Dr Pat O’Mahony, MVM, MBA, C Dir, is Chief Executive at Mapat Management Consultants where he provides strategic management consultancy to selected clients across various sectors including Biopharmaceuticals, Med Tech and Health Care Systems. Particular interests at present include Value Based Healthcare, Clinical Research and Genomics. Pat is also Chairman of the Board of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and Chairman of the Board of the Irish Medicines Verification Organisation (IMVO).

Pat previously served as CEO at Clinical Research Development Ireland, the clinical and translational research partnership of the universities in Ireland from 2017 to 2019, Deputy Secretary General and Head of Governance and Performance at the Department of Health in Dublin for 15 months, prior to which Pat was Chief Executive of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) from 2002 to 2015.

Having spent a number of years in private clinical practice and as technical manager in the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland and the UK, Pat worked in public health and was Director of Consumer Protection at the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

Pat has previously served on a variety of public and private sector boards including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), where he served as Chairman from 2007 to 2011, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the National Patient Safety Advisory Group and was vice Chair of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities. Pat was appointed Chair of the Ministerial Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy in 2023.

As Economic Affairs Manager is responsible for the PGEU initiatives related to health economics and policy. He monitors EU policies in the areas of EU economic governance and health systems resilience and sustainability. Moreover, he produces data-driven analyses of market developments in the healthcare and pharmacy sector, to advise PGEU members and to inform PGEU policy positions. He also contributes to developing PGEU relationships with stakeholders and institutions, including with the European Commission and the OECD.

Laura is a Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy UCC. As a pharmacist with over 30 years’ experience including community, hospital, industry and academia, she has seen first-hand the challenges that patients and their families encounter when managing medications.

One of Laura’s research areas is Health Literacy and she has been involved in many projects to promote clear communication strategies by healthcare professionals with the aim of improving the patient experience.

Laura Sahm received a B.Sc. Pharm (Hons) from the University of Brighton and won a scholarship from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) to pursue her postgraduate studies in the Grade 5A* Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath.

Laura obtained her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics (Site-specific drug delivery of methotrexate to melanoma) in 1995. She moved to Germany in 1996 where she worked in community pharmacy, and for the pharmaceutical industry (Takeda GmbH).

Michelle is a Lecturer of Clinical Pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy UCC, and senior postdoctoral research at the National Suicide Research Foundation. Her undergraduate research project found that one in four patients did not understand the instructions on a box of paracetamol, and Michelle continued to witness evidence of these health literacy challenges in practice after qualifying and working as a community pharmacist. Her postdoctoral research continues to explore the optimisation of patient and healthcare professional education, including work with the Health Research Board, the Health Service Executive, the Department of Health, and the National Cancer Control Programme. She also writes a weekly women’s wellbeing column, providing accessible information for the general public.

Michelle received a BPharm from UCC in 2011 and an MPharm from RCSI in 2012. Her PhD in 2019 evaluated a national intervention for pharmacy student wellbeing. She was the Covid Hub Lead Pharmacist for the IIoP in 2022, and launched the UCC Digital Badge, An Introduction to Health Literacy for Health and Social Care Professionals with Prof. Sahm and the National Adult Literacy Agency earlier this year.

One of Ireland’s best known and respected media personalities, Brent Pope is a popular, entertaining and highly accomplished business, motivational and after-dinner speaker, particularly in the area of well-being and wellness.
In his candid and best-selling autobiography, Brent Pope: If You Really Knew Me (2013), Brent talks openly about his rugby career and personal life. Unusually in the world of rugby, he also speaks honestly and eloquently about mental health issues, having suffered anxiety attacks for many years. And in the last decade, his candour, warmth and wit when speaking publicly on these issues have won over audiences at corporate events of all sizes. People are struck in particular by his empathy, which is aimed at empowering everyone, but especially men, to share their struggles with a view to getting the help and support they need to thrive.
A ruthless, tough player who “ran like a reverse hovercraft”, Pope’s aggressive, uncompromising style inspired the legendary players around him and the teams he coached, and he brings the same zeal and commitment to his speaking roles.
Brent is possibly the only rugby player ever to write a series of non-rugby books (six to date) for children. He has been one of RTÉ Television’s main rugby pundits since 1993 and has also appeared in numerous cross-over programmes including The Late Late Show.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in economics, valuation and property management from Canterbury University in New Zealand, as well as postgraduate qualifications in Marketing, Public Relations (UCD) and Sports Management. Brent was previously employed as a professional rugby coach, a Marketing Manager for Brookfield MRI Clinic, and then as an award-winning European Marketing Manager for a leading Irish and international property development company.

Today he runs his own successful clothing business, POPE, and is a dedicated charity worker and a proud ambassador to many leading Irish charities, especially those linked to youth and mental health issues. Brent was also the founder and curator of the ‘Outside In Art Gallery’.

Brent is empathetic and candid, he is not afraid to share his own experiences suffering with anxiety to help others.

Joanne Kissane is the Registrar and Chief Officer of the PSI, having commenced in the role in January 2023. Prior to joining the PSI, she was the Director and National Coordinator for APPEL, a joint office of the three Schools of Pharmacy in Ireland, which manages the student experiential learning placements for the integrated Masters degree programmes in pharmacy. She has worked in community pharmacy as a practising pharmacist, and she was the superintendent pharmacist for Lloyds Pharmacy for seven years, and subsequently held the role of Head of Operational Excellence for the organisation.

Ms Kissane was a member of the PSI Council for seven year and chaired several PSI committees during this time and served two years as PSI President.

Dr Tamasine Grimes is Associate Professor in the Practice of Pharmacy at Trinity College Dublin and a practicing pharmacist. Tamasine undertook her undergraduate training in TCD, followed by a Masters in Hospital Pharmacy (TCD), and a PhD in Clinical Pharmacy (The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland). Since graduation, Tamasine has worked in hospital, community and academic pharmacy settings. Tamasine is a leader in the field of medication safety, and this is the focus of her current work which includes her undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, her research and her engagement in policymaking. Tamasine is Chair of the Pharmacy eHealth Group, which provides access to a non-partisan, trusted source of knowledge, experience and professionalism that can be consulted to provide recommendations and insight about digital health with specific focus on ePharmacy.

Niall is responsible for the development of eHealth policy and the national eHealth agenda with specific focus on enabling delivery of integrated care under the Sláintecare reform agenda through the implementation of digital health systems, digital identity , ePharmacy and other strategic eHealth initiatives; At international level, Niall represents the department on the EU eHealth Network, the Global Digital Health Partnership and SNOMED International.

Shaun Flanagan is a pharmacy graduate from Trinity College Dublin. For over 10 years, he held the position of Chief Pharmacist at the HSE and is currently the Assistant National Director of the PCRS. Flanagan has also worked at Beaumont Hospital and St. James Hospital as Pharmacy Clinical Services Manager and Pharmacy Operations Manager.

Priscilla Lynch is an award-winning medical and health journalist with almost 20 years experience covering the sector. She is currently Clinical Editor of the Medical Independent and Editor of Update clinical journals, and a contributor to Medscape UK. She also occasionally freelances for a number of national newspapers and is a regular contributor on healthcare news to the Last Word on Today FM, RTE 1’s Drivetime and the Late Debate, the Hard Shoulder on Newstalk, and other radio and TV shows. Priscilla has a specialist interest in national and international healthcare policy, medical politics, waiting lists, and medical innovation. @priscillalynch