Orla Hardiman
Encyclopedia
Orla Hardiman is an Irish
consultant
neurologist
. She is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Neurological Sciences at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
(RCSI), Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Dublin
a Consultant Neurologist at the National Neuroscience Center of Ireland at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
. Hardiman has become a prominent advocate
for neurological patients in Ireland, and for patients within the Irish health system generally. She is co-Founder of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, and Doctors Alliance for Better Public Healthcare. Hardiman is a Council Member of the Irish Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and established the bi-annual Diaspora Meeting, a forum for Irish neurologists based overseas to present and discuss their research findings with neurologists working in Ireland.
(UCD) as an undergraduate medical student. She completed an intercalated BSc in physiology
in 1980 and received her medical degree in 1983.
After graduation from UCD, Hardiman undertook a one-year internship at St. Vincent's University Hospital
, Dublin. From 1984 to 1986, she trained as a senior house officer in neurology and neuropathology
at St. Lawrence’s Hospital, Dublin.
under the Harvard Longwood Area Neurology Training Program
at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital
and Children’s Hospital Boston. In her final year, she became Chief Resident in Neurology, at Brigham and Women's Hospital. In 1989, she undertook a two-year Clinical and Research Fellowship in Neuromuscular Diseases under Dr. Robert H. Brown Jr. at the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital
and Harvard Medical School
.
in 1993 and became a fellow of the College in 2001. In 1993 she became director of the ALS and neuromuscular clinics at Beaumont Hospital. In 1994 she was appointed as a tenured lecturer at the UCD Department of Physiology. She took up her present position of consultant neurologist at Beaumont Hospital in 1996. She was Director of Neurology at Beaumont Hospital from 2000 to 2007, until she was appointed as a Health Research Board Clinican Scientist and Clinical Professor of Neurology at Trinity College Dublin (2007). Since 2004 she has been Senior Lecturer in Neurology at RCSI.
She is the only Irish-based fellow of the American Academy of Neurology
.
(motor neurone disease) and related motor neuron degenerations, phenotype
/genotype
correlations, population genetics
and clinical epidemiology
. Along with RCSI research fellow Dr. Matt Greenway, Hardiman discovered angiogenin, a novel gene which may be responsible for motor neuron disease. The discovery led to the development of an international research programme with Harvard Medical School
, institutes in the United Kingdom
and researchers at RCSI.
. The selection committee commended her "tireless advocacy efforts on behalf of the neurology profession and patients" in Ireland.
In 2009, she was awarded the Sheila Essey Award for ALS research by the American Academy of Neurology and the American ALS Association. She is the only Irish based neurologist to have received these awards from the American Academy of Neurology.
In 2006, Hardiman told a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children
that the Health Service Executive
was doing a "bad job" in treating people with chronic diseases who had to access emergency departments.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
neurologist
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
. She is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Neurological Sciences at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , is a Dublin-based medical institution, situated on St. Stephen's Green. The college is one of the five Recognised Colleges of the National University of Ireland...
(RCSI), Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Dublin
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
a Consultant Neurologist at the National Neuroscience Center of Ireland at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
Beaumont Hospital, is a public hospital located in Beaumont, Dublin, Ireland. It is managed by the Irish Government's Health Service Executive and provides acute-care hospital services, including a 24-hour emergency department, for the population of Dublin. In 2008, the hospital served 149,559...
. Hardiman has become a prominent advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
for neurological patients in Ireland, and for patients within the Irish health system generally. She is co-Founder of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, and Doctors Alliance for Better Public Healthcare. Hardiman is a Council Member of the Irish Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and established the bi-annual Diaspora Meeting, a forum for Irish neurologists based overseas to present and discuss their research findings with neurologists working in Ireland.
Undergraduate degree and early postgraduate training
Hardiman attended University College DublinUniversity College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
(UCD) as an undergraduate medical student. She completed an intercalated BSc in physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
in 1980 and received her medical degree in 1983.
After graduation from UCD, Hardiman undertook a one-year internship at St. Vincent's University Hospital
St. Vincent's University Hospital
St. Vincent's Hospital is a teaching hospital located at Elm Park, south of the city of Dublin, Ireland. It is at the junction of Merrion Road and Nutley Lane opposite the Merrion Centre and adjacent to Elm Park Golf Club.-History:St. Vincent's Hospital was founded in 1834 on St...
