Medical Scientists Registration Board - Biographies
Pauline Treanor (Chairperson)
Pauline has an MBA in Health and Social Care from the University of Ulster; and a Postgraduate Diploma in Corporate Governance, from the Smurfit School, UCD.
Pauline is a trained nurse and midwife. She was the director of Midwifery and Nursing in the Rotunda from May 2001 to November 2008 and has been Secretary General Manager from November 2008 to present. Pauline plays a key role in performance measurement, budget preparation and monitoring, implementation of quality and safety measures, data analysis, people management and negotiation on many levels e.g. for resources or resolution of workplace matters.
Pauline was a member of An Board Altranais from 2001 to 2011 and chaired the Fitness to Practice Committee from 2006. She has also been involved in many external committees and reviews. Pauline was also a member of the Steering Committee for the development of the National Maternity Strategy published by the Department of Health.
Pauline has extensive experience in Midwifery and Nursing Training Programme development and implementation and in managing relationships with Training Institutions and Universities.
Pauline also understands and is passionate about the importance of ongoing staff development. She developed a bespoke leadership programme between the Rotunda and the RCSI to promote multidisciplinary project working and development of patient safety initiatives.
Marie Culliton
Marie Culliton entered the profession of medical science in 1973. She was awarded the Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science (Microbiology) in 1978 and Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Science in 1980 specialising in Clinical Chemistry. Further professional development resulted in the award of an MSc in Clinical Biochemistry from Trinity College in 1990 and the MBA in Health Services Management from UCD and RCSI in 2001.
Marie worked in the Endocrinology Laboratory at St Vincent’s University Hospital for many years where she had specialist interests in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and Polycystic Ovarian Disease. In 2004, Marie was appointed Chief Medical Scientist/Laboratory Manager at the National Maternity Hospital. Current interests are in maternal and fetal wellbeing. She is the national clinical lead for the introduction of the Order Communications in the Electronic Patient Record for Maternity and Newborn, which will bring significant patient safety benefit.
Marie has been a member of the Council of The Academy of Medical Laboratory Science since 1985 and has served two terms as President. Marie also serves as the President of the European Association for Professions in Biomedical Science since 2004. In this role, she has undertaken a survey of education standards in Europe culminating in an agreed EPBS policy.
Marie’s experience as a Council member developing a streamlined registration process, her time as President of the ACSLM and EPBS, in addition to her role as a member of the Competent Authority assessing qualifications to practice and her extensive knowledge of the profession at a European and international level, will be of benefit to the Board.
Cliodhna Foley-Nolan
Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, MB, BCh, BAO, DCH, DObs, MPH, FFPHM is Director of Human Health and Nutrition with safefood. She directs the public health and nutrition functions of the organisation.
Cliodhna has a medical degree from UCC; a Masters in Public Health from UCD and is a fellow of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland. She has worked at consultant level in Public Health Medicine in the Health Services Executive, and is a specialist in the areas of health promotion and foodborne infectious disease.
Cliodhna holds a Senior Lecturer post in UCC and is a trainer and examiner at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland. She has served on many national advisory groups including those on the National Strategy for the Control of Antimicrobial Resistance, the National AIDS Advisory Group and the National Healthy Eating Guidelines group.
She has served on the boards of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Veterinary Council of Ireland. She is currently a board member of the Obesity Prevention Steering Group in Northern Ireland, the Special Advisory Group on Obesity in the Republic of Ireland, the Royal College of Physician’s Obesity Specialist Group and the Health Research Board Centre for Diet and Health.
Clodagh Geraghty
Clodagh Geraghty is a lecturer in Law and Human Resource Management in the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). Clodagh holds a BA and LLB from NUIG and an MA in European and Comparative Law from the University of Limerick. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Programme Chair for the BA in Human Resource Management in GMIT. Clodagh has a particular teaching interest in human rights in healthcare education, patient safety and professional regulation.
