2020 Rising Star Award: Ms Deirdre Healy

Class of 2006, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular SciencesHeadshot of Deirdre Healy

  • Country of residence: Belgium
  • Professional title: Technical Officer, World Health Organisation

Deirdre Healy obtained her degree from RCSI School of Pharmacy in 2006, and public health masters degree at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Since 2015, Deirdre has worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the prequalification technical unit, which facilitates access for WHO member states to affordable diagnostics, vaccines and medicines that are quality assured, safe and appropriate. She has worked in application evaluation and dossier assessment for in vitro diagnostics. Currently, she develops WHO guidance for manufacturers applying for prequalification of their in vitro diagnostics and contributes to international standards development. 

Deirdre began her career working in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital as a clinical pharmacist. She subsequently worked with the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières, where she managed pharmacy services for their HIV/TB programme in Uganda, and set up and managed pharmacy services for refugee camps and field and reference hospitals in Syria and Jordan. She later worked for MSF in Brussels, coordinating the procurement and quality assurance of medical devices for MSF, and overseeing the operational work in local market evaluations and supply chain strengthening in the countries where MSF is operational.