In October 2026, Trinity launched the Trinity Centre for Reproductive Sciences and Women's Health (TCRW), bringing together researchers, clinicians and policy experts to address key challenges in women's and reproductive health. The School of Social Work and Social Policy is contributing to the initiative through the leadership of Dr Catherine Conlon, who co-leads the Centre's Lifespan Reproductive Research theme.

The new Centre aims to advance women's and reproductive health through research, clinical collaboration, education and policy engagement. Bringing together expertise from across Trinity and its healthcare partners, it will create a coordinated research ecosystem spanning discovery science, clinical research and policy.

Dr Conlon's research theme examines women's and reproductive health across the lifespan, exploring how reproductive processes shape chronic disease risk, health inequalities and healthy ageing. The theme reflects the Centre's commitment to combining biomedical, social science and policy perspectives to address complex health challenges and improve health outcomes.

Conlon appears at the TCRW launch event

The Centre is co-directed by Dr Lisa Owens, Dr Michelle Lavin and Professor Cliona O'Farrelly, and unites expertise from Trinity College Dublin, St James's Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin and the Merrion Fertility Clinic.

A strong emphasis on collaboration with patient advocacy groups and community organisations will ensure that lived experience helps shape the Centre's research priorities, engagement activities and impact on policy and practice.

Dr Conlon welcomed the opportunity to contribute to a collaborative initiative that strengthens understanding of reproductive health across the life course while connecting research, policy and patient perspectives.