Clodagh has expertise in professional regulation and is a member of the Preliminary Proceedings Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). She is Chair of the Board of Management of St. Joseph’s Community College, Charlestown, Co Mayo and has worked with the Education and Training Board of Ireland to improve the governance function of the Boards of Management in ETB schools.
Prior to her appointment to a full time academic position, Clodagh held the position of Human Resources Manager in Mayo University Hospital. She also held positions in Community Services and in the Health Services Executive in Ireland over a 15-year period.
Mary Hunt
Mary Hunt is the Head of School of Biological Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), based in Kevin Street. The School has been educating medical scientists for the profession since the 1960’s. Mary has over 15 year’s academic experience in the area of biochemistry/molecular biology in research and education from Ireland, Holland and Sweden. In her role as Head of School, Mary is responsible for the leadership, management and strategic development of the School of Biological Sciences, ensuring best practice in education, engagement with Professional Bodies, Industry and Clinical stakeholders. Mary is a member of the College of Sciences and Health Leadership Team, the DIT Academic Council and Management Forum.
Mary graduated from the DIT in 1995 with a Graduateship of the Institute of Biology (London). She has a PhD in Medical Biochemistry from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden (2001). She worked as a researcher/lecturer in Sweden at the Karolinska Institute and at Stockholm University and became an opinion leader in her research field. She was appointed Associate Professor in Molecular Genetics at Stockholm University in 2008. She returned to Ireland in 2010 to take up the position of Assistant Head of School of Biological Sciences. She was appointed Head of School in 2013.
Vincent Hunt
Vincent holds a BSc. (Hons) from Trinity College in Business and IT, MBA from DCU and a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) from UCC in Business Economics.
Vincent’s experience ranges from System Manager with the Irish Defence Forces, ICT Director at Gill & Macmillan Publishing to CEO of Farlex International EMEA division where he is still a non-executive Director. He lectures in Strategic Management at IT Carlow.
Vincent is also the Managing Director (East) of The Alternative Board and was a founding director of the Association of Information Managers (AIM Ireland).
Since June 2016, Vincent is the Youthspeak Ireland (AIESEC) Chair. AIESEC provide young people with self-driven, practical, global experiences; enabling them to see the world, make a real difference and discover what truly matters to them.
Wendy Kennedy
Wendy became Director of Corporate Services of the Medical Council in April 2016 and is responsible for a wide variety of Council functions including Strategy, Governance and Risk Management. She trained and worked originally as a medicinal chemist and subsequently went on to study as an accountant working in small-to-medium practice followed by financial shared services in the pharmaceutical industry.
She is acutely aware of the role and responsibilities of the regulator and has significant experience in balancing and managing the expectations of both the profession and the public alike. As a representative of the interest of the general public her focus will be on ensuring that the profession of Medical Scientist is held in the highest regard and that the public are protected and served with professional confidence.
Wendy is a Chartered Accountant and holds a B.A. (Mod) in Medicinal Chemistry from Trinity College as well as recently participating in training in Conflict Coaching (Oak Conflict Dynamics), Risk Management (IPA), Data Protection & Freedom of Information (La Touche) and the Leadership Challenge (IPA).
Helen Lambkin
Helen has been involved with the medical science profession since 1981, as both a practitioner and an academic. She has developed, managed and taught on Biomedical Science programmes for CPD, BSc and MSc level qualifications, and can advise the board of academic programmes in the field.
Helen has also served as the DIT Academic Representative on College of Sciences and Health ‘CPD Committee’ and ‘Quality Assurance Committee’. She has also been an advisor and/or researcher with multiple groups including laboratories in Tanzania, Vietnam, Kenya, Teagasc, Karolinska, and Irish hospital laboratories.
During her four years on the membership committee of the ACSLM, she has gained broad experience of structure and assessment of national and internationals qualifications for practice as a medical scientist, and has in-depth understanding of the education and training required for registration.
Helen has a deep understanding of the structure of the profession through her network of personal contacts throughout the medical science profession in Ireland, and has given multiple presentations to the profession on developments in education and research in biomedical science.
Muiris Ó Céidigh
Muiris Ó Céidigh is CEO of the National Milk Agency. He was responsible for the introduction and establishment of a statutory register for dairy farmers and for the implementation of the new national regulatory system established by legislation. In this role, he has experience among other things of reporting before televised Oireachtas Committees.
Muiris is a Director of the European Consumers Centre (co-funded by the Commission and Irish Government). He is the Chairman of its Audit Committee and is currently managing its Corporate Governance Development.
He has also been a Director of the Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland appointed by the then acting UK Secretary for Northern Ireland and was the Chairman of its Audit and Finance Committee.
Muiris was also elected to the Council of the Irish Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management where he was Chairman of its Education Committee with responsibility for ensuring educational standards were met. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the Irish Institute of Training and Development.
He holds a Doctorate in Governance from Queen’s University Belfast. He also holds an M.Sc. (Economics) (Public Policy), and an MBA, both from Trinity College, and an MA (Public Management) from the Institute of Public Administration (IPA).
John O’Loughlin
John has over 20 years’ experience as a medical scientist over half of which has been in senior positions. John is currently the Laboratory Manager of the Rotunda Hospital. He has held this position for the last 4 years. Prior to this John was the Hospital Quality and Risk Manager in the Hermitage Medical Clinic as well as being the Laboratory Manager. John has worked as a Senior Medical Scientist and Medical Scientist in several Dublin hospitals and the IBTS.
Brendan O'Reilly
Brendan O’Reilly is a Laboratory Manager working in Laboratory Medicine at Cork University Hospital since 1990. Prior to that, Brendan worked in the Microbiology Laboratory of Bon Secours Hospital, Cork for a short period.
Brendan qualified with a Certificate in Medical Laboratory Science from Cork Regional Technical College (now Cork Institute of Technology) in 1989. He since specialised in the microbiology discipline of laboratory science and has held positions as Staff Grade, Senior Grade, Chief Grade (surveillance), Chief of Microbiology and now Laboratory Manager. Brendan possesses the Fellowship of Medical Laboratory Science (Microbiology), a Masters in Business Administration (Healthcare Management) and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
He has been a career-long member of the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine and has served on a number of Advisory Bodies, including Microbiology, Information Technology, and more recently, chairing the Management, Quality, IT and Safety Advisory Body. He is also a qualified Emergency Medical Technician, on the register of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council. This qualification and his ongoing interest in clinic and bench work serve to reinforce Brendan’s interest in and dedication to patient welfare.
Irene Regan
Irene shows great ability to lead and motivate both small and large teams in her positions as Chief Medical Scientist in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin and President of the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine. In both these roles, she is aware of the importance of ensuring that medical scientists deliver services in a competent, professional and ethical manner.
Irene is an advocate for patient safety and a quality service as evidenced by best practice, with that in mind she is a member of many committees including Clinical Programme in Pathology, Research Collaborative in Quality and Patient Safety. In her position as President of the ACSLM, she and the council of the Academy ensure that where possible they are involved in strategies and position papers that are key to laboratory medicine. This in turn is to ensure that the patient and the public receive the best quality healthcare in their journey and that laboratory medicine is well equipped to provide this service. As an active member of a MDT and involved in clinics, parent and patient days, and clinical trials Irene has first-hand experience of the need for a safe and quality service for patients and their families.
She has overall responsibility for the ACSLM Membership Committee that assesses eligibility to practice as a medical scientist in Ireland. Irene is familiar with the current legislation both nationally and within Europe and have met with the Department of Health re same.
Irene actively participates in CPD and has overall responsibility for the Academy programme as President ensuring that the CPD the ACSLM offer professionals working in laboratory medicine is both relevant and conforms to best practice.
