Congratulations Professor Gerard O'Keeffe appointed Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation at College of Medicine and Health UCC

1 May 2023

The role of Vice Dean for Research and Innovation at CoMH is an integral position in the College of Medicine and Health, and Professor O'Keeffe said that he is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that the position presents. Comprising of six Schools, the College of Medicine and Health provides future medical and healthcare professionals with a world-class, student-centred education based on knowledge, informed by research and with an awareness of societal needs.

Professor O’Keeffe is a Senior Lecturer and PI in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, he is a faculty member of the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre and the Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research INFANT in UCC where he has added a translational work to his research program. 

He also leads an active research team, The Brain Development and Repair Group, where using a multi-disciplinary approach his work seeks to discover and characterize the factors and molecular mechanisms that influence the development, degeneration, and regeneration of neurons in the nervous system. Working with a number of patient and advocacy groups Professor O’Keeffe explores to understand the lifestyle and societal factors that affect the health and wellbeing of people with Parkinson's disease.

Until recently Prof O'Keeffe has been the Director of the MSc Human Anatomy programme in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, stepping down to take up his Vice-Dean of Research and Innovation position. In 2022 Professor O'Keeffe was elected Fellow of the Anatomical Society, and also awarded the Anatomical Society New Fellow of the Year Award. In addition to his active research roles Prof O'Keeffe lectures in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and is actively engaged in training the next generation of scientists at undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral levels. 

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Photograph and news item B. Riedewald