Children’s Health Ireland

Des Cox, MD – Site PI

Des is a consultant in paediatric respiratory medicine, head of the respiratory department at CHI Crumlin and a clinical professor in the School of Medicine, University College Dublin. He is also chair of the Royal College of  Physicians in Ireland policy group on tobacco and is a member of the national clinical advisory group for CF.  Des is a principal investigator on a number of ongoing studies in the area of CF including the Children’s Follow up Orkambi Real World MBW Study (CFORMS) which is examining the impact of Orkambi on young children with CF in a real-world setting. 

David Rea – Radiologist

David is a consultant in paediatric radiology and head of the radiology department at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin. David’s clinical interests are general paediatric radiology, paediatric interventional radiology and vascular anomalies. David is the radiology lead in Crumlin for the RECOVER study. 

Aoife Cunningham – Clinical Research Coordinator

Prior to joining CHI in May 2022, Aoife worked as an R&D Lab Engineer in a leading neurovascular medical device company in Galway. Having completed her degree in Biomedical Engineering, Aoife has over 2 and half years experience in the medical device industry, specifically in endovascular treatment of haemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. Her most recent position prior to becoming a CRC, as a Regulatory Affairs Specialist, has given her a wide range of experience within the regulatory and clinical research settings. Her experience in this industry has greatly influenced her transition into the area of clinical trials.

Jennifer Scanlon – Crumlin Site Liaison

Jennifer Scanlon is a Cystic Fibrosis Nurse Specialist in CHI at Crumlin. Jennifer has been involved from a clinical perspective in previous clinical trials and investigator led research. Jennifer is the site liaison in CHI at Crumlin and will help to ensure that RECOVER runs seamlessly in parallel to clinical care at the site.​

Michael Williamson, MD – Site PI

Eilish Twomey – Radiologist

A graduate of University College Cork, Eilish trained in radiology in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin. She completed fellowships in paediatric radiology in Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital and UCSF, California before returning to Temple Street’s Children’s University Hospital, Dublin in 2004.

Aideen Lambe – CT Specialist Radiographer

Aideen is the CT clinical specialist radiographer at CHI, Temple Street. She studied at Bangor University in the UK and went on to work in Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. Here she gained a wealth of paediatric imaging experience and an interest in research. Aideen will be carrying out the CT scans on the patients in the RECOVER study. ​

Ciara Melia – Clinical Research Coordinator

Ciara holds a MSc in Neuroscience from Trinity College Dublin and a BA in Psychology from Maynooth University. Prior to starting in her role as a CRC for the RECOVER study in September 2022, she gained research experience working as a research assistant at RCSI in drug discovery for treatment-refractory epilepsy.

Emma O’Grady – Temple Street Site Liaison

Emma O’Grady is an experienced Clinical Pharmacist with a specialist interest in paediatric CF care and clinical trials at CHI at Temple Street. She has a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & healthcare industry and is currently undertaking a PhD with a focus on value based healthcare in CF. Emma is the site liaison at CHI at Temple Street for the RECOVER study.

Basil Elnazir, MD – Site PI

Basil is a consultant in paediatric respiratory medicine and Clinical Associate Professor in paediatrics at Trinity College Dublin. Basil’s main research interest is difficult/severe asthma and Cystic Fibrosis.

Thara Persuad – Radiologist

Thara trained in Radiology in Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin. She completed a Fellowship in Paediatric Radiology in  The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa Canada, before taking up a consultant post in Great Ormond St Hospital in London and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. She returned to Ireland to take up the post of Paediatric Radiologist  initially in CHI at Temple Street and more recently CHI at Tallaght​.

Matilda Dunne-Cronin – Clinical Research Coordinator

Matilda joined the CF team in July 2022 as a clinical research coordinator working in CHI at Crumlin and CHI at Tallaght. Matilda graduated from National University of Ireland, Galway with an honours BSc in physiology in 2022. Matilda works on both clinical trials and RECOVER, with duties including conducting study visits and maintenance of data.