Clinician PhD programme marks significant impact on health research
Specialist clinical training that integrates PhDs has driven significant advances in health research and patient care over the past decade, according to speakers at an All-Island event held at the Mansion House in Dublin.
The Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) Programme, a unique all-Ireland, cross-institutional, and multi-disciplinary initiative, marked the outstanding impact of the programme on health research at its flagship event, “Celebrating Excellence and Impact of Clinical Academic Training.”
71 clinicians have participated in the programme to date, making contributions across a range of clinical research fields including: diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease; cardiac care for cancer patients; blood clotting in Covid-19; a bleeding assessment tool; and e-cigarette use in adolescents.
Launched in 2016, ICAT is a collaboration between the University of Galway, Trinity College Dublin, Queen’s University Belfast, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, University College Cork, and University College Dublin.
The programme has secured over €40 million in funding from the Health Research Board (HRB), Wellcome, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the HSE National Doctors Training and Planning, the Health and Social Care R&D Division NI, the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Authority, the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland, and its six partner universities.
Professor Bernadette McGuinness, ICAT Programme Deputy Director Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast, said: “A cornerstone of ICAT’s success is its all-island model, which brings together institutions and health systems north and south to position Ireland as a globally recognised hub for clinical academic research. The programme fosters cutting-edge science and innovation in healthcare-related research, aligned with the strategic priorities of both Ireland and Northern Ireland.”
The event was opened by Dr Gráinne Gorman, Chief Executive Officer of the HRB who commented: “The HRB is proud to support ICAT in developing high calibre clinician researchers. It is essential we work with the health system to create the right conditions to harness their potential and ensure they can apply their research expertise in practice to benefit people’s health and care.”
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Media inquiries to Sian Devlin at s.devlin@qub.ac.uk