Gathering at the Health Science Building on the UCD Belfield campus, esteemed colleagues, family members, friends, and students came together to honour the remarkable legacy of Professor Peter Dervan. The occasion? The annual award ceremony for
the Professor Peter Dervan Memorial Medal for Excellence in Cancer Pathology.
Professor Dervan, a luminary in the field of pathology, left an indelible mark on medical research and education. Professor Dervan was appointed Consultant Pathologist to the Mater (and initially Richmond) Hospitals, Dublin in 1978, and Professor of Pathology at University College Dublin (UCD) and the Mater Hospital in 1991. During his tenure, until his retirement in 2008, he excelled as a histopathologist leading to innovative research in areas like breast and bone cancer, positively affecting the lives of 1000's of cancer patients, both in Ireland and abroad.
Photo 1: In Honour of Peter Dervan Professor of Pathology 1945-2013.
The Professor Peter Dervan Memorial Medal was established in 2014 to honour his legacy. This prestigious award recognises excellence in cancer pathology among UCD students. The recipient is chosen through a rigorous viva voce examination, evaluating their performance in core medicine modules with significant cancer pathology content. It’s a testament to Professor Dervan’s commitment to advancing medical knowledge and fostering innovative teaching.
This year for the first time two students were announced as joint winners. The winners of the 11th Professor Peter Dervan Memorial Medal for Excellence in Cancer Pathology 2024 are Dónal Healy and Hanna Kissane. Congratulations to both students. They gave excellent presentations on the theme of “Personalised Medicine: - From the tissue to the blood” following a rigorous individual viva voce and most competitive Q and A session. The adjudicating panel agreed that there was strong competition from all five finalists this year.
The event was attended by family and friends of Professor Dervan as well as some of the former medal recipients who spoke of the positive impact that the award has had on their careers to date. The recipients who attended in person included:
A reception was held afterwards to celebrate a decade of student excellence in cancer pathology and pay tribute to the enduring impact of Professor Peter Dervan. His legacy lives on through the remarkable achievements of these young scholars, who continue to shape the future of cancer research and patient care.
Photo 2: The winners of the 11th Professor Peter Dervan Memorial Medal for Excellence in Cancer Pathology 2024 are (from left to right) Dónal Healy, Prof Leona Doyle, Professor of Pathology and Consultant Pathologist, UCD School of Medicine, and Hanna Kissane.
Photo 3: Previous winners of the Professor Peter Dervan Memorial Medal for Excellence in Cancer Pathology beside the medal plaque together with Prof Dervan’s sons are (from left to right) Peter (Pete) Dervan , Dr Robert (Robbie) Murphy (2017 Medal), Dr Dearbhla Moore (2020 Medal), Dr Terence (Terry) Smeaton (2021 Medal), Dr Calvin Flynn (2016 Medal) and Paul Dervan.
