Professor Dempsey is a Science Foundation Ireland Principal Investigator within INFANT. He is the lead PI for a number of on going SFI funded studies including Neoview which is a research project aimed at improving patient care and family well-being in the NICU and involves the use of webcams at the cot side, Neuroprobe which is a study addressing the relationship between blood pressure and cerebral activity in preterm infants.
Professor Dempsey has significant experience in conducting newborn clinical trials. His principle area of interest is cardiovascular support in the preterm infant. He is chief investigator for the EU FP7 funded multicentre, HiP trial (management of hypotension in the extremely preterm infant). He was local Principal Investigator for a number of multinational clinical trials including the NIPPV trial and the SafeBoosC-II trial. He is currently local Principal Investigator for AEROSURF®, a Phase 2 clinical trial of nebulised surfactant in very preterm infants, the MINT 1 clinical trial which is investigating the use of Milrinone in neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension and the CUPID trial which is a pilot trial comparing maternal and neonatal outcomes following either immediate or delayed cord clamping with ventilation initiated at the bedside and umbilical cord milking. Other areas of interest include ethical issues pertaining to the newborn infant, manual ventilation, newborn resuscitation training, simulation based procedural healthcare, enhanced newborn stabilization, cerebral oxygenation and the role of NIRS in delivery suite management. He has acted as an international reviewer for a number of funding agencies including the NIHR and the European Commission.
Career Profile:
Current Positions:
- Professor of Paediatrics and Consultant Neonatologist, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University College Cork
- Principal Investigator, INFANT centre
- Principal Investigator, HRB Mother & Baby Clinical Trials Network Ireland
Previous Positions:
- Nov 2007- Feb 2014 Consultant Neonatologist Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University College Cork
- Aug 2005- Oct 2007 Consultant Neonatologist and Honorary Clinical Lecturer, Coombe Women’s and Infants University Hospital and Our Lady’s Hospital for Children, Crumlin, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College Dublin
- July 2002- June 2005 Neonatology Fellowship:McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Specialist Registrar in Paediatrics
- Jan-Jun 2002 Neonatology Clinical Tutor, National Maternity Hospital
- Jul-Dec 2001 General Paediatrics /Neonatology Waterford Regional
- Jan-Jun 2001 Our Lady’s Hospital for Children, Crumlin
- Apr-Jun 2001 Cardiology
- Jan-Mar 2001 Intensive Care Medicine
- Jul-Dec 2000 Neurology
- Jan-Jun 2000 Infectious Diseases
- Jun-Dec 1999 General Paediatrics/Neonatology Drogheda
Registrar in Neonatology
Jul 1998-Jun 1999 Neonatology
Senior House Officer Paediatrics Cork University Hospital and Erinville Hospital
- Jan-Jun 1998 Neonatology
- Oct-Dec 1997 General Paediatrics
- Jul-Sep 1997 General Paediatrics
- Jan-Jun 1997 Neonatology
- Oct-Dec 1996 General Paediatrics
- Jul-Sep1996 Paediatric Day Unit
Professional Activities/Achievements:
Academic Record (postgraduate):
- MA in Teaching and Learning, UCC NUI2016
- MSc Health Care Ethics and Law, RCSI, 2008
- MD UCC NUI, 2008
- Certificate of Neonatal Fellowship, McGill University, 2005
- CSCST in Pediatrics, Royal College of Physicians, 2004
- Certificate in Leadership, Management and Career Development in Academic Practice, McGill University, 2004
- MRCPI (Paediatrics), 1999
- General Professional Training, 1998
- Professor Dempsey is the neonatal lead for the Health Research Board perinatal clinical trials network and is a member of the European Society for Paediatric Research and the European Neonatal Society. He is a member of the Haemodynamic subgroup of the International Neonatal Consortium (FDA and EMA). He is a member of the European Neonatal Echo Working group and a member of the Neonatal Haemodynamic Club of the Paediatric Academic Society.
- He is a previous board member of the Faculty of Paediatrics and a previous president of the Irish American Pediatric Association. He is a lecturer at the Royal College of Physicians Ireland and the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland in newborn ethical issues.