DrCliona McGovern

I am the Head of Subject in Forensic & Legal Medicine. I holds a PhD in Coroners’ Law and Death Investigation from the Department of Law in the University of Sheffield, an MA in the Medico-Ethical Aspects of the Diagnosis of Brain Death (UCD) and a Professional Diploma in University Teaching & Learning (UCD). I am the Associate Dean for Student Affairs in Medicine, where I report to the Dean. I work closely with the School’s Programme Directors, Managers and Teams, student representatives and bodies, and all of the School’s Associate Deans.

I am the Chair of Ireland's first National Research Ethics Committee for Clinical Trials. I am a member of the Research Ethics Committee in the National Rehabilitation Hospital and a member of the HSE’s Drugs Group. I am also the ethics advisor for the MRCP(UK) examination Scenario Editorial Committee for the UK Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians (London, Glasgow & Edinburgh). I am a member of the Ethics Panel in the Irish Medical Council and a member of the Royal Irish Academy’s Ethical, Political, Legal and Philosophical Studies Committee.

I have authored reports on coroners for the Department of Justice, road safety for the Department of Transport, and on health screening for refugees and asylum seekers for the Department of Health. I have published both nationally and internationally on areas such as medical law and ethics, research ethics, suicides, road traffic collisions, coroners’ data, and I am co-author of the book Simpson’s Forensic Medicine.