Professor Aideen Sullivan has worked in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience since 1998. She was appointed as Lecturer, then promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2006 and to Professor (Scale 2) in 2014, both times through UCC’s Academic Promotions schemes. She took on the role of Head of Department in March 2021. Aideen was instrumental in leading a significant expansion to the Department’s interdisciplinary teaching with the establishment of the BSc degree in Neuroscience in 1998. More recently, she led the development of a new cross-College BSc degree in Medical and Health Sciences, which had its first student intake in 2018. She is a member of Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee.

Aideen’s research activities are focused on the development of novel approaches to the treatment of Parkinson's disease. She is an expert in investigating neuroprotective therapies, which have the potential to slow or reverse the progression of this debilitating disease. On this topic, she runs a collaborative research programme which has secured funding from a range of national and international organisations. Her research on Parkinson’s led Professor Sullivan to be the founding Director of the Cork Parkinson’s Disease Research Cluster and the vice-Director of the Cork NeuroScience Centre. She is passionate about public and patient engagement and outreach. She has led the organisation of several conferences and events on the topic of Parkinson’s disease, often including patients and the public. She serves on several journal editorial boards and grant-reviewing panels in the field of Neurosciences.

Aideen is very active in mentoring students and colleagues, and in the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion in Higher Education. She is a member of the University’s and the College of Medicine and Health’s Athena SWAN steering groups. She was Chair of the ‘Flexible Working’ group in UCC’s successful Bronze Athena SWAN Award in 2019.

Approach as Mentor

Aideen’s approach to mentoring is open and non-judgemental, mentee-led and confidential. She has many years of experience in mentoring colleagues, through schemes such as UCC’s mentoring schemes and Aurora, as well as mentoring students through schemes in SEFS and CoMH, Sanctuary Scholars and Quercus Scholars. She holds a FETAC Certificate in Peer-Mentoring.

Type of Mentoring Offered: Short or Long Term Mentoring, 1:1 or panel mentoring.

Mentoring Topics Include: Advising Students, Student Engagement, Enhancing Student Learning Experiences, New Programme Development, Innovation in Teaching, Balancing Work and Family Responsibilities,How the University Operates Academically,Grading & Assessing Student Work,Career Development