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Committee members

The ISRC committee is comprised of surgical trainees interested in delivering high quality, patient-centred research through National and International Collaboration. ISRC committee members co-ordinate delivery of ISRC studies, research and education days and work with the Irish Forum of Surgical Research in RCSI to represent the trainee voice in the ongoing development of the surgical research landscape in Ireland.

Committee members are elected (usually in March of each year) following competitive application. Applications are blinded and numerically scored across multiple aspects of suitability for each committee role.

If you might be interested in applying to the ISRC committee, get in contact to join our mailing list and keep up to date with submission deadlines. You can contact us HERE

Committee members
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Carolyn Cullinane

Co-Chair

I am currently working as a General Surgery SpR.  I obtained a MCh in Surgery from UCC in 2019 and was awarded a scholarship to complete a MSc in Healthcare Leadership in 2022. I recently completed my MD research on breast cancer biomarkers and translational research from UCC. My previous publications are centred around surgical […]

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Éanna Ryan

Vice Chair

Éanna is an SpR in General Surgery working in Tallaght University Hospital. His post-graduate doctoral research was conducted in a multidisciplinary translational environment at St. Vincent’s University Hospital and was focused on mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer under the supervision of Prof. Des Winter. His interests include surgical oncology, cancer genomics, gastrointestinal disease and minimally […]

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Stephen O’Brien

Secretary

I graduated from University College Cork School of Medicine in 2016. Following my intern year in Cork, I undertook a PhD in Physiology under the mentorship of Dr. Susan Galandiuk in the Price Institute of Surgical Research at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. I started Core Surgical Training in Ireland in 2021. My research […]

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Aine O’Neill

Communications Rep

I am an SpR in General Surgery and current communications rep on the ISRC committee. Prior to becoming an ISRC committee member, I gained a huge appreciation for the merits of collaborative research through my involvement in numerous collaborative projects in conjunction with STARSurg, EuroSurg and GlobalSurg, both as a student and surgical trainee prompting me to […]

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Mohammed Alazzawi

Communications Rep

Hello, my name is Mohammed Al Azzawi, currently an ST3 trainee in general surgery. I graduated from RCSI – Bahrain and did my internship and basic training in Bahrain. Having spent some time in Ireland during my electives, I decided to move here to pursue my training in upper GI surgery. I have completed a […]

ISRC Representatives
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Conor Toale

Medical Education Lead

Conor is a General Surgery Higher Specialist Trainee currently undertaking a full time doctoral degree in surgical education research

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Nicola Raftery

National Research Collaborative Rep

I am an SpR in General Surgery and an ICAT fellow. I will be commencing my PhD in July 2024 focusing on the use of liquid biopsy in oesophagogastric cancers. I am the current National Research Collaborative (NRC) rep for the ISRC. My role is to maintain a line of communication between the ISRC and […]

Project Leads
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Czara Kennedy

OAT Study Lead

I am a second year General and Upper GI surgery SpR currently working in St Michael’s hospital in Dun Laoighre. I have completed my masters in Clinical and Translational Research from UCD. I am project lead for the OAT (Obesity Anti Factor Xa Thromboprophylaxis) trial, which was the winning clinical trial from the Sir Peter […]

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Noel Donlon

Co-Chair & PROPEL Lead

Noel is a surgical specialist registrar with his subspeciality interest in Upper GI Surgery. He is the current lecturer in surgery (Trinity College Dublin/St. James’s Hospital). His PhD research focused on combining radiotherapy and immunotherapy in treating oesophageal adenocarcinoma. He has two Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) actively recruiting at present, one a multicentre trial evaluating […]

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Megan Power Foley

Vascular Research Lead

Details coming soon

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Stefanie Croghan

Urology Lead

I am an SpR in urology, currently out-of-programme to pursue full-time research.  I have been involved with the ISRC since 2018, and am the lead of the RETAINER 1 (RETention of urine After INguinal hernia Elective Repair) international study

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Stephanie Bollard

Plastic surgery Lead

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Amy Edwards Murphy

QI Lead

My name is Amy Edwards Murphy. I am currently an ST2 in General Surgery in St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny.

Core Surgical Training Representatives
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Matthew Davey

Core Surgical Trainee Representative

Matt is a General Surgery Trainee and ISRC Committee Member currently working in University Hospital Limerick. His PhD, titled ‘Molecular Profiling and Genomic Substratification to Aid Therapeutic Decision Making in Cancer’, was awarded from the University of Galway in 2022, prior to his commencement of formal surgical training. Matt has been awarded Plenary session winners […]

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Kieran Joyce

Core Surgical Trainee Representative

Advisory Members
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Christina Fleming

Past Chair

I am a final year General and Colorectal Surgery SpR and I have previously completed a PhD. I am current Chair and past Secretary of the ISRC. I was project lead for ISRC’s first project, a National study of perioperative fluid management in elective colectomy (PERFECT). As Chair I aim to grow the collaborative both […]

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Jarlath Bolger

Past Chair

Details coming soon

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Helen Mohan

Past Vice Chair

Details coming soon

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Michael Boland

Past Vice Chair

Details coming soon

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Jessie Elliot

Past Chair

Having held a HRB-funded clinical research fellowship in surgical nutrition and cancer survivorship at St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, I have experience in the design and conduct of clinical research, patient and public Involvement, and biostatistics. I am also the current Chair of the European Society for Diseases of the Esophagus Young Investigator Division, a role […]