Team
Dr Emily Vereker
Dr Emily Vereker is Acting Head of the National Office for Research Ethics Committees in Ireland and has oversight of a high performing professional team that underpins the national system for research ethics review, now an integral component of the Irish infrastructure for health research.
Prior to taking up this interim role, Emily joined the Health Research Board in January 2019 as Programme Manager of the Secretariat to the Health Research Consent Declaration Committee, a statutory body appointed by the Minister for Health under the Health Research Regulations.
Prior to her career in health research regulation Emily was the Senior Patents & Licensing Manager in Trinity College Dublin, with specific case management role in life sciences. She gained over 10 years of experience in intellectual property portfolio management, technology commercialisation and collaborative academic-industry agreements. Prior to working in technology transfer, Emily spent over five years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill, Canada. She is a graduate of National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and received her doctorate from Trinity College Dublin.
Aileen Sheehy
Aileen Sheehy is currently on maternity leave until 2023. Please direct queries related to NREC-CT to Susan Quinn (clinicaltrials@nrecoffice.ie).
Aileen Sheehy is the Programme Manager for the National Office for Research Ethics Committees in Ireland, with primary responsibility for the NREC-CT. As a senior member of the National Office team, Aileen manages the processes and procedures that underpin the national system of research ethics review and is an expert in the regulatory aspects of research ethics review for clinical trials.
Aileen brings a wealth of experience to the National Office from a decade working in science and research policy, advocacy, project management and media relations across academia and government agencies in Cambridge, Oxford and Dublin. She is committed to fostering transparent communication and understanding of best practice in research ethics within the Irish health research community.
Aileen holds a BSc in Chemistry from University College Cork, an MSc in Chemistry and Science Communications from the University of Warwick and an MSc in Global Health Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly is the Administrative Assistant for The National Office for Research and Ethics Committees in Ireland. She draws on her organisational and business management skills to provide administrative and secretarial support to the National Office team.
Kathy brings a range of relevant professional experience to the National Office including as Executive Assistant to the CEO at the HRB, administrator for HRB senior management and Customer Planner in the pharmaceutical industry.
Kathy holds an Honours Degree in Business Studies in Procurement and Supply Management from University College Dublin.
Dr Lucia Prihodova
Dr Lucia Prihodova is the Programme Manager for the National Office for Research Ethics Committees in Ireland, with particular responsibility for the NREC-MD. As a senior member of the National Office team, Lucia manages the processes and procedures that underpin the national system of research ethics review and works on development of training for the NREC Members.
As an established researcher and research manager, Lucia brings in wealth of expertise, having led and collaborated on large-scale research projects in health systems research from design to knowledge translation and dissemination, both nationally and internationally. She is an experienced manager, with key skills in leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning.
Lucia holds a PhD from the Faculty of Medicine at University of Groningen, Netherlands and MSc in Psychology from Trnava University, Slovakia. Lucia dedicates her free time to a number volunteer activities: she acts as an Editor of The Irish Psychologist, official magazine of the Psychological Society of Ireland, she is a board member of Liz Roche Company and a member of Bainne Beatha.