THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY IS IRELAND'S LEADING BODY OF EXPERTS IN THE SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The Royal Irish Academy/Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann champions research. We identify and recognise Ireland’s world class researchers. We support scholarship and promote awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. We believe that good research needs to be promoted, sustained and communicated. The Academy is run by a Council of its members. Membership is by election and considered the highest academic honour in Ireland.

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Colum Dunne

Head of Medicine UL

Colum Dunne BSc (Hons), PhD, MBA, LLM, FRCPath is Head of the School of Medicine at University of Limerick. He is Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (London) (FRCPath), Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Royal Society of Medicine (London). Colum began his third level education at University College Cork (UCC) and has held senior research roles at Ireland's National Food Biotechnology Centre, UCC's BioMerit Research Centre & the Departments of Microbiology and Medicine in UCC. Following a period as General Manager of a cancer research centre (supported largely through philanthropy) developing gene-/chemotherapies and innovative medical devices, Colum joined multinational Glanbia Plc as Director of Research, and served for five years as a Director and member of the Boards of the Glanbia Nutritionals group of companies. He is an inventor on multiple patents and was CEO and Founding Director of SoloPep Ltd, which commercialised an infection risk-reduction medical device for patients with respiratory illness. Colum has published extensively (>260 peer-reviewed articles). His research aims to better understand intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, microbial colonisation and infection, host response, healthcare associated infections, prevention and ways to mitigate effects. Further research focuses on medico-legal aspects of vulnerable populations. Colum is currently the longest serving member of the UL School of Medicine Executive Team. He is Foundation Professor and remains Director of Research at the School of Medicine, and Founding Director of the Centre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity (4i) at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Colum served for two terms on the University's Governing Authority (University Board).

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