, Dublin. From 1984 to 1986, she trained as a senior house officer in neurology and neuropathology
Neuropathology
Neuropathology is the study of disease of nervous system tissue, usually in the form of either small surgical biopsies or whole autopsy brains. Neuropathology is a subspecialty of anatomic pathology, neurology, and neurosurgery...
at St. Lawrence’s Hospital, Dublin.
United States
In 1986, Hardiman began a three-year neurology residencyResidency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
under the Harvard Longwood Area Neurology Training Program
Longwood Medical and Academic Area
The Longwood Medical and Academic Area is a medical campus in Boston....
at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital
Beth Israel Hospital
Beth Israel Hospital may refer to:*Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston*Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan*Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark...
and Children’s Hospital Boston. In her final year, she became Chief Resident in Neurology, at Brigham and Women's Hospital. In 1989, she undertook a two-year Clinical and Research Fellowship in Neuromuscular Diseases under Dr. Robert H. Brown Jr. at the Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
and Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
.
Return to Ireland
Upon completion of her fellowship, Hardiman took up a position as a Newman Scholar at the Department of Physiology in UCD. In 1992, Hardiman obtained her medical doctorate (MD) from UCD. She became a member of the Royal College of Physicians of IrelandRoyal College of Physicians of Ireland
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland , was founded in 1654 and is a postgraduate medical organisation comprising Members and Fellows...
in 1993 and became a fellow of the College in 2001. In 1993 she became director of the ALS and neuromuscular clinics at Beaumont Hospital. In 1994 she was appointed as a tenured lecturer at the UCD Department of Physiology. She took up her present position of consultant neurologist at Beaumont Hospital in 1996. She was Director of Neurology at Beaumont Hospital from 2000 to 2007, until she was appointed as a Health Research Board Clinican Scientist and Clinical Professor of Neurology at Trinity College Dublin (2007). Since 2004 she has been Senior Lecturer in Neurology at RCSI.
She is the only Irish-based fellow of the American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Neurology
The American Academy of Neurology is a professional society for neurologists and neuroscientists. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1949 by A.B. Baker of the University of Minnesota to advance the art and science of neurology, and thereby promote the best possible care for...
.
Research
Hardiman is a Health Research Board clinician scientist. Her main research interests are amyotrophic lateral sclerosisAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
(motor neurone disease) and related motor neuron degenerations, phenotype
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
/genotype
Genotype
The genotype is the genetic makeup of a cell, an organism, or an individual usually with reference to a specific character under consideration...
correlations, population genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and clinical epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
. Along with RCSI research fellow Dr. Matt Greenway, Hardiman discovered angiogenin, a novel gene which may be responsible for motor neuron disease. The discovery led to the development of an international research programme with Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, institutes in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and researchers at RCSI.
Awards and honours
In 2004, Hardiman received the first Palatucci Advocacy Leader of the Year Award from the American Academy of NeurologyAmerican Academy of Neurology
The American Academy of Neurology is a professional society for neurologists and neuroscientists. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1949 by A.B. Baker of the University of Minnesota to advance the art and science of neurology, and thereby promote the best possible care for...
. The selection committee commended her "tireless advocacy efforts on behalf of the neurology profession and patients" in Ireland.
In 2009, she was awarded the Sheila Essey Award for ALS research by the American Academy of Neurology and the American ALS Association. She is the only Irish based neurologist to have received these awards from the American Academy of Neurology.
Patient advocacy
Hardiman has been an outspoken critic of clinics using stem cell therapy to treat neurological diseases, claiming it is "only at a very basic stage, even the animal experiments have not been proven", and comparing those offering the treatments to "19th century carpetbaggers".In 2006, Hardiman told a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children
Joint committee
A Joint Committee is a term in politics that is used to refer to a committee made up of members of both chambers of a bicameral legislature. In other contexts, it refers to a committee with members from more than one organization.-Republic of Ireland:...
that the Health Service Executive
Health Service Executive
The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...
was doing a "bad job" in treating people with chronic diseases who had to access emergency departments.