Dr Barbara Whelan is Acting Programme Manager and Research Fellow at Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Cochrane Ireland, based at the University of Galway. She leads a national assessment of Ireland’s evidence support system for health policymaking. She has over fifteen years of experience in health research, with previous roles at Ulster University, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Limerick. She previously supported national health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic through her work with the Department of Health’s Expert Advisory Group on Antigen Testing.