The Annual Overview of Doctoral Health Research 2026 highlights the breadth and ambition of health research across the School of Medicine, featuring over 200 active PhD and MD research projects. Spanning discovery science, translational research, clinical innovation, health policy, digital health, and patient-centred care, this flagship report showcases major advances in personalised care. Featured highlights include artificial intelligence for eyelid tumour diagnosis, "digital twin" models for personalising lung cancer radiation therapy, machine learning algorithms to predict relapses in rare autoimmune diseases, virtual and extended reality tools in neuroanatomy education, lifestyle interventions for brain and oesophageal health, and airborne antimicrobial resistance. New to this edition is a comprehensive overview of postgraduate fellowships, scholarships, and awards supporting future research leaders.
Read about some of the research topics currently being investigated by our 2026 PhD cohort below.
-
Applying Evidence-Based Research to Support Anatomical Ultrasonography Education
-
Harnessing Virtual and Extended Reality to Advance Neuroscience Education and Research
-
Advancing Our Understanding of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
-
Advancing the Study of Alpha-Synuclein Pathology in Neurodegenerative Diseases
-
Investigating Airborne Antimicrobial Resistance in Farm Environments
-
Personalisation of Relapse Risk in Autoimmune disease
-
A Policy Analysis of Universal Healthcare Reform in Ireland
-
Exploring Novel Therapeutic Strategies in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia
-
Exploring the Role of Eosinophils in Asthma Inflammation
-
Assessing the Influence of Medication on Falls and Syncope in Older People
-
Real Potential for improving our treatment of Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis
-
Placing People living with ALS at the Centre of our Research
-
Improving Early Detection of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
-
The Impact of Driver Assist Technologies on Older Adults’ Driving
-
Exploring the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Eyelid Tumours
-
Childhood Allergy: Neutrophil Activation in Response to Nuts
-
Molecular Mechanisms of Chemotherapy Associated Thrombosis
-
Protecting Brain Health for Individuals Living with Type Two Diabetes Mellitus
-
Developing Lifestyle Interventions for People with Barrett’s Oesophagus
-
Improving Early Recognition of Young-Onset Gastroesophageal Cancer
-
Improving Mental Healthcare Diversion from Prison in Ireland
-
Supporting Disinvestment from Low-Value Medicines in Ireland
-
Using Digital Twins to Personalise Radiation Therapy in Lung Cancer
-
Advanced Imaging Analytics to Support More Personalised, Patient-Centred Care
-
Exploring Electroporation as a New Therapy in Oesophageal Cancer
-
Co-Designing Support for Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Young Adult Survivors
-
Exploring Long-Term Remission in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
Link to Full 2026 Report: