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College of Medicine and Health 2025 Research Conference: Academic Health Sciences System
The College of Medicine and Health (CoMH) hosted its annual research conference on Wednesday, 03 September, in the Western Gateway Building. This year’s conference brought together researchers, clinicians, and healthcare leaders to explore the theme 'Academic Health Sciences System', highlighting the transformative potential of academic and health service collaboration in delivering innovation and excellence in healthcare.
The conference attracted over 300 registrations and received more than 150 abstract submissions from researchers across a wide range of disciplines, including Future Medicines, Future Ageing & Brain Science, Children’s Health, Food, Microbiome & Health, and Health Services Research. Fourteen members of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group attended the conference, with 10 papers presented across various projects and areas.
A highlight of the day was the afternoon panel discussion featuring colleagues from Health Service Executive (HSE) South West (SW) - Dr Andy Phillips, Regional Executive Officer, HSE SW, Professor Denis O’Mahony, Director of Research, HSE SW and Ms Rafaela Carapeto, Research Manager, HSE SW. HSE colleagues were joined on the panel by Dr Siobhan Cusack, Director of Research Strategy & Projects, UCC, Professor Gene Dempsey, Professor of Neonatology, CUH & UCC, and Professor Frances Shiely, Professor of Clinical Trials, UCC. The panel outlined their vision for an integrated Academic Health Sciences System for the South West region. Speaking at the session, Dr Andy Phillips expressed enthusiasm for this collaboration:
HSE South West is delighted to be working closely with University College Cork as our Academic Partner as together we build a healthcare system that our communities are proud of. We are committed to developing an Academic Health Sciences System that will rapidly bring innovative care to the people of Cork and Kerry alongside world-class research that will catalyse wealth creation and new jobs in our area.
PLRG Presentations at the College of Medicine and Health 2025 Research Conference
| Title | Authors | Related Project / Research Area |
|---|---|---|
| Elevator Pitch | ||
| Retrospective service evaluation of the first year of service of Ireland’s first offsite early pregnancy unit | Emma Wilson, Joshil Selva Jothi, David Synnott, Louise Dooley, Deirdre Hayes-Ryan | - |
| Poster Presentations | ||
| Co-creating educational resources with young people to enhance pregnancy loss and fertility awareness | Laura Linehan, Brendan Fitzgerald, Rióna Cotter, Susan Dineen, Tamara Escañuela Sánchez, Marita Hennessy, Eilis McCarthy, Órla Power, Shelly Whelan, SPRING Transition Year Students 2024/25, Keelin O’Donoghue |
SPRING |
| From idea generation to service change: Developing an evidence-informed model of care for recurrent miscarriage in partnership with knowledge users | Marita Hennessy, Rebecca Dennehy, Karen Matvienko-Sikar, Ria O’Sullivan-Lago, Jennifer Uí Dhúbhgáin, Con Lucey, Keelin O’Donoghue | RE:CURRENT |
| Improving the management of women with a low risk pregnancy of unknown location in the early pregnancy unit: A quality improvement project | Louise Dooley, Sinead Kavanagh, Josh Selva Jothi, Deirdre Hayes-Ryan | - |
| Knowledge translation towards compassionate care models | Oana Marian, Marita Hennessy, Hannah O'Leary, Keelin O'Donoghue | RE:CURRENT |
| Pregnancy loss under 24 weeks: Workplace supports, leave access, and the need for policy reform | Tommy Harty, Ruadh Kelly-Harrington, Marita Hennessy, Keelin O’Donoghue, Caroline Dalton-O’Connor, Maeve O’Sullivan, Mary Donnelly, Claire Murray, Daniel Nuzum, Sara Leitao | PLACES |
| Psychosocial supports for maternity staff following adverse events: A mapping study conducted in Ireland | Marita Hennessy, Keelin O'Donoghue |
Supporting staff after an adverse event |
| Retrospective review of community early medical abortion complications requiring review in secondary care | Sophie Boyd, Anthony Sheppard, Deirdre Hayes-Ryan | Termination of Pregnancy |
| Stillbirth in singleton pregnancies in Ireland: 12 years of data - What have we learned and how can it inform prevention strategies? | Anne-Marie Farrell, Keelin O'Donoghue, Eilis O'Reilly, Paul Corcoran | Stillbirth |
| The role of coroners in perinatal death investigation in high-income countries: A scoping review | Varsha Shetty, Keelin O'Donoghue, Mary Donnelly, Sara Leitao | The coronial investigation into perinatal deaths |
Photo Gallery
Anne-Marie Farrell, Researcher
Louise Dooley, Advanced Midwife Practitioner, Early Pregnancy Unit, Cork University Maternity Hospital
Dr Oana Sânziana Marian, Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Sophie Boyd, Specialist Registrar and Research Fellow
Dr Tommy Harty, Registrar, Cork University Maternity Hospital
Varsha Shetty, PhD Student