Trustees
Fatima Ahmed works as a Product Policy Manager in the tech sector, where she has held various Trust & Safety roles for the past decade. Prior to this she had experience working for NGOs. Having suffered with HG throughout two pregnancies, she understands the impact the condition can have on the quality of pregnant people's lives. Fatima is passionate about advancing access to crucial healthcare and support for those experiencing HG during their pregnancy and sees this as an equality issue.
Caoileann Appleby (Chair) has been working in the nonprofit sector in Ireland and the UK for over 10 years on fundraising campaigns, research, strategy and planning, and also served on the board of Abortion Support Network in the UK 2013-2017 as well as volunteered for Together for Yes. She suffered with HG on both of her pregnancies and as a result is (even more) passionate about equality of access to reproductive healthcare.
Brian Cleary is a Pharmacist and Researcher with an interest in the safe and effective use of medicines in pregnancy. His research interests include epidemiological studies examining the safety of medication use in pregnancy and randomised controlled trials addressing the efficacy of medicines in maternal and newborn care. He works in a maternity hospital and is an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Sinéad Curran is a Dietitian with a focus on supporting women’s nutritional health preconception and throughout pregnancy. She has a particular interest in complex pregnancy and fertility. In her work at a large maternity hospital, she has supported women with hyperemesis for almost 20 years and recognises the severe impact of the condition on them and their families. She is honoured to be a trustee of Hyperemesis Ireland and to advocate for advances in management of HG and for support for women with HG.
Rebecca Dennehy is a health services researcher and health literacy specialist. She experienced debilitating HG while pregnant and joined the board to give back and help other women/families.
Gráinne McLaughlin is an experienced General Counsel and board secretary/director with a demonstrated history of working in regulated sectors in particular the tech, media and telecommunications sector. Skilled in Commercial and Corporate Finance, Regulation, IP, Consumer and Competition Law, Data Privacy, Negotiation, Leadership, Compliance & Governance, Company Secretarial and Dispute Resolution. She has also had three HG pregnancies.
Dr Suzanne Murphy is a GP and mum of two. She has experienced HG in both pregnancies and is keen to promote awareness of the condition. She has professional experience in antenatal care and management of all pregnancy conditions with specific interest in HG.
Dr Aoife Ni Sheaghdha is a GP working in North Dublin and Dublin City Centre. Dr Aoife has both personal and professional experience in dealing with Hyperemesis Gravidarum and understands how difficult life as a HG sufferer can be. She is committed to supporting HG patients and their families. She is also keen to educate other Health Care Professionals about HG diagnosis and treatment, especially those involved in Primary Care.
Dr Eileen O’Brien is a registered dietitian with experience in clinical dietetics, nutrition research, and the nutrition industry. She completed her PhD in Translational Medicine at University College Dublin, where she conducted research on the impact of maternal nutrition during pregnancy on maternal and infant health outcomes. She currently works as a lecturer, educating the next generation of dietitians and nutrition professionals. Her research interests lie in the area of nutrition in pregnancy and early life, currentlyfocusing on the impact of Hyperemesis Gravidarum on maternal and infant health. She has published several peer-reviewed articles and presented her work at numerous international conferences. In 2020, she won the INDI Research Dietitian on the Year award.
Dr Naomi Smith is a UCD medicine (and neuroscience) graduate. She worked in hospital medicine for three years prior to returning to UCD for the GP training scheme. She serves on the board of Hyperemesis Ireland after experiencing two difficult pregnancies complicated by hyperemesis. She hopes to improve the experience other women may have in the future with this debilitating condition. Outside of work, she has two boisterous toddlers to keep her on her toes!
Many thanks to our former Trustees Nicola Awford, Dr Peter Boylan, Rebecca Hegarty, Deirdre Munroe, and Stephen Vernon for their contributions since 2017.
