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New research projects in the areas of clinical risk prediction and gestational trophoblastic disease
We are delighted to welcome Dr Barbara Burke and Dr Aoife Corcoran to the team and introduce you to two new projects that they are leading.
Dr Barbara Burke | PREDICT: Sentinel Events (ELEVATE) Project
Dr Barbara Burke recently (re)joined the Pregnancy Loss Research Group as a Clinical Research Fellow and PhD student on the PREDICT: Sentinel Events (ELEVATE) Project. Her research will explore the use of machine learning techniques to predict pregnancies at risk for perinatal mortality, early brain injury and cerebral palsy. Dr Burke’s supervisors are Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, Professor Maeve Eogan and Professor Gordon Lightbody. This work is part of the PREDICT arm of the ELEVATE Programme, a five-year research programme led by the INFANT Research Centre that aims to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of early brain injury and cerebral palsy in Ireland. ELEVATE is funded through the Research Ireland Strategic Partnership Programme, with co-funding partner The Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
Barbara is a Specialist Registrar on the Higher Specialist Training Programme in Obstetrics and Gynaecology with the Royal College of Physicians Ireland (RCPI). Her clinical experience spans tertiary units across Ireland, where she has cared for patients in specialised maternal medicine, preterm birth and complex endometriosis services, among others. Her previous research has focused on preterm birth and pregnancy loss. For example, she led an exploration of barriers to attendance at a tertiary hospital's perinatal mortality meeting to improve attendance and engagement. Barbara holds degrees in Medicine (UL), Evolutionary Biology (UCD), and Zoology (UCC), as well as postgraduate qualifications in Genomic Medicine (University of Exeter), Obstetric Ultrasound (UCD) and Healthcare Management Practice (UCD).
Dr Aoife Corcoran | The CODING Project
Dr Aoife Corcoran joins the Pregnancy Loss Research Group as a Clinical Research Fellow and MD candidate on The CODING Project, which aims to develop a core outcome dataset for gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). GTD, also known as molar pregnancy, is an uncommon condition affecting approximately 1 in every 600 pregnancies. Because of this, there is limited evidence from randomised controlled trials to guide optimal treatment and follow-up. The CODING Project seeks to establish a core outcome set for GTD to standardise outcome measurement and reporting. This will enhance the quality of evidence available on long-term treatment effectiveness, ultimately supporting improved and more informed clinical decision-making. Aoife’s supervisory team includes Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, Dr John Coulter, Dr Caroline Joyce, and international collaborator Dr Christianne Lok from the Centre for Gynaecologic Oncology in Amsterdam.
Dr Corcoran is a Specialist Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology on the Higher Specialist Training Programme with the RCPI. Her clinical experience encompasses a range of obstetrics and gynaecology units across Ireland and Australia, including rotations in gynaecological oncology, maternal medicine, fetal medicine, endometriosis, colposcopy, and pregnancy loss. She has previously conducted research in the areas of colposcopy and early pregnancy. Aoife graduated in Medicine from the University of Galway in 2016 and holds postgraduate qualifications in Obstetric Ultrasound (UCD) and Colposcopy (British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology).