Prof Katrien Benhalima
Katrien Benhalima is the Deputy Head of the Clinic of Endocrinology at UZ Leuven. Prof Benhalima graduated in 2003 with a masters degree in medicine from KU Leuven. She currently works both clinically as an endocrinologist and as an active researcher in the area of diabetes in pregnancy. She is the author of >90 peer reviewed papers and was lead author on the CRISTAL study – a parallel-group, open-label. Randomised controlled trial and the ehe Belgian Diabetes in Pregnancy Study (BEDIP-N), a multi-centric prospective cohort study on screening for diabetes in pregnancy and gestational diabetes.
Dr Pauline Dunne
Dr Dunne is a CORÚ registered dietitian who began her career in 2002 in the HSE, gaining experience across acute and primary care services where she contributed to the development and delivery of a range of dietetic services including structured education for type 2 diabetes (X-PERT), and residential care services for both older persons and disabilities. In 2013, Dr Dunne joined the NGO sector, taking up a Development Officer post with Diabetes Ireland. This multifaceted role included delivery and evaluation of structured patient education (CODE) to people with type 2 and pre- diabetes, development, and delivery of education service providers for older persons and intellectual disability, and leading health promotion initiatives for Workplace Wellness within the organisation. Dr Dunne holds a Diploma in Health Service Management from University of Limerick, an MSc in Human Nutrition & Dietetics from the University of Ulster, and a BSc (Hons) from the University of Galway. Dr Dunne was a member of Council for the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) for 4 years, supporting development of the dietetic profession. Dr Dunne has a keen interest in exploring ways to offer effective and accessible self-management supports to those with long term health conditions and was awarded her PhD for her thesis titled “AFTER-GDM: evaluating the feasibility of a type2 diabetes prevention pathway, for women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)”.
Dr Shu Hoashi
Dr Hoashi works as a consultant endocrinologist in Mullingar University Hospital and is an active member of the Irish Endocrine Society and trainer with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He leads an annual pregnancy health study day and is today going to talk about the role of early testing in GDM.
Dr Christine Newman
Dr. Newman is currently working as a consultant endocrinologist and associate professor of maternal health in Galway University Hospital/University of Galway and is lead clinical researcher in the Diabetes Collaborative Clinical Trials Network. She graduated from NUIG in 2012 with an MB BCh BAO and completed her MD in the area of diabetes in pregnancy in 2022. She has previously held posts as a clinical lecturer in the School of Medicine at the University of Galway and clinical fellow in Diabetes Technology and Endocrinology in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Group. She obtained postgraduate qualifications from the The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and is a member of the college and she has a Speciality Certificate in Endocrinology and Diabetes from the Society of Endocrinology. Dr Newman’s research interests are currently focused in the area of diabetes in pregnancy, diabetes technology and evidence synthesis and she recently lead a refresh Priority Setting Partnership with the James Lind Alliance in the area of type 1 diabetes.
Prof Fidelma Dunne
Fidelma Dunne is a Professor in Medicine at the School of Medicine and Associate Director of the Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at University of Galway and a Consultant Endocrinologist at Galway University Hospitals group. She completed undergraduate training at the University of Galway and postgraduate training (scientific and clinical) at University of Birmingham UK. She holds an MD (University College Cork), PhD (University of Birmingham UK), Masters in Medical Education (University of Dundee Scotland), and Masters in Clinical Research (University of Galway).
She was the Foundation Head of the School of Medicine (2009-2013) and executive board member of Irish Medical Council (2013-2021). Professor Dunne is a member of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group (DPSG) of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and is the current President of the International Association Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) 2016-2022. She was a Fulbright scholar for 2014-2015 at Columbia University New York and is an Adjunct Professor at Steno Diabetes Research Centre in Odense, Denmark (2020-2025). Professor Dunne’s research interest is in the area of pregnancy and diabetes with >240 peer review publications, 10,000 citations, H index of 52 with >22m euro in grant funding.
Ms Mary O’Kane
Ms O’Kane is a Consultant Dietitian in Adult Obesity at Leeds Teaching Hospital, Fellow of the British Dietetic Association (BDA). IFSO Integrated Health Past President. Association for the Study of Obesity Trustee. Ms O’Kane has led three working groups developing national bariatric surgery guidelines to improve patient care and will talk to use today about pregnancy after bariatric surgery.
Prof Mary Higgins
Prof Higgins is a consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist in the National Maternity Hospital and Associate Professor in University College Dublin. Her subspecialty is maternal fetal medicine and she has a special interest in diabetes in pregnancy. Prof Higgins was the leading obstetrician on the diabetes in pregnancy model of care of lead obstetrician on the national Irish guidelines for pre-gestational diabetes. Prof Higgins graduated in Medicine from University College Dublin and completed her training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Ireland, with membership and then fellowships of the RCPI and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (UK). Following an MSc from the University of Oxford, she gained further research experience by a MD (Diabetes) from UCD. She gained experience in Maternal Fetal Medicine in Toronto, Canada, and returned to Ireland to her current post as Associate Professor in University College Dublin and a consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist in the National Maternity Hospital. As a Principal Investigator in UCD Perinatal Research Centre, her research interests include maternal medicine, diabetes, education, and pre-eclampsia. She is an Associate Fellow AMEE (Association for Medical Education in Europe) and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators.
Ms Ciara Covney
Ms Coveney works as an RAMP in the area of Diabetes in Pregnancy (DIP) at the NMH and Assistant Professor / Lecturer University College Dublin. Ms Coveney has been awarded MSc, BSc, PGDip and HDip and led and innovated the implementation of the Gestational Diabetes Virtual Care Service which is the first of its type and size nationally. This innovation lead to significant cost saving to the hospital and also to the patient, whilst keeping women safe by providing their care remotely closer to the home. Dr Coveney was the lead midwife on the model of care for diabetes in pregnancy and the gestational diabetes guidelines.
Dr Ciara McGowan
Dr Eoin Noctor
Dr Noctor is a graduate of University College Dublin, and became a member of the Royal College of Physicians in 2007. Following completion of his specialist training in Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus in Ireland in 2013, Dr Noctor took up a post as a Chief Physician at Steno Diabetes Centre in Denmark, where he led the international medical education team, working with local organizations in low and middle-income countries to design and deliver educational and training programmes in diabetes management. Eoin returned to his native Limerick in 2016 to take up his current post as Consultant Endocrinologist and Adjunct Senior Lecturer with the University of Limerick Hospitals Group. He commenced practice at Bon Secours Hospital Limerick in 2018. His areas of interest include; research into the long-term impact of gestational diabetes, and prevention of type 2 diabetes, in which he was awarded his doctoral thesis, methods of provision of diabetes care in different populations, and the training of health care professionals in diabetes management. He holds a postgraduate diploma in clinical medical education from the National University of Ireland, Galway, where he is involved in the diabetes care distance learning programme for primary care health care professionals, and is a member of the Postgraduate Education committee for the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). He is also a member of the American Diabetes Association, the European Society of Endocrinology, and the Irish Endocrine Society.
Ms Pauline Ferry
Ms Ferry works as an advances midwife practitioner in Letterkenny University Hospital and was key in establishing the maternity diabetes technology service. Ms Ferry leads the pre-pregnancy service and completed her masters in evaluating the clinician- and patient-centered barriers to pre-pregnancy care attendance.