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Appointments to the Health Research Board - 11 September 2024
From Department of Health
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From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has appointed the following members to the Health Research Board.
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 Jobs campaign the Minister for Health has appointed Dr Cunningham as Chairperson of the Health Research Board with effect from 15th July 2024 until 14th July 2027.
Mark is Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor of Digital Health and Chair in Translational Cancer Genomics at Queen’s University Belfast. He is Scientific Director of DATA-CAN, the UK’s Health Data Research Hub for Cancer and Health Lead for Momentum One Zero Innovation Centre as part of the Belfast Region City Deal. Mark is Chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, which sets a benchmark for cancer outcomes globally. He is Chair of the Lancet Oncology European Groundshot Commission, the most comprehensive analysis of cancer research in Europe ever undertaken, which is informing cancer research policy and its implementation in Europe. Mark is Co-Lead of the All Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) a coalition of 10 universities across the island. He co-leads two AICRI HEA funded North South Research Programmes focusing on precision medicine and digital health. In 2021, Mark received the Irish Association for Cancer Research’s Outstanding Contribution to cancer research award, for his pioneering work on cancer research and care on the island of Ireland.
Mark has a strong commitment to patient-centred research and addressing cancer inequalities. He was architect of the European Cancer Patient's Bill of Rights, launched in the European Parliament (World Cancer Day), receiving the 2018 European Health Award, a prestigious award for partnerships that yield real health impact in Europe. Mark’s pioneering work on Covid-19 and cancer received the Royal College of Physicians Excellence in Patient Care Award and the prestigious European Communique Award. In 2022, he and his team won the prestigious HDR-UK Impact of the Year Award for providing the crucial intelligence to inform a change in policy for treating colorectal cancer in England.
In September 2023, Mark highlighted the Ireland Northern Ireland US National Cancer Institute Consortium (a direct result of the Good Friday Agreement) and its work over the last 25 years at the Science Summit of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where it was heralded as an international exemplar of the health dividend of peace. In November 2023, he received a Special Merit Award from the European Cancer Organisation, Europe’s largest multi-professional cancer organisation, in recognition of his ground-breaking work in Covid and Cancer and his work on cancer inequalities.
Prof. Lawler is appointed following a Public Appointments Service campaign and is appointed with effect from 11 July 2024 to 10 July 2029.
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.