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Congratulations to the newly appointed Clinical Professor Brendan Fitzgerald
Congratulations to Dr Brendan Fitzgerald who is one of the 39 new Clinical Professors appointed at the College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork. Dr Fitzgerald is a Consultant Perinatal Pathologist at Cork University Hospital (CUH) and member of the Pregnancy Loss Research Group.
This honorary title from the University acknowledges the excellent academic performance of practising clinicians and their significant contribution to the College of Medicine and Health – treating patients, leading research, teaching the next generation of doctors, and driving innovation in healthcare.
When Dr Brendan Fitzgerald was appointed to CUH in 2011, there were no specialised perinatal pathology services outside Dublin. He has since developed a specialist perinatal medical scientist (SPMS) role and trained three SPMSs – Susan Dineen, Therese Brosnan and Bríd O’Sullivan – in perinatal postmortems, placental dissection and bereavement care, allowing maximal delivery of specialised perinatal care despite working single-handedly for 10 of the intervening 15 years. He is now joined by two consultant colleagues: Dr Jessica White and Dr Amanda Murphy. Dr Fitzgerald has resiliently strived to improve and expand the perinatal pathology service, constantly focusing on patient-centred care, with a Royal College of Pathologists workload equivalent of 1.9 whole-time equivalent for many years. Through his clinical excellence, treatable pathologies have been recognised, including in early losses, allowing successful pregnancy outcomes in patients with recurrent losses. Unexplained stillbirth rates in CUH have reduced significantly over this time through the addition of perinatal postmortem investigations.
Dr Fitzgerald also developed a specialist gestational trophoblastic disease service, including ancillary testing, allowing specialised reporting of molar pregnancy in-house and externally. Brendan established a holistic approach to pregnancy loss, emphasising bereavement care in every postmortem, even early losses, where scientist time is dedicated to creation of mementos for parents. He continues to recognise new pathologies. His recognition of Covid placentitis and subsequent advice to government was instrumental in the provision of early COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy, limiting further pregnancy losses nationally. Dr Fitzgerald has also pioneered the development of a concise, user-friendly clinicopathological classification system for second trimester miscarriage focused on patterns of presentation and patterns of pathology that will in turn guide management in any future pregnancy.
Brendan is currently co-leading the SPRING Project (Supporting Pregnancy and Reproductive Health Information for teenaGers) with Dr Laura Linehan. SPRING is a school-based educational programme for senior cycle students, developed by the Pregnancy Loss Research Group in collaboration with teachers and Transition Year students from St Angela's College Cork. The programme aims to improve young people's knowledge and awareness of reproductive health, fertility, healthy pregnancy, and pregnancy loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth. Dr Fitzgerald has successfully secured funding through the SPARK Innovation Programme to continue this work, piloting the programme in schools across Ireland.