Professor Fergal O’Brien has been employed to drive research and strengthen clinical and industry partnerships. Under Professor O’Brien’s leadership, RCSI’s research community will move forward in their efforts to provide scientific breakthroughs, innovations and insights that improve patient treatment and care globally.

His employment follows an interval of remarkable growth in the RCSI’s research capability, competitiveness and impact. RCSI’s field weighted citation impact is twice the worlds average and the highest in Ireland.

Professor Cathal Kelly RCSI CEO, said: “Professor O’Brien brings proven leadership and management experience from his role as Deputy Director of Research and Innovation at RCSI since 2013, which included responsibility for research strategy across the entire institution. This experience, coupled with his track record as a highly cited researcher and spin-out company founder, places him in a unique position to transform research operations and further develop a culture of innovation and impact in RCSI.”

Following a degree in mechanical engineering and a PhD in bone bioengineering, Professor O’Brien was a Fulbright scholar in tissue engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School and is currently Professor of Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine.

Since his faculty employment in 2003, he has published more than 200 journal articles in leading peer-reviewed international journals and filed countless patents, resulting in the successful translation of technologies from his labs to the clinic. Professor O’Brien commented: “I am honoured to be tasked with driving RCSI’s ambitious research agenda. Our small size and sole focus on health sciences, together with our overseas campuses ensures a unique dynamic environment for interdisciplinary translational research.”

Tags: Innovation, RCSI, Research, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland