Fergal O’Brien, Professor of Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine in the Department of Anatomy, Deputy Director for Research & Innovation, and Head of the Tissue Engineering Research Group at RCSI has been elected as a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA), Ireland’s foremost body of experts in the Sciences and Humanities.

Congratulating Professor O’Brien on his election, Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI CEO said: “Membership of the Royal Irish Academy is the most prestigious and highest academic honour in Ireland. Professor O’Brien’s election to the Academy is a great honour for RCSI and testament to the extraordinary contribution he has made to research and education.”

Prof. O’Brien was recently awarded a highly prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant for a research project that aims to revolutionise the treatment of damaged articular joints such as the knee or ankle.

RIA was founded by Charter in 1785 for the advancement of learning and scholarship in Ireland. A small number of new members, from a variety of different institutions and disciplines, are elected to the RIA each year. Eligible candidates must have a proven track record in engaging colleagues and attracting scholarly interest internationally, demonstrated either through the production of high impact, novel and outstanding-quality publications or through other academic achievements or notable contributions made to the field. At present the Academy, has around 495 members, elected in recognition of significant academic achievements and exceptional contributions to education and/or research.

RCSI is ranked among the top 250 (top 2%) of universities worldwide in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2018) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. It is an international not-for-profit health sciences institution, with its headquarters in Dublin, focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide. RCSI is a signatory of the Athena SWAN Charter.