RCSI Rotunda Research Department
The RCSI Rotunda Research Department brings together leading Irish obstetric and neonatal researchers, with an international reputation to address problems in women and children’s health that will have a global impact.
Our Aim
The RCSI Rotunda Research Department brings together leading Irish obstetric and neonatal researchers, with an international reputation to address problems in women and children’s health that will have a global impact. The Rotunda based team have a well-established record in collaborative research and in conducting large-scale, multicentre, randomised controlled trials and education and outreach initiatives.
Since 2016, RCSI Rotunda Research Department has created a number of public engagement initiatives to share research findings and expertise within the local community and the wider general public, to promote the impact of health research on everyday life. We have demonstrated track record in providing clear, accurate and evidence-based information, through the use of different media including, videos, podcasts, infographics, art exhibitions and science week initiatives.
Below, you’ll find public engagement projects the department has been working on:
BIAS: Gender Inequality in Women’s Healthcare and Research
(SFI, Science Week 2021, 2022, 2024)
BIAS is a SFI Science Week festival which aims to encourage national dialogue and debate around biases that still exist in our society and prevent women from pursuing a career in STEM, receiving adequate healthcare, and benefiting from research findings. The first steps to tackle biases is to create safe spaces where people will not feel ashamed to talk about these topics, create female role models that teenagers can refer to when choosing their career path, to move away from the one-size-fits-all way of thinking, and acknowledging each person’s specific needs based on their age, civil status, ability, gender, race and ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and socio-economic status.
Your Ultrasound Journey - What to Expect
HRB, Conference and Event Sponsorship Scheme 2024
Prenatal care visits are an important aspect of a pregnancy journey, providing expectant parents with reassurance and valuable information about the health and wellbeing of their growing baby.
Your Ultrasound Journey - What to Expect will bring together a team of maternity care experts to provide informative and accessible guidance on all aspects of prenatal care from early pregnancy scans to more advanced prenatal diagnostic tests. Together, we will discuss what types of scans are routinely offered, what other scans and tests are available, when and why they are offered, what to expect from the results, and the support available if an anomaly is found.
Debunking The Myths: The Science Behind Our Sexual Health
(SFI, Discover Programme 2022-2023)
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in collaboration with colleagues at the Rotunda Hospital developed Debunking the Myths, to provide clear and reliable information in relation to sexual health while also stimulating open discussion and curiosity around the topic. The programme consists of a series of interactive two-hour workshops and online engagement tools. Delivered by RCSI and Rotunda Hospital consultants, junior doctors, community GPs and researchers, the workshops explore a range of topics, including human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine; contraception, menstruation; sexually transmitted infections (STI) prevention and fertility, to help teenagers learn more about these subjects in a non-biased and non-judgemental way.
Early Pregnancy Information Event
(HRB, Conference and Event Sponsorship Scheme 2022-2023)
The first trimester of pregnancy is a particularly important time not only for baby’s development, but also for the women, parents-to-be and families that are adjusting to this big change. The aim of this initiative was to increase accessibility to experts’ advice and support, to promote health and well-being during the first stages of pregnancy and to highlight support services available at the Rotunda Hospital Dublin.
Real Talk with Real Mums
(HRB, Knowledge and Dissemination Scheme, 2019-2020)
'Real Talk with Real Mums' is an expert advised and mum approved 10-episode podcast series, presented by Louise Mc Sharry, looking at the issues of everyday pregnancy with medical professionals and the real women who have gone through the pregnancy journey. Opens in new windowListen to the podcast on Spotify here.
The Breakfast Club
(HRB, Knowledge and Dissemination Scheme, 2018-2020)
‘The Breakfast Club’ is the story of diabetes in pregnancy in Ireland. In a serialized, online graphic novelette, you will follow the lives of real women who have gone through the pregnancy journey with diabetes. They share their experiences from carrying out a glucose tolerance test, to figuring out how to use a glucometer, the trials and tribulations of diet and exercise, to taking part in a research study. You will get to know their lived experience, from the trivial to the serious, their apprehensions, their hopes, their frustrations and joy.
CREATE: The Art of Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond
(HRB, Knowledge and Dissemination Scheme, 2018-2019)
A free art exhibition that highlighted common pregnancy and new-born health issues and celebrated the impact of perinatal research on mothers and babies in Ireland and internationally. CREATE was showcased at a number of cultural and clinical spaces in Cork, Galway and Dublin and welcomed over 14,000 visitors in 10 months.
Curious Parents
(HRB, Knowledge and Dissemination Scheme, 2016-2017)
The Curious Parents initiative was a public outreach campaign designed around a series of short animated films that highlight maternal and newborn health issues. The inviting animation style, along with clear and concise content, helped bring parents along to learn more about pregnancy and neonatal life and the research that impacts these journeys. Opens in new windowVideos on pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and how a newborn’s lungs work can her found here.
Our Healthcare Experts answer frequently asked sexual health questions from the Debunking The Myths workshops!
Dr Vicky O’Dwyer
Contraception Q&A
Dr Eoghan de Barra
STI Q&A
Meet the Team
We are a multi-disciplinary team of obstetricians, gynaecologists, fetal medicine specialists, midwives, and more based at The Rotunda Hospital Dublin.
