I work as a Research Analyst on the National Ability Support System (NASS) within the National Health Information Systems (NHIS) unit in the Health Research Board (HRB). NASS is an online database that collects data on disability funded services that are currently being received or will be required within the next five years. Data is supplied by service providers who provide disability services to people with disabilities. • Providing operational support to HSE database personnel and service providers.• Management of 2 healthcare areas for the return of data to NASS. This involves liaising extensively with the HSE database personnel and service providers. • Ensuring high quality data is available by updating SPSS syntax files in order to clean and validate data for analysis and subsequent publications. Implement strategies to improve data quality.• Preparation of publications including annual reports, infographics, regional bulletins and peer-reviewed journal articles. This involves the use of SPSS, Excel and Word. • Coordinating the design of the annual report including liaising with publishers and the in-house communication team.• Facilitating requests for information from various sources including Parliamentary Questions (PQs), the Department of Health, HSE, stakeholders, students and external researchers.• Provide system training for HSE and service providers including motivating reluctant parties.• Assisting with software development and testing.• Keeping system user manuals, information leaflets and associated database documents up to date and readily available to our stakeholders.

In this role, my primary responsibility was the the management, analysis and preparation of a national report based on the EMIS-2017 Ireland dataset. To achieve this I worked with a core writing group from the HIV and STI team in HPSC, along with stakeholders from the HSE, voluntary sectors and academia. EMIS-2017 was a European wide survey of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) based on their health, social and sexual behaviours and socio-demographics. This survey received over 100,000 responses, 2,083 of which were from Ireland.I was responsible for the analysis of the Irish dataset and used Stata to carry out these analyses. I prepared a 100 page national report and associated infographics with collaboration with a writing group at HPSC, of which I was the lead author. The national report and infographics were officially launched at an event attended by the Minister for State- Catherine Byrne.

• Experience in the management of large databases; namely the original HAPO and HAPO family cohorts, including clinical, dietary and lifestyle data.• Undertaking extensive desk-based statistical research using SPSS and STATA to test hypotheses in the HAPO database leading to the preparation of papers for publication in international peer reviewed journals.• Measure stored maternal serum samples from the HAPO study for glycated albumin using a commercial ELISA kit utilising the Triturus system. • Extensive experience in subject recruitment, management of cross-sectional study and management/maintenance of subjects on dietary intervention study• Guided and supported participants during a 6-month dietary intervention.• Maintained paperwork and database for Human Tissue Authority• Assisted with the submission of grant applications, including formulating the budget and collating all documents required. I played a key role in the application for a cross-border EU-Interreg grant which was subsequently accepted.• Assisted in the set-up of a new cross-border randomised controlled trial in six different sites. This included ethics applications, formulating recruitment advertisements, liaising with local HR and finance and principal investigators of each site.• Supervised Master of Public Health students in their dissertation projects using the HAPO study. • Regularly presented at group meetings to update on progress of study.• Published several manuscripts in international journals both as first author and as part of a collaborative team.

• Measured serum 25-hydoxy vitamin D in a large cohort of European older people (n>3000) using a LC-MS/MS assay validated previously. • Performed literature searches and identify gaps in the knowledge and assess if selective databases can address them. • Performed statistical analysis using SPSS and STATA and extrapolate the results to form conclusions. • Carried out administrative duties when required.• Presented regular progress reports on research to members of the research group or to external audiences to disseminate and publicise research findings.• Write up results of own work and contribute to the production of research reports and proposals.

This post required extensive project management. It involved a number of skills including, time management, delegation, financial management, the ability to plan ahead and readjust plans according to changes in daily schedule and the organising of students during the academic year. My duties included:My duties included:• An extensive literature searches and understanding a variety of topics.• The validation of an assay to measure blood samples for vitamin D metabolites using a liquid chromatography system in a number of cohorts with a large number of participants (n >2,000)• Developing standard operating procedures for a number of systems and procedures. • Constant upkeep of the laboratory including: the maintenance of systems, control of the study budget and ensuring all consumables were available and ordering stock when required.• Trouble shooting when required for both the laboratory and desk-based issues. • The supervision of undergraduate and summer medical students in their final year or summer projects, respectively.• The maintenance of a number of large databases which involved the addition of variables, cleaning and performing the statistical analysis. Participant numbers ranged from 60 to over 7,000 with a large number of variables present in all databases. • Using WISP, SPSS, STATA, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel and accessed scientific literature databases on a regular basis.• Attending a number of national and international conferences, and doing poster presentations on then-current work.

This post involved the development of unique production methods for the synthesis of natural flavours. I also provided consultations with the production department when production was being upscaled. My duties for this post included:• Literature searches to find possible methods for the production of natural flavours, and doing exploratory laboratory work in order to assess their validity. • A wide range of lab skills including the making of agar plates, buffers and solutions, the use of an autoclave, fermentation techniques, column chromatography, steam distillation, lipid extraction and interpreting HPLC and GC-MS results.• Effective communication with a variety of people using a number of methods (oral/written)My main achievement in this post was the development of a natural flavour which replaced a synthetic flavour which was is currently in use in a major soft drink.