Biography

Professor Stephen Byrne was appointed to the Chair of Clinical Pharmacy Practice in 2013 and to the role of Deputy President and Registrar (DPR) in 2020, having served as interim DPR from November 2020 to March 2022. He completed a PhD in Clinical Pharmacy Practice from School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, in 2001. He was the first individual in Ireland to undertake a PhD in this subject area. Following his clinical practice as a pharmacist, including establishing non-medical led Warfarin Clinics in Tallaght Hospital and St. John’s Hospital, he was appointed Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy Practice at UCC in 2004.

Professor Byrne has published over 145 peer reviewed papers and supervised 26 healthcare professionals (24 PhD and 2 MD students) to completion. The majority of his research since 2004 has been concerned with inappropriate prescribing of medicines in older people and the potential grave consequences for patients from inappropriate medication usage. More specifically, he has collaborated on several research projects, focussing on optimising and evaluating the role of the clinical pharmacist in both detecting and preventing potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in comparison to clinical physicians (routine care), thereby improving medicine usage and maximising both health outcomes for patients and (potential) economic savings for healthcare systems across Europe. He has established and maintained national and international research collaborations and was part of the UCC team that developed the internationally recognised STOPP/START screening tool, which aims to improve the quality and safety of prescribing for older people. He led the establishment and development of the discipline of Clinical Pharmacy Practice at UCC and served as Director of the MSc Clinical Pharmacy, Head of School of Pharmacy and Director of the MPharm degree. He was appointed Dean of Undergraduate Studies in 2018.

As DPR, Professor Byrne is the Chief Academic Officer of UCC and leads on Goal Two (‘Student Success’) of the UCC Strategic Plan (2023–2028), providing academic vision and leadership across the university. He chairs senior university committees including Academic Board, the Academic Leadership Forum and the Academic Promotions Committee, and leads strategic development relating to the academic mission and student experience. He has overseen the development and implementation of new academic promotions regulations and led the successful application for €1 million in HEA Performance Compact funding in 2022, which supported the establishment of the id+ Project to promote access to third-level education and employment for people with intellectual disabilities. In 2024, UCC secured a further €1.7 million under HEA PATH 4 to support course provision for students with intellectual disabilities. Professor Byrne has responsibility for Ionad na Gaeilge Labhartha and has supported the strategic development and promotion of the Irish language at UCC, including securing €1 million in HEA funding for the Barr na gCnoc Irish-language community project in 2023.

Professor Byrne has also overseen the establishment of apprenticeship degrees in paramedicine, social work and social care, and tertiary degree pathways in social work, occupational therapy and sports science, developed in partnership with Munster Technological University and Cork Education and Training Board. As Chair of the Irish Universities Association Access and Diversity Committee, he led the national review of the HEAR access route into higher education. He also works with UCC’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Unit to advance institutional policy and culture change in that area. As Chair of the UCC Athena Swan Committee, Professor Byrne oversaw the successful application for an institutional Silver Award in 2025, including delivery of the Women on Walls project. He has also led national negotiations resulting in revisions to the HPAT points allocation system and advocated successfully for additional time for neurodiverse students in Leaving Certificate examinations, a measure introduced in June 2026.