Eoin Kelleher

In 2014, Eoin earned his undergraduate degree in Medicine from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). His time at RCSI was transformative and enriching, allowing him to forge lifelong friendships. Throughout summer breaks he undertook research projects, igniting his passion for a dual role of clinician-scientist. Furthermore, the international dimension of RCSI and its diverse culture, complemented by fellowships in the US and London, opened his eyes to the vast global landscape of medicine.

Following graduation he began his professional journey as an intern at Beaumont Hospital. His first post was in anaesthetics and the draw of the specialty was immediate, prompting him to embark on the specialist anaesthesiology training scheme. Throughout his career he has valued the importance of balancing work with personal passions, dedicating time to his love of art.

While at RCSI he developed an interest in population health and epidemiology, collaborating on summer research projects with Professors Mary Cannon and David Cotter. At a cursory glance, the confluence of anaesthesiology and these disciplines might seem unlikely. However, considering the breadth of diseases from surgical conditions to critical care and chronic pain that anaesthesiologists manage, the connection becomes evident.

This synthesis of interests led him to the University of Oxford in 2019, where he pursued an MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology – a period that intersected with a pivotal global health event in early 2020. Following this, in 2022 he returned to Oxford to embark on an NIHR-funded PhD with Professor Irene Tracey’s PAIN research group. His focus is on the epidemiology and neuroscience of chronic pain.