of Irish Community Air Ambulance (ICAA). Prior to this, Sheridan was CEO of the Mercy University Hospital Foundation. He has 18 years’ of fundraising experience with Special Olympics Ireland and the ISPCC. The ICAA dealt with a 21 per cent increase in the number of missions in the first quarter of 2021.

RONAN CAHILL

MB BCh BAO 1997

In June 2021, Professor Ronan Cahill, Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon at the Mater Hospital, co- developed an innovative surgical technique that uses AI to detect cancerous tissue in real time during surgery. The method uses a digital camera and dye to allow surgeons to see the exact extent of cancers during a procedure, ensuring the maximum amount of cancerous tissue is surgically removed.

CONOR DELANEY

MB BCh BAO 1989, MCh 1995, PhD Surgery 2000

In October 2020, colorectal surgeon Conor Delaney, Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, became President and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Florida, which includes five hospitals, a research centre and out-patient centres across Southeast Florida. Delaney was previously Chairman of the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute at Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio, and is the Vice-President of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

JAMES MCGANN

BComm 2009, MSc Mktg 2010

In January 2021, it was announced that Frankie Health, co-founded by James McGann in 2020, had raised $1.25m in funding. Launched in August 2020, the company aims to work with organisations to support employee mental health, offering personalised mental healthcare and online access to qualified therapists to their clients’ workforces. McGann says the newly raised funding will be focused on building Frankie Health’s team.

STEPHEN COX

Executive MBA 2015

In October 2020, innovative medical device company Venari Medical, co-founded in 2018 by CEO Stephen Cox, raised €4.5m in seed funding equity, which will be used to accelerate the development of the company’s BioVena device for the treatment of chronic venous disease (CVD). CVD affects up to 30 per cent of adults across the globe and significantly affects sufferers’ quality of life.

BRIAN SHIELDS

Executive MBA 2015

In January 2021, Brian Shields, co-founder of Neurent Medical, announced the company had closed a $25m Series B financing round. The company, established in 2015, pioneers innovative treatments for chronic inflammatory sino-nasal diseases. The financing will support the expansion of the company’s clinical and commercial operations as it prepares for US Food and Drug Administration clearance. Shields is also co-inventor of Rhinitis Neurolysis Therapy, the world’s first multi-point nerve disruption therapy for chronic rhinitis.

KERRY MCLAVERTY

Executive MBA 2017

In May 2020, Kerry McLaverty was appointed CEO of LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice. LauraLynn is the only children’s hospice providing palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions, as well as support for their families, across Ireland. McLaverty joined LauraLynn’s Physiotherapy Department in 2012 and progressed to become the Head of Operations in 2016. She has over 15 years’ experience working as a healthcare professional within the healthcare, non-profit and voluntary sectors.

MARTIN TOBIN

MB BCh BAO 1975

In April 2021, Kilkenny-born pulmonologist Dr Martin Tobin gave critical evidence and a clear testimony at the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd. Recognised as an expert in acute respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation and neuromuscular control of breathing, Dr Tobin was able to pinpoint from video footage taken by a passer-by the exact moment Floyd died. This compelling evidence that Floyd died from low oxygen levels due to Chauvin kneeling on his neck was deemed “the most influential” during the trial.

CATHERINE MORAN

MB BCh BAO 2006

In March 2021, Catherine Moran became the first female consultant neurosurgeon appointed by the HSE in Ireland, a position she holds within the National Neurological Centre at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. After 20 years in the neuroscience industry, the subspecialist in complex spinal surgery and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) joined a team of twelve neurosurgeons. Moran hopes to inspire younger generations and medical students by being a female role model in the male-dominated field of neurosurgery.