Seamus O’Reilly

Consultant Medical Oncologist, Cork, Mercy & South Infirmary University Hospitals; Vice-Clinical Lead, Clinical Trials Ireland

Prof O’Reilly graduated from the National University of Ireland (Galway) (BSc 1985, MB BCh BAO 1988, MD 1997) and completed basic specialist training in Trinity College Dublin (MRCPI 1991) and higher specialist training in Medical Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and completed a PhD in Clinical Investigation at Johns Hopkins University where he was Assistant Professor of Medicine focusing on Phase I Drug Development. He was a Principal Investigator in the Gynecologic Oncology Group and on return to Ireland established Cancer Clinical Trials units in Waterford and Cork allowing patient participation in pivotal breast cancer trials such as RespondX, PALLAS, SOLE, and HERA. He is currently Consultant Medical Oncologist at Cork University Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine at University College Cork. In 2020 was appointed Vice Clinical Lead of Cancer Trials Ireland and elected to the Executive Board of the Breast International Group in 2021.

Since 2013 he has been National Specialty Director in Medical Oncology at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland and has co-developed an online multidisciplinary course in Cancer Medicine for General Practice with University College Cork. In 2021 he organised the first National Cancer Retreat. He is founding editor of the journal Cancer Professional. In the community, he is a founding trustee of Cork ARC Cancer Support House, a cofounder of the South Eastern Cancer Foundation, and has led and developed nurse education and financial hardship patient funds at CUH Charity, and the CUH-India appeal for Unicef in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In society, he has spoken at the European Parliament about the impact of the pandemic on patients and healthcare workers.

He has over 100 peer reviewed publications related to cancer therapeutics. Ongoing research projects at the present time include secondary prevention assessment in breast cancer survivors, the impact of expanded access programs in Oncology, cybersecurity and cancer care and the impact of litigation on breast cancer care in Ireland. In 2021 he will assume the Clinical Lead role at Cancer Trials Ireland.

Updated: January 2022