About ISGO

From left to right: Yvonne O'Meara, Donal Brennan, Michael O'Leary, Ian Harley, Dearbhaile Collins, Sharon O'Toole, Catherine O'Gorman. Absent from photo is Ruaidhri McVey and Miriam Colleran.

Our aims

The Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ISGO) re-established in Dec 2015. The aims of the society are to;

  1. Improve clinical outcomes for women with and at risk of gynaecological cancers by focusing on the full continuum of cancer care; from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliation.
  2. Educate the members of the ISGO, organise clinical meetings, promote research and to publish and disseminate the work of the society in Ireland and abroad
  3. To support and promote training in Gynaecological Oncology in Ireland
  4. Embed the patient voice in the management of all aspects of gynaecological oncology.
  5. Membership of the Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology is open to all those involved in the science and practice of Gynaecological Oncology. It includes clinicians, nurses, scientists, pathologists, other health service professionals and patient advocates

Executive Committee

Dr Dearbhaile Collins / President

Medical Oncologist

Dr Dearbhaile Collins MBBCh MA PhD IMRCS MRCPI is an Irish trained Medical Oncologist with speciality interest in lung cancer and gynaecological malignancies but also treats a wide variety of other cancers. She has both a PhD in translational oncology and MA in Medical Ethics and Law.

 

She has extensive experience in both surgical and medical oncology with numerous publications, presentations, grants and awards. Dearbhaile pursues translational research in tumour resistance to targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Dearbhaile has been a member of the ISGO board for several years.

Dr. Cara Martin / Translational Lead

Assistant Professor in Molecular Pathology and Tumour Biology

Dr Martin leads the HPV Research Group in Trinity College Dublin.

Her research programme consists of translational health services-based research and basic research approaches in cancer screening, female gynaecological cancers, head and neck cancers and other HPV associated cancers. She is co-founder, lead investigator and programme manager of CERVIVA, The Irish Cervical Screening Research Consortium (www.cerviva.ie).

Dr Sharon O’Toole / Vice President

Senior Research Fellow

Sharon O’Toole is a senior research fellow in Trinity College Dublin working in the area of gynaecological cancer.

 

Her research interests centre around diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and understanding the fundamental biology of the metastatic cascade and circulating tumour cells. She sits on the board of the Irish Society for Gynaecological Oncology with a responsibility for translational research and she co-founded a public and patient involvement group (ISGOPPI) within the society.

 

Dr. Miriam Colleran

Consultant in Palliative Medicine

Dr. Miriam Colleran is a consultant in palliative medicine in St. Brigid’s Hospice and Naas General Hospital. After general medical training including a GP Registrar year in Wales, she undertook higher specialist training in Palliative Medicine here in Ireland.

 

She did her MD on the impact of advanced cancer on sexuality. She is interested in optimising symptom and quality of life for patients and in clinical communication.

 

Mr Ruaidhri McVey

Gynaecological Oncologist

Mr. Ruaidhri McVey is an honours graduate of Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In 2013 Ruaidhri received his academic doctorate, MD, from the National University of Ireland. In 2015 Ruaidhri completed a three-year gynaecologic oncology fellowship program through the University of Toronto Canada based at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

 

Ruaidhri is based in the Mater, St Vincent’s and National Maternity Hospitals Dublin. Ruaidhri is on the steering committee of the ISGO. Ruaidhri sees his patients as partners in their care and is committed to improving quality of life for all patients. In his spare time, he tries to positively influence his three daughters.

 

Dr. Michael O’Leary / Treasurer

Gynaecological Oncologist

Dr Michael O’Leary qualified from UCD in 1998. He trained in Ireland in Dublin and Galway before travelling to Australia and New Zealand to complete a RANZCOG fellowship in Gynaecological Oncology. He been in post in Galway since 2009.

 

He is the NCCP national consultant liaison for Gynaecological Oncology. He is the RCPI BST and HST coordinator for the west of Ireland. He is the treasurer of ISGO.

 

Yvonne O’Meara / PPI Lead

Systemic Psychotherapist and Psychosocial Oncologist
Yvonne O’Meara is a Systemic Psychotherapist and Psychosocial Oncologist. Yvonne has worked as a Medical Social Worker in psychosocial oncology and palliative care since 2004 in teaching hospitals in Ireland and North America.

Yvonne is the co-founder of the ISGO-PPI (Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology Public and Patient Involvement).  In 2020 Yvonne took up a post at the UCD School of Medicine as Women’s Cancer Survivorship Research coordinator based in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

 

Catherine O’Gorman / Secretary

Gynaecological Oncologist​

Catherine qualified as a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist through the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland in 2021. During her training, she was appointed Assistant Professor in Trinity College Dublin and completed a research doctorate (MD) in cancer treatment induced bone loss in gynaecological oncology. She undertook sub-specialist training in gynaecological oncology and was accredited by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 2023.

 

Catherine has a particular interest in cancer survivorship, both in research and clinically. Catherine has established a survivorship service for women with gynaecological cancers and developed the Gynaecological Patient Passport. Catherine’s surgical interests lie in minimal access surgery and cancer

Dr. Ian Harley BSc MD FRCOG

Gynaecological Oncologist

Ian Harley graduated in Medicine from the Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB) in 1993, passing the membership exam of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG) in 1999. In 2003-2006 he left Belfast to train as a Gynaecological Oncologist at the University of Toronto, Canada. 

He was awarded a Medical Doctorate (MD) from the QUB in 2007. In 2013 he was awarded an Honorary Lectureship at the QUB and is a member of the Ovarian Cancer research group at the University’s Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology. Ian is a former President of the Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ISGO)

Interests include MAS in Gynaecological Oncology, Hereditary Gynaecological Cancers and Translational Research. He is programme director for Gynae. Oncology Training in Northern Ireland. Outside Interests: Family, sailing, skiing and traveling.

Support ISGO

Thank you so much for your kind donation. The Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology is a collaboration between medical professionals who care for patients with women’s cancers, patients and their advocates.

We strive to improve access to quality healthcare and vital research in gynaecological cancers. Thanks to your donation, we can continue to work towards a better future for Irish patients with gynaecological cancers.