Professor Keelin O’Donoghue, has been awarded a Research Ally Prize as part of the Irish Research Council Researcher of the Year 2021 awards for the positive impact that she has made as a mentor.

Announcing this year’s winners, Director of the Irish Research Council, Peter Brown, said: “I would like to congratulate the awardees on their awards. The standard of nominations this year was extremely high, and each of the winners should be immensely proud of their achievements. It is great to see this year’s winners representing a diverse range of research interests, which reflects the creativity and dynamism of the research community here in Ireland.”

Professor O’ Donoghue is a Consultant Obstetrician and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Sub-Specialist at Cork University Maternity Hospital and is actively engaged in impactful research, teaching and clinical practice. She leads the multi-disciplinary Pregnancy Loss Research Group, which comprises over 30 members, at all career stages. She has extensive supervisory/mentorship experience, with numerous researchers having completed/ongoing studies with her support, under a variety of programmes: PhD, Masters by research, MSc Public Health, MD, MSc Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Diploma Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and postdoctoral.

Professor O’Donoghue is one of ten 10 UCC winners of the Irish Research Council Research Ally Prizes. The Research Ally Prizes celebrate the role of supervisors, mentors, and research officers in supporting and sustaining the Irish research community, and how they help to foster a positive academic culture based on equality, inclusivity, and respect.