Minister Stephen Donnelly TD has appointed Professor Peter Doran to the Health Research Board (HRB). Prof Doran is Director of the UCD Clinical Research Centre and Professor of Clinical Trials at UCD School of Medicine. Dr Tracy Cunningham has been appointed as Chairperson Designate, while Prof Mark Lawler will join Prof Doran as a new Board member.
Prof Doran said, "I am delighted to be appointed to the board of the HRB. It is an important time for our academic health research and innovation system, and I look forward to working with the Board and the leadership team to support the HRB's critical role in our health research landscape."
Welcoming the appointment of the Chair Dr Mairéad O’Driscoll, Chief Executive of the HRB, said; “I believe Tracy, Peter and Mark’s diverse experience and strategic outlook will provide excellent direction as we navigate new advances in health research and embark on the development of our next strategy.”
Professor Peter Doran
Prof Peter Doran earned his BSc. from Dublin City University in 1998 and his PhD from University College Dublin in 2001. He is the Director of the UCD Clinical Research Centre and Prof of Clinical Trials at the UCD School of Medicine. He leads UCD’s multisite-clinical research and directs its major investigator-initiated trials programme. He has a significant track record in the leadership of clinical research and has established a significant patient focused research programme.
He leads a major research programme in trial methodology including novel trial designs, predictive modelling and better trial outcomes. He has a strong interest in biomarkers as endpoints in clinical studies and leads a research high throughput biomarker validation laboratory, which is contributing to major national and international end organ damage biomarker studies.
In addition to his research and leadership roles, he established and led the graduate taught programme in clinical and translational research. He was previously Associate Dean for Research at the UCD School of Medicine, Vice Principal for Research, Innovation & Impact at the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Science and Director of the Institute for Clinical Trials at the University of Galway.
Prof Doran is appointed following a Public Appointments Service campaign and is appointed with effect from 11 July 2024 to 10 July 2029.
Dr Tracy Cunningham – Chairperson Designate
Dr Tracy Cunningham retired as Chief Medical Officer at Amryt Pharma in 2023, a biopharmaceutical rare and orphan diseases company, which she joined in 2020. She was responsible for regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance/drug safety, quality, and clinical/preclinical development functions.
Prior to this, she was in AstraZeneca as Clinical Head, Oncology R&D leading the clinical development of several new medicines, including the successful approval of Koselugo (selumetinib) for the treatment of paediatric patients with NF1 plexiform neurofibromas. She has over 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry predominantly in clinical development and medical affairs.
A 1988 graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, she specialised in pharmaceutical medicine. She has worked at a senior level in Ireland, at a European level and for the last 10 years at global level in multinational pharmaceutical companies (including Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis).
She was appointed by the Minister of Health to the Board of the Health Research Board in 2019 She lectures on the Trinity College, Diploma of Pharmaceutical Medicine course on the topic of clinical research.
Following a Public Appointments Service campaign the Minister for Health has nominated Dr Cunningham as Chair Designate of the Health Research Board.
As is normal practice regarding such an appointment to a State Board, the Minister will notify the Chair of the Joint Committee on Health of his intention to appoint Dr Cunningham as Chair. The Committee has the option, if it wishes, to invite the Chair Designate to brief its members. After such time, the Committee can submit its views on the proposed appointment to the Minister for his consideration prior to the formal appointment being made by the Minister.
Professor Mark Lawler
Prof Mark Lawler brings significant expertise and international standing to the board in digital health, precision medicine and inequalities research. He leads a number of major international initiatives including Health Data Research UK's Big Data for Complex Disease Driver Programme, the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership and the Lancet Oncology European Groundshot. Mark also co-leads two all island initiatives in precision medicine and digital health and currently serves on the board of the National Cancer Registry of Ireland.
Prof Lawler is appointed following a Public Appointments Service campaign and is appointed with effect from 11 July 2024 to 10 July 2029.