Mater Private Network consultant wins international award recognising talent in medicine

Dr Róisín Colleran announced as winner of 2021 Women as One Escalator research award

• Women as One is an organisation that promotes talented female cardiologists in a male-dominated specialty.
• The Escalator Awards were established to “escalate” the careers of women physicians by providing them with unique professional development opportunities and dedicated funding.
• The Escalator Research Awards are granted in support of a specific research project, based on the applicant’s previous research accomplishments and publication record.
• Colleran’s SETANTA research project aims to investigate the cardiac, immunological, and haematological effects of COVID-19 infection.
• Reacting to the announcement, Dr. Colleran said “I am overjoyed to be recognized by Women as One– it is truly a testament to the encouraging research climate at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Dublin of the Mater Private Network’

 Mater Private Network consultant Dr. Róisín Colleran is the recipient of a 2021 Women as One Escalator award. 

The consultant interventional cardiologist received the award for her previous research and current contribution to the SETANTA research project at the Mater Private’s Cardiovascular Research Institute. The study aims to learn more about the longer-term cardiac, immunological, and hematological effects of COVID-19 infection.

Women as One:

Women as One is an organisation founded in 2019 by two female interventional cardiologists, Dr. Roxana Mehran and Dr. Marie-Claude Morice, both internationally recognised leaders in cardiovascular care and research. The organisation’s aim is to promote talent in medicine by providing unique professional opportunities to female physicians.

SETANTA

SETANTA, or the Study of HEarT DiseAse and ImmuNiTy After COVID-19 in Ireland is a community-based, observational study at the Mater Private Network. It investigates the incidence of cardiac abnormalities after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the correlation with immunological response and markers of coagulation.

Previous studies have suggested that cardiac injury can persist even after resolution of the acute infection. Dr. Colleran and her team aim to investigate if these findings are reproducible in patients in an Irish context, and consequentially investigate the underlying pathological process.

Studies have also inferred that the higher risk of arterial and venous clotting seen with COVID-19 may persist for weeks or months after infection. Other clinical studies have also identified varying degrees of immunity after COVID-19 infection, which has potential implication for vaccines. Therefore, the Mater Private team will investigate the markers of coagulopathy and endothelial call dysfunction in all patients and analyze antibody levels in all patients using two different antibody assays.

The study will enroll 100 patients with recent COVID-19 infection, at least 6 weeks and no more than 12 months before enrolment. Patients with a recent positive COVID-19 swab will be identified in several participating GP practices and offered an information leaflet on the study, prompting them to contact CVRI should they wish to participate.  

Comment:

Reacting to the announcement, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist Róisín Colleran said:

“I am overjoyed to be a recipient of an Escalator Award from Women as One. It is a strong, international recognition of the ground-breaking research the Cardiology team does here at the Cardiovascular Research Institute Dublin of the Mater Private Network”.