Pioneering sports scientist and former Trinity Professor of Anatomy Professor Moira O’Brien was recently conferred with an honorary Trinity doctorate for her outstanding work in the fields of public health and sport science. Moira O'Brien was conferred alongside fellow honorary degree recipients Linda Ervine, Sir Donnell Deeny and Dermot Smurfit on Friday 13 June 2025.
At the honorary degree ceremony, Public Orator Anna Chahoud praised Moira O’Brien’s “transformative foresight” in introducing a bone density scanner to Ireland in 1990, “establishing herself as a pioneer in the treatment of osteoporosis and remaining a leading authority in the field to this day”, as well as being “sport’s wisest and most eloquent advocate”. Aged 91, Moira is still working for the benefit of public health. She spent most of her research and teaching career in Trinity College Dublin where she is Fellow Emerita and Emeritus Professor of Anatomy.
The daughter of two Trinity medical graduates, Moira O'Brien started her medical training at the age of 15 and went on to have a prestigious career in the field of sports medicine. A passionate sportsperson, Moira represented RCSI in hockey and swimming throughout her time in university and is the namesake of the Moira O'Brien Sports Scholarship established in her honour.
The first female Professor in Trinity’s School of Medicine, Moira O'Brien co-founded Trinity’s Human Performance Laboratory in the School of Anatomy. This laboratory was used by a generation of top Irish Athletes, Olympians and Irish Teams to enhance their training and improve their performance. Maura set up the first full-time Masters in Sports Medicine degree programme in Ireland and Great Britain and established the first Certificate in Maximising Performance and Monitoring of Training in Sport. She also received the Sir Roger Bannister Award in 2015 in recognition of a lifetime’s contribution to the field of Sport and Exercise Medicine and the inaugural Lifetime Achievement award by the Irish Osteoporosis Society in 2015.
Outside of academia, Moira O'Brien served as Irish Olympic Chief Medical Officer from 1979-89, being the Irish team doctor at Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 Olympic games and acted as expert advisor for Norway in the Lillehammer Winter Olympics. In all contexts, Moira fought for equal participation opportunities for women in sport in general and in the Olympics in particular. She was also a member of the European Olympic Medical Commission sat on the Board of the Federation International Medicine Sportive.
During the Trinity Olympians 100 Celebration, Professor O'Brien was hailed as a pioneer in Sports Performance by the Chief Executive Officer of Irish Olympic Committee, Peter Sherrard. She has over 120 academic journal publications, has written or co- authored 31 books and has given over 650 presentations.
Watch Dean of Students Richie Porter interview Moira O'Brien about her life and experience, as part of the Trinity Olympians exhibition in 2024.