School of Psychology

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Aras an Phiarsaigh
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin 2
Ireland

+353 1 896 1886

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psychology@tcd.ie
Dr. Dale Whelehan

Dr. Dale Whelehan

Assistant Professor Human Factors, Psychology

Biography

Dr Dale Whelehan is an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. A social entrepreneur and behavioural scientist, he works at the intersection of organisational behaviour, human factors, and sustainable performance translating evidence into practical systems that help people and institutions thrive. Recognised by TIME100 (Health) and Forbes 30 Under 30, Dale has led global initiatives to redesign how we live and work. As former CEO of 4 Day Week Global (a TIME100 company), he oversaw international pilots across public and private sectors to evaluate reduced working hours and their impact on productivity, wellbeing, and equity. His work has been featured by every major news media globally including The Atlantic, FOX, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the BBC. He is also the Founder of 4 Day World and BehaviourDoc, partnering with leaders and organisations to build regenerative, science-backed approaches to culture and performance. A two-time TEDx speaker, he regularly contributes to public discourse on the future of work.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

  • Whelehan DF, McCarrick C, Ridgway PF, A systematic review of sleep deprivation and technical skill in surgery, The Surgeon, 2020Journal Article, 2020, URL
  • Whelehan DF, Conlon KC, Ridgway PF, Medicine and Heuristics: Cognitive biases and medical decision making, Irish Journal of Medical Science, 2020Journal Article, 2020, URL
  • Whelehan DF, Alexander M, Ridgway PF, Would you allow a sleepy surgeon operate on you? A Narrative Review, Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2020Journal Article, 2020
  • Whelehan DF, Baily-Scanlan M, Ridgway PF, Is your physio tired? Exploring sleep deprivation in Irish physiotherapists, Physiotherapy Practice and Research, 2020Journal Article, 2020
  • Whelehan DF, Connelly TM, Doherty E, Ridgway PF, Fatigued surgeons - would you let them fly a plane?, Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture & Surgical Symposium, 2020Conference Paper, 2020
  • Whelehan DF, Connelly TM, Doherty E, Ridgway PF, Mapping modifiable lifestyle factors that impact on-call surgical performance, Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture & Surgical Symposium, 2020Conference Paper, 2020
  • Whelehan DF, Algeo NA, Brown D, Leadership through crisis: fighting the fatigue pandemic in healthcare during COVID-19 , BMJ Leader, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • BK Judd, DF Whelehan, MT Baysari, AJ Baillie, The Impact of Personal Protective Equipment on Cognitive and Emotional Aspects of Health Care Work, 2024Journal Article, 2024
  • Z Walston, DF Whelehan, N O"Shea, Clinical decision making in physical therapy " Exploring the `heuristic" in clinical practice, 2022Journal Article, 2022
  • D Whelehan, Q&A with Dale Whelehan: Reflections on Academia and Consulting, 2022Journal Article, 2022
  • D McGeown, C Mac Giolla Phadraig, D Whelehan, JH Nunn, Dental decision-making under general anesthesia for patients with disabilities, 2022Journal Article, 2022
  • DF Whelehan, M Alexander, TM Connelly, C McEvoy, PF Ridgway, Sleepy surgeons: a multi-method assessment of sleep deprivation and performance in surgery, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • DF Whelehan, DJ Brown, TM Connelly, PF Ridgway, Fatigued surgeons: causes, effects, and mitigation, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • DF Whelehan, DJ Brown, PF Ridgway, To strive or survive: thriving in surgical performance, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • DF Whelehan, TM Connelly, JR Burke, EM Doherty, PF Ridgway, Self-reported surgeon health behaviours, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • DF Whelehan, KC Conlon, PF Ridgway, If in doubt don't act out! Surgeon decision-making behaviours, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • DF Whelehan, TM Connelly, PF Ridgway, COVID-19 and surgery: unintended consequences, 2021Journal Article, 2021
  • DF Whelehan, Students as Partners: promoting student engagement in post-COVID teaching, 2022Journal Article, 2022
  • DF Whelehan, Time as capital: Rethinking value across generations, IBEC HR Leadership Summit, 2025Invited Talk, 2025
  • DF Whelehan, First, Do No Harm to Ourselves: Rethinking the working week in Medicine, Human Factors in Healthcare, Oxford, 2025Invited Talk, 2025
  • M Mahmood, M Umair, DF Whelehan, PF Ridgway, Assessing Surgeons Professional Attitudes Toward End-of-Life Decision Making: A Standardised Simulation-Based Study with Thematic Analysis, Journal of Surgical Education, 2025Journal Article, 2025

Research Expertise

Dr Whelehan's research explores how psychological systems influence wellbeing, performance, and equity in complex organisations. A central theme of his work is the relationship between wellbeing and the design of time, culture, and systems examining how structures either sustain or erode human health and collective effectiveness. His research focuses on three domains: (1) temporal design: how working-time structures, cadence, and decision cycles affect trust, fatigue, and wellbeing outcomes; (2) human factors and systems psychology: how individuals and teams manage performance, coordinate under pressure, and translate evidence into sustainable practice; (3) leadership and culture: how norms, incentives, and equity dynamics shape psychological safety, inclusion, and regenerative performance. Methodologically, he employs mixed methods and action-based methods in public, private and not for profit sectors. His current projects include investigating temporal intelligence, evaluating reduced-hours pilots, assessing fatigue and recovery as determinants of wellbeing, and developing culture diagnostics that link behavioural signals to organisational outcomes. Research domains include: Temporal design & working-time innovation: Effects of reduced hours, meeting/cadence architecture, and decision cycles on trust, productivity, and wellbeing. Human factors & systems psychology: Team coordination under uncertainty; risk perception; error, recovery, and reliability in high-stakes settings. Fatigue, wellbeing & performance: Measurement of fatigue load and recovery; links between sleep, attention, wellbeing, and safe, sustainable performance. Leadership & culture: How norms, incentives, and power shape wellbeing, inclusion, psychological safety, and collective efficacy. Supervision keywords: wellbeing; systems psychology; human factors; organisational behaviour; temporal intelligence; working-time design; leadership & culture; fatigue; EDI; mixed-methods evaluation.

Recognition

  • Inspiring Research Projects Award - SurveyMonkey
  • Student Rights Champion of the Year - Union of Students in Ireland
  • TEDx Speaker (twice invited)
  • TIME100 Health - Recognised Leader in Health
  • Open Access Research Award - Health Service Executive
  • Forbes 30 Under 30 - Social Impact (Europe)
  • Member, Board of CORU Ireland's multi-profession health and social care regulator (Physiotherapy Registration Board). Oversaw professional standards, training accreditation, and governance.
  • Advisory Board Member, National Student Engagement Programme (NStEP). Provided strategic guidance on student engagement policy and diversity in higher education.
  • Independent Panel Assessor, Diversity Mark. Evaluated and advised organisations applying for accreditation in diversity and inclusion, providing expert input on workplace equity and culture.
  • External Expert, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). Peer reviewer of higher education quality assurance agencies in Europe and the Middle East.
  • External Expert, Eurofound (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions). Contributed expertise to EU-funded research on quality of life and working conditions across Europe, including peer review of methodologies and reports.