Advancing Health: Celebrating Research, Innovation and Impact at the CoMH Research & Innovation Conference 2026

3 Sep 2026

School of Public Health Celebrates Double Award Success!

The College of Medicine and Health hosted its Research and Innovation Conference on Wednesday, 2 September.

Under the theme ‘Advancing Health: Translating Discovery to Care’, the conference celebrated the breadth and quality of research and innovation taking place across the College and explored how research excellence can inform clinical practice, shape policy and deliver meaningful impact for patients and communities.

Inspiring Insights from Invited Speakers

The conference welcomed three distinguished invited speakers who shared their expertise and perspectives on research, innovation and the translation of discovery into care - Professor Yvonne Nolan, Professor Finbarr Allen and Professor Geraldine Boylan.

Their presentations provided thought-provoking insights, encouraging discussion around the future of health research and its potential to improve patient care and outcomes.

The Latest Advances and Elevator Pitches sessions provided an opportunity to showcase research in two dynamic and engaging formats.

The Latest Advances sessions featured fast-paced, eight-minute research presentations, while the Elevator Pitches, engaging three-minute presentations, were designed to communicate the essence and impact of research in a concise and accessible format.

Professor Gerard O’Keeffe, Vice Head for Research and Innovation CoMH, commended the scale and quality of research showcased throughout the conference and highlighted the importance of collaboration in translating research into real-world impact.

In Conversation with Professor Helen Whelton

A particular highlight of the programme was ‘In Conversation with Professor Helen Whelton’, with Professor Whelton interviewed by Dr Louise Collins.

Congratulations to our Prize Winners

Dr Sinéad O'Riordan was awarded Best Student Oral Presentation Winner

Prof Ella Arensman, Head of the School of Public Health, said: "At the CoMH Research and Innovation Conference, there were two awards for the School of Public Health:

Dr Sinéad O'Riordan was awarded Best Student Oral Presentation Winner for her presentation: Preterm delivery and long-term risk of maternal stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Rachel Donlea and Emily Gallogley (joint first author) were awarded Best Student Poster Winner for their poster: The association between number of pregnancy complications and depression or anxiety in offspring in late adolescence.

Sincere congratulations to Dr Sinéad O'Riordan, Rachel Dunlea and Emily Gallogley and their co-authors on this huge achievement!"

Congratulations to all of the oral and poster presenters who contributed to the success of the conference, with particular congratulations to this year’s prize winners.

View the Programme of Events and the Book of Abstracts.