President’s Research Excellence and Impact Award for Early Career Researcher

President Kerstin Mey has announced that the winner of the 2021 President’s Research Excellence and Impact Award for Early Career Researcher is Dr Kieran O’Sullivan, Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health, EHS.

After working in clinical practice as a physiotherapist for a number of years, Dr O’Sullivan focuses on conducting excellent research which sheds new light on why back pain is such an ongoing challenge. He is now ranked in the top 30 researchers on back pain in the world, has obtained over €4 million in research funding and exemplifies research excellence and impact. His research has led to the development and testing of novel solutions for the treatment of back pain. In addition, Dr O’Sullivan is the National Director of Professional Development for Physiotherapists.

This award was organised and adjudicated by Research Impact Committee members: Prof Helena Lenihan (Chair), Kemmy Business School, Prof Nigel Healey, Provost/Deputy President, Prof Brian Fitzgerald, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Prof James Gleeson, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Prof Helen Kelly Holmes, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof Donald Truxillo, Kemmy Business School, Prof Catherine Woods, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, Prof Paul Conway, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, Prof Sean Redmond, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The committee were very impressed with the quality of the applications from across the campus community displaying the wealth of excellent research taking place at UL.

As we cannot mark this achievement in person, we have a recorded message from Dr O’Sullivan together with an in-depth podcast on his research into low back pain hosted by Prof Helena Lenihan.