Health Research Board

I am a fifth year medical student in University College Cork. During this time I have developed an interest in the specialist area of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. In summer 2008 I was lucky enough to be awarded funding from the Health Research Board (HRB) to enable me to partake in research at the Anu Research Centre and Cork University Maternity Hospital. The research group is led by Dr. Louise Kenny, a HRB Clinician Scientist and a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist. The team includes scientists, doctors, midwives and other students, all of whom are looking at the pregnancy condition, pre-eclampsia. This affects about 2% of all pregnant women and is a leading cause of death of both pregnant women and their unborn babies – particularly in the developing world. This condition is poorly understood and to date there is no effective treatment. In my summer research project I looked at the potential of a particular drug to treat pre-eclampsia.

My working day

During the project, I started each day at nine o’clock. Each morning I did a ward round in CUMH to check if there were any patients who were suitable to partake in the study. If there were, I would speak to them about the condition of pre-eclampsia, the aims of the project and what participation involved. Most patients were delighted to be involved in research and in helping us to learn more about pre-eclampsia.  I then went to the lab where my colleagues and I ran experiments on tissue from women’s wombs. Each day I went to the operating theatre and collected a new sample from the surgeon. This was very interesting as I could observe the surgery. Once a week all the researchers meet to discuss progress and to help each other with difficulties they may be having with equipment or techniques. This was just one of the many opportunities I had to learn from my colleagues during my research.

I do research because...

It is very rewarding work and because we are constantly learning it never becomes boring. Though I am in my final year of medicine this has been my first taste of medical research. It has been a very eye-opening experience for me. It has showed me that research is the way to improve our care of patients by having a better understanding of diseases and by discovering treatments which can save lives. The area of pre-eclampsia is particularly attractive to me as there is so much that we still don’t know about the condition. The development of a treatment would save the lives of millions of women and babies in the future.

How did I end up here?

In transition year of secondary school I did a project for the Young Scientist Exhibition. I loved both doing my own project and learning about the work that other students had done. After my leaving cert I went to UCC to study medicine. In the summer following my fourth year I discussed with my supervisor, Dr. Louise Kenny, my interest in obstetrics and gynaecology and also in doing a research project in the area. I was then offered the fantastic opportunity of doing a summer research project in the Anu Research Centre and the CUMH. Though my research is complete for now as I study for my final year, I look forward to being involved in research throughout my medical career.

What subjects did I do at secondary school and college?

For my leaving cert, I chose to study chemistry, physics, applied maths and German. In college I study medicine. In first and second year I studied anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. From third year on a large proportion of teaching happens in the hospital setting and topics include medicine, surgery, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology.

One interesting fact about me that you might not expect…

I love to travel and am always thinking of the next place I’d like to go. I love destinations with new and fun activities like scuba diving or jet-skiing. One of the things I love about research is that there are opportunities to work all over the world. In the future I hope to work in Australia and get involved in some of the research into pre-eclampsia there.