Research and Education Foundation at Sligo University Hospital welcomes Local, National and International Speakers to its Research Conference later this month

The Research and Education Foundation at Sligo University Hospital holds its 21st annual Multidisciplinary Research Conference on November 27th with local, national and international speakers including Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director at the WHO.

The Research and Education Foundation (REF) was established in 1999 to support and further embed a culture of research and innovation at Sligo University Hospital, working closely with partners in the region such as Institute of Technology Sligo. A vibrant and active research culture in the Sligo community has led to better outcomes for patients and also supports Sligo University Hospital to recruit and retain staff of the highest calibre.

Commenting, Professor Nash Patil, Consultant Surgeon at Sligo University Hospital and Board member of the REF said, “This conference provides a unique opportunity for researchers in the HSE North West area to present their recently undertaken health research projects to a wide audience. The event provides a showcase for research carried out at SUH in collaboration with our partner institutions. The REF continues to build on past successes in providing support for education, training and research to people engaged in healthcare provision in Sligo.

“This year the conference will focus particularly on the COVID-19 pandemic – the experiences, responses and learning from the clinical / scientific / industry / community perspectives. The conference will be an all-day event run from IT Sligo and streamed to venues in Sligo University Hospital. There will be a mix of remote and proximate presentations.

“We are delighted to have an excellent line-up of speakers who will share their experiences and perspective with us. In particular, we are delighted that Dr Mike Ryan of the WHO will join us. He has played a leading role in the international response to the management of COVID-19 and it is a real privilege for us here in Sligo to have an opportunity to learn from him. Other speakers include Professor Luke O’Neill, Trinity College Dublin; Dr Francois Roman, Senior Developer – Clinical Vaccines at GSK Biologicals, Belgium; Dr Anthony Breslin, HSE Director of Public Health in the North West and Prof Molly Byrne, Director, Health Behaviour Change Research Group, School of Psychology, NUI Galway.”

Commenting, Grainne McCann Hospital Manager Sligo University Hospital added,” The Research and Education Foundation here at Sligo University Hospital has for many years underpinned the development and growth of a dynamic research culture in the hospital and the wider north west region. This is an important part of an acute hospital and we engage in research here in SUH to further improve the care and treatment we provide our patients. Since 1999, the annual conference has been a wonderful opportunity for staff in SUH to showcase their research to a wider audience. This year the focus of the conference is COVID-19 and SUH, like other acute hospitals, has treated significant numbers of patients with COVID-19. This conference will provide us with a really good opportunity to share our experiences and learn from others who have managed the response to this pandemic locally, nationally and internationally”.

The conference is aimed at clinical and allied health professionals, third level institution staff and the healthcare industry.

Full details of the conference agenda, including registration details are available at
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/21st-annual-multidisciplinary-research-confe...