Medicine

Contact Us School of Medicine
Level 1
Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute
Trinity College
152-160 Pearse Street
Dublin 2

View the contact page for more contact and location information

medadmin@tcd.ie

Research Areas

  • Down syndrome registry: Children with DS can experience a wide variety of associated health conditions resulting in avoidable secondary disability and chronic health problems. Despite probably the highest rate of DS worldwide, no robust data exist to inform services or clinical care for those with DS. To meet this need with the support of Down Syndrome Ireland and the National Children's Hospital Foundation we developed the unique National Register for DS, which incorporates a prospective study. The Register will provide for the first time accurate data to inform appropriate healthcare planning and clinical audit, permitting monitoring of the MMG implementation nationally.  PI: Professor Edna Roche (Chair), Professor Eleanor Molloy Research Nurse: Ms Fiona McGrane RGN. Research nurse: Gráinne O' Connor RSCN. RGN.  Funding Agency: National Children's Hospital Foundation   
  • National Clinical Guidelines: We have established a National Resource Centre with extensive international research projects on Down Syndrome which have been performed by Dr Joan Murphy. The Discipline has undertaken the definitive national study of children and young people with Down syndrome and established national medical guidelines for this group. The Discipline of Paediatrics co-hosted the World Congress on Down Syndrome in Dublin in July 2009, of which Professor Hoey was Chairman of the Scientific Committee and Dr Joan Murphy Honorary Secretary. Professor Roche and Ms Fiona McGrane are members of the steering committee of the Down's Syndrome Medical Interest Group of Ireland and UK (DSMIG).
  • Downloadable Forms here
  • Trinity’s Down Syndrome Research Group (DISCO) is led by Professor Eleanor Molloy, Children's Research Lab TCD - Molloy lab.

  • The Irish Childhood Diabetes National Register (ICDNR)
    The National Register of Type 1 Diabetes in Childhood and adolescence was established in January 2008 by Professor Edna Roche in the Discipline of Paediatrics of the University of Dublin with the support ofTallaght Hospital. It collaborates with all paediatric endocrinologists, paediatricians and diabetes nurses and paediatric centres nationally caring for those with Type 1 diabetes. The ICDNR collaborates nationally and internationally with adult endocrinologists, the Irish endocrine society, the NI Diabetes Register and Eurodiab. The ICDNR provides accurate and robust data regarding epidemiology in Type 1 diabetes supporting research, clinical care and health planning.
    Principal Investigator: Professor Edna Roche
    Research Nurse: Ms Amanda McKenna RN (Child and Adult), MSc
    Collaborators and Steering Group: Professor Hilary Hoey, Professor Myra O'Regan, Ms Kerry Ryder, Ms Helen Fitzgerald (ANP), Ms Amanda McKenna.
    Funding Agency: The National Children's Hospital Foundation.
  • Downloadable Forms here
  • EuroDiab
    The Irish Childhood Diabetes National Register is a full Member of and participant in the epidemiological research studies of the Eurodiab group, an international collaboration of diabetes registers.
  • National DKA Prevention Campaign
    Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a severe potentially fatal metabolic decompensation that can occur in Type 1 diabetes, particularly at disease onset. The presence of DKA at disease diagnosis is now thought to have long term implications for disease outcome and its prevention is an important therapeutic target.
    The ICDNR in collaboration with Diabetes Ireland and the Institute of Technology, Tallaght are leading a multicomponent broad based National DKA Prevention Campaign.
  • The Hvidoere International Childhood Diabetes Study Group
    The Hvidore Study Group is an international group of paediatric endocrinologists /diabetologists
    covering paediatric centres from 18 countries across Europe, Japan and North America. Its aim is to share and compare data with the overall objective of improving the treatment of childhood diabetes. The group undertake international multicentre studies in childhood diabetes. Professors Hilary Hoey and Edna Roche are members of the Hvidore Group and Professor Roche sits on the Hvidoere Steering Group. The National Children's Hospital, Tallaght is the Irish centre in the Hvidore study group. We participate in a range of international collaborative studies in Type 1 diabetes, such as, metabolic control and quality of life and the longitudinal study of the remission phase in type 1 diabetes.
    A significant number of international research projects have been completed and more are in progress from this group, these include: a longitudinal study of metabolic control, immunological markers, molecular aspects and quality of life on over 2,000 children from 22 countries around the world, including Europe, North America, Australia and Japan. Including the development of international quality of life instruments for children, adolescents, parents and health professionals caring for young people with diabetes, led by Professor Hilary Hoey who developed these new international quality of life instruments in collaboration with Professor Hannah McGee, RCSI; and Professor Michael Fitzgerald, TCD for the assessment of Quality of life in adolescent with diabetes and Quality of Life and family burden of parents of children with diabetes. These questionnaires have been translated into 17 languages and the ongoing research is being conducted in 22 international centres in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan.

  • Childhood Growth
    International Trial of Small for gestational age infants Northern European Small for Gestational Age Study (NESGAS) and Nesgas Extension studies; The Discipline of Paediatrics in the National Children's Hospital in Tallaght is the Irish centre for the North European International Trial of Children Born Small for Gestational Age (NESGAS Study). NESGAS is an international, multi-centre, randomised paediatric clinical trial on the efficacy and safety of Growth Hormone treatment in children born small for gestational children (SGA) without catch up growth. This is an international collaboration of the Universities of Copenhagen, Dublin, Cambridge, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Stockholm. This extensive longitudinal study commenced in 2005 is providing key insights into growth, development, insulin sensitivity, body composition, genetics and bone health in those born SGA. We are directing the bone health component of this study.
    Principal Investigator: Professor Edna Roche and Professor Hilary Hoey
    Trial Co-ordinator and Research Nurse: Ms Elaine O'Mullane RGN, RM
    Funding Agency: Unrestricted Grant from Novo Nordisk
  • GROWTH - 1OS International Outcome Study
    lnteiriational Study of the efficacy, safety and side effects of Growth Hormone treatment in childhood and adolescence.
    Principal Investigator: Professor Edna Roche
    Research Nurse: Ms Elaine O'Mullane RGN, RM
    Funding Agency: Novo Nordisk
  • The Irish National Growth Standards were developed by Professor Hilary Hoey based on data from over 7,000 Irish children.  These include standards on height, weight and height velocity from birth to 18 years and also standards for skinfold thickness and head circumference.  These standards are now applied throughout the country in primary, secondary and tertiary care.  The Department let the Irish component of the European Longitudinal growth study on children from birth to 3 years to evaluate the effects of feeding, socio-economic environment, disease, genetic and geographical determinants, serum zinc on growth and the construction of European growth standards was performed by the department of paediatrics.
  • Growing Up in Ireland
    The Discipline of Paediatrics is a key participant and contributed to the development of the proposal and protocol in the Growing up in Ireland National Longitudinal Study of Children which is being undertaken jointly by the University of Dublin, Trinity College and the Economic and Social Research Institute of Ireland co-directed by Professor James Williams, ESRI and Professor Sheila Greene, Professor of Childhood Research and Director of the Children's Research Centre at Trinity College with the health component led by Professor Tom O'Dowd.
  • Prader Willi Syndrome
    The National Children's Hospital is the main tertiary centre delivering care to children and adolescents with the rare condition of Prader Willi Syndrome led by Professor Edna Roche, a large cohort attend the academic clinical PWS service. This care is delivered in innovative age banded multidisciplinary dedicated PWS clinics with support and collaboration from paediatric endocrinology nursing, paediatric psychology, physiotherapy, speech and Language therapy, dietetics, respiratory, orthopaedics, ENT and paediatric dentistry. Dr Judith Meehan has undertaken an extensive study of children with Prader Willi Syndrome exploring management, efficacy and safety of growth hormone, body composition, quality of life and family burden. There is close collaboration with the adult endocrinology service led by Professor James Gibney and life-long care with on-site collaborative transition of care. Extensive Prader Willi Syndrome research is in progress to improve clinical care and outcomes. A major report regarding PWS in Ireland has been prepared in collaboration with Professor Louise Gallagher, TCD. The current research focus is on growth, body composition, orthopaedic issues, associated endocrinopathy, service need and healthcare utilisation, and treatment outcome.
    The National Children's Hospital Foundation has provided funding to support a dedicated dietitian to the service and Pfizer healthcare has provided an unrestricted grant to support the clinical service.
  • Turner's Syndrome
    A large cohort of patients with Turner Syndrome, attend the academic clinical Turner Syndrome service in dedicated clinics. Research areas include: Growth, Puberty, Bone Health and Quality of Life in Turner Syndrome.
    Principal Investigator: Professor Edna Roche
    Researcher: Dr Montasser Nadeem
    A further study exploring endothelial dysfunction in Turner Syndrome is due to commence in 2018, in collaboration with Professor Clodagh O'Gorman, University of limerick and Dr Declan Cody, OLCHC

Research Groups

Children's Research Lab TCD

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