Research Activity
The Department aims to promote and develop innovative research in relation to the health needs and priorities of Irish children. Paediatrics is an area of medicine renowned for its multidisciplinary approach to patient care and research, and we value interactivity with colleagues and allied health professionals. Our individual research interests are woven together in many ways. For example, at present we are combining our expertise regarding quality of life issues and the impact of health interventions on health and social and economic outcomes with allergic disorders, neurocognitive outcomes of prematurity, epilepsy, diabetes and other common disorders of childhood. .
The recent involvement by the Department in the BASELINE birth cohort study which has been funded by the Children’s Research Centre, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin will involve the establishment of a cohort of Irish children for long term follow up to identify the determinants of health outcomes. The study will look at effects of poor growth in the womb, the incidence and prevalence of food allergy and eczema in early childhood and the incidence and effect of maternal and infant vitamin D status on health and growth.
The research strategy and interests of academic staff are listed below. Current research projects in the department together with staff profiles and publications can be seen on the Academic Staff Pages.
Professor Jonathan Hourihane
The Epidemiology of Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis;
Immunomodulation of allergic diseases in childhood;
The establishment of the National prevalence of Food Allergy in Ireland through the establishment of a birth cohort;
Evaluation of medical interventions on the quality of life of food allergic individuals is an evolving area.
Professor C. Anthony Ryan
Injury Prevention in Children;
National Neonatal Resuscitation Programme (established in Ireland by Professor Ryan) ; Collaboration with Teagasc on Probiotics with view to development of multi-centred trial of probiotics in preventing necrotising enterocolitis;
Collaboration with Neonatal Brain Research Group on role of EEG in predicting outcomes in neonates with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.;
Collaboration with partners Omdurman Maternity Hospital to improve systems and reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in Omdurman Maternity Hospital.
Dr. Deirdre Murray
Establishment of the first Irish birth cohort and first neonatal biobank as part of the BASELINE project - This birth cohort will gather detailed information from 3000 Irish children as they grow and develop over several decades, with a large biobank of stored umbilical cord blood; Study of Neonatal Brain Injury and in particular newborn babies with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
Dr. Geraldine Boylan
Research strategy aims to improve neurological outcome in newborn babies with seizures and other neurological conditions by:
Improving seizure diagnosis and treatment by promoting the use of EEG monitoring in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit;
Using EEG to accurately predict outcome in newborn babies with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy;
Developing an automated seizure detection algorithm using EEG and other physiological signal analysis;
Developing a fetal EEG monitoring device to identify early, babies who are developing neurological injury;
Development of a web-based remote monitoring tool for EEG and other diagnostic medical investigations.
Dr. Patricia Cogan
Research interests include -
International Students in the Clinical Years of an Irish Medical School: the effects of cultural difference;
Art in Medical Education;
Role-play in Medical Education.
Dr. Aileen Malone
Research interests include - Continued co-ordination and delivery of Advanced Paediatric Life Support Programme under the auspices of the department; Research on the ability of medical staff to accurately distinguish seizures from other movements in neonates; Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Dr. Audrey Dunn Galvin
Research has focused on the unique contribution that occurs from research conducted in the interface between medicine and psychology. This brings a fresh perspective to research in the field of paediatrics, and will assist development of new methodologies and innovative findings that benefit child and family health and well-being.
Ms. Marcella Towler
My PhD research, in the discipline of education, focuses on the Froebelian approach to education and its implications for current early year’s practice. Children’s growth, development and learning in early year’s settings is not confined to one discipline but can be viewed through a multidisciplinary lens. From a child health perspective, the research links to my teaching, particularly in the area of child development as the discussion considers the appropriateness of curricula and practice from a developmental perspective.
