Educational Research: Human Factors, Cognition and Metacognition. Patient Safety, Medical Humanities.

Clinical Research: NeuroUrology, Functional Urology, Sexual Medicine and Sexual Dysfunction.

I qualified with MB BCh BAO from Queen’s University School of Medicine in 1987, and undertook postgraduate surgical training in Liverpool, Manchester and Northern Ireland. I was subsequently admitted to both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow (FRCSGlasg) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FRCSI) in 1991. As a surgical trainee, I undertook travelling Research Fellowships in several USA medical schools (Harvard in Boston,  Northwestern University in Chicago, University of Miami and University of California).

In 1998, I was awarded my Medical Doctorate from Queen’s in 1998 following submission of my research thesis on DNA fragmentation and also gained the FRCSUrol that same year.  

I completed Fellowship training in NeuroUrology, Reconstructive and Female Urology during my tenure as Visiting Assistant Professor at University of California, Davis throughout 1999 and 2000. The General Medical Council included me on the Specialist Register in 2000.

I was appointed as Consultant Urological Surgeon and NeuroUrologist in 2000 and practiced at Belfast City Hospital Regional Urology Service and both the Spinal Injuries and Regional Acquired Brain Injury Units at Musgrave Park Hospital.

My academic career at Queen’s University began formally in 2009 when I started  teaching both Anatomy and Communication Skills, after which I became University Tutor at the Clinical Skills Education Centre. After Dissertation submission, I was awarded the degree of MSc (with Distinction) in Medical Education in 2012.

I was appointed as a Clinical Academic Teaching Fellow at Queen’s in 2011. I have also been Postgraduate Tutor at the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency since 2012. I became Deputy Lead for Final Year at the medical school in September 2014. I lead for Medical Humanities,  Arts in Healthcare and reresent QUB on the Board of Directors for Arts Care NI. I am lead for teh Healthcare Human Factors and Clinical Elective modules and head the Human Factors group within the NI Simulation and Human Factors Network. I retain membership of several university committees, includig Patient Safety.

In the clinical arena, I am a member of The British Association for Urological Surgeons, , The British Society for Female, NeuroUrology and Urodynamics, the Ulster Medical Society  and The Ulster Urogynae Society. I am also a Medical Officer for the British Boxing Board of Control.  I am a Council Member at The Institute of Psychosexual Medicine and Editor of The Institute of Psychosexual Medicine Journal.

My academic affiliations include membership of Queen’s University Belfast Scholarly and Educational Research Network (Steering Committee member and Scholarly Lead for Medicine and Humanities), The Association for the Study of Medical Education, The Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare, The Academy of Medical Educators and The Irish Network of Medical Educators. I was a member of the 2015 Steering Committee of the Society in Europe for Simulation Applied to Medicine and have been Chairman of the Scientific Committee of The Irish Association of Sexual Medicine since 2012. I became Deputy Chairman of the N.Ireland Medical Academic Staff Committee in June 2014. I have been Faculty President of the Belfast Medical Student Association since 2014. I am a Director of Arts Care NI and lead for Healthcare Human Factors in NI. I am an active member of QUB Renal Arts Groups and Chair of the BCH/QUB Arts in Helath Committee. 

I have presented nationally and internationally on over 150 occasions and have circa 120 publications. I have been awarded several medals and awards for this work, including the Royal College of Surgeons In Ireland Presidential Medal, the Irish Society of Urology Gold Medal, the Ralph Shackman Travelling Fellowship, the William Cook Travelling Fellowship, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow Ethicon Foundation Fund Fellowship, the American Foundation for Urological Disease Research Scholarship and the Irish Network of Medical Educators Presentation Prize.  My current areas of research interest include Human Factors, Simulation,Cognition/Metacognition, Patient Safety and Medical Humanities.