Professor Sheils because Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2019. Professor Sheils has a PhD in Molecular Pathology from Trinity College Dublin and a MA in Medical Law and Ethics from Kings College London. She is a leader in multidisciplinary molecular pathology, who has championed a niche area facilitating interaction between basic science, translational research, clinical service provision and biotechnology. She has a particular interest in developing novel molecular diagnostics, and she works closely with industry bringing novel technologies and applications to the translational research setting. Her research strategy is to improve human health and wellbeing through translational research, and is predicated on clinical, patient centred, laboratory-based and health service research informed by real world clinical bedside problems, and societal and global health challenges.
She is a member of the Tallaght/St James’ Joint Research Ethics Committee and was Chair of TCD’s Research Ethics Policy Committee (REPC) from 2012-2019 having chaired the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (REC) for the previous 7 years. In 2016 Professor Sheils was appointed founding Director of the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute – an exclusively health sciences- focused educational and research institution, embedded within the acute hospital setting. She is an active Principal Investigator within TTMI.
Professor Orla Sheils is a Key Opinion Leader in the area of Molecular Diagnostics. Her expertise emanates from a base of clinical, patient centred, laboratory-based and health service research informed by real world clinical beside problems, and societal and global health challenges. She is a recognised expert in Bio-Medical Ethics particularly with regard to biotechnology.