Dr Siobhan Roche
Director, Research for The Economy, Research Ireland
Ireland has a world-class research and innovation ecosystem, with strong interconnectivity between academia, industry, government and a highly engaged public that values research.
Ireland hosts leading industry hubs in medical devices, biopharma and technology, underpinned by cutting-edge national research centres, creating fertile ground for healthcare innovation.
Digital healthcare boosts patient empowerment
A key ask from the public through the Creating Our Future national conversation on research (2021) was for a person-centred approach to healthcare, enabled by digital and technological innovations, to promote patient empowerment and better care.
Research Ireland aims to deliver an intensification of interdisciplinary research and a more vibrant research base that showcases Ireland’s global reputation as a research and innovation leader. Our funded researchers are developing novel, patient-centric healthcare approaches through the merging of data science with clinical science and technology development.
The specific potential of
AI in healthcare is vast.
Remote healthcare and AI diagnostics
The Home Health project, led by researchers from the CÚRAM Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices, together with Cisco and the people of Clare Island, is using technology to improve healthcare for this remote community. Digital technology has enabled remote monitoring of conditions and, combined with video consultations, has empowered the community to monitor their own conditions and engage with healthcare specialists where needed, improving management of patient care across the island.
The specific potential of AI in healthcare is vast. The Lero Research Ireland Centre for Software is collaborating with clinicians to commercialise a novel AI detection solution for early-stage breast cancer, applying highly accurate machine learning-based technology to spot potential tumours.
Patients providing access to data
The ADAPT and FutureNeuro Research Ireland Centres are developing a novel patient data platform for clinical research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that will harness AI to interrogate large, diverse data sets and inform development of new, patient-centric treatment approaches.
Such research advances would not be possible without the general public’s involvement, including patients providing access to their data. Public trust and confidence in healthcare research is critical for this. The EMPOWER consortium addresses this by developing a governance framework to ensure the safe use of health data in research.
