Precision Oncology Ireland – Seeking public and patient members for Ireland’s largest cancer research project.
Introduction
Research Area:
Cancer Research
What is the research about?
Precision Oncology Ireland (POI) are working towards better cancer diagnostics, personalised cancer treatment and faster drug discovery and development. We want to enable doctors to “treat the right patient with the right drug at the right time” minimising side-effects, reducing healthcare costs, and improving the outcome for patients and their families.
Precision (or ‘personalised’) medicine uses data about a person’s genes (genomics), along with other information on their cancer, to understand the unique pathways of a disease or treatment response in that person, and target their treatment accordingly.
POI uses cutting-edge technologies to make unique genetic and molecular profiles for each patient’s cancer. We then use computer-based methods to make sense of these profiles, and decipher what drives each individual cancer.
We are a partnership of of 5 Irish foundations, 6 Irish universities, 10 Irish charities, and 10 industry partners. It is led by Prof Walter Kolch, Director and Prof Donal Brennan, Deputy Director. We are part funded by Research Ireland under the Strategic Partnership Programme and co-funded by the charity, foundation and industry partners. We are coordinated by the Systems Biology Ireland centre based at University College Dublin (UCD). Our research spans the spectrum from early-stage research focused on better understanding the disease, all the way through to diagnostics and treatments in testing.
We are currently looking for patients and members of the public to join our public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) panel. Your lens is the ‘missing piece’ that ensures our work is relevant, transparent, and impactful for those who need it most.
Opportunity for:
Involvement Opportunity Details
Time
Time commitment:
Some of the activities you can be involved in include sitting on committees, influencing research design nationally and participating in educational programmes. We are flexible to working with your available time. There will be opportunities for online and in-person workshops each year,
Contact between meetings:
This can be decided based on the preferences of members.
Length of involvement:
5 years
Start date for involvement:
mid-April
Logistics
Where?
If online, explain how:
We may meet online using Zoom or another web-based platform. We can help you set this up if you have not used it before.
If in person, explain where:
As we are made up of a large group of universities, charities and industry partners, our in-person meetings might be in different places around Ireland, depending on the topic and activity. Our operations team are based in University College Dublin (UCD).
Other ways of communicating:
Phone call
Funding available for:
If no funding available, explain why:
Not applicable
Other Information
Stage of the research study/ programme:
Research started
Is this opportunity for PPI in a PhD:
Yes
Closing date to contact researchers:
07/04/2026
Research Team
Contact person:
Yvonne O'Meara (yvonne.omeara1@ucd.ie) or Laura Rice (laura.rice@ucd.ie)
University/organisation:
University College Dublin
Contact email:
laura.rice@ucd.ie
Researcher background:
Cancer biology researchers, oncologists, haematologists, PhD students, programme manager, engaged research coordinator, administration & communications liaison
Research funder:
Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland
Photo:
Interested in this PPI Opportunity?
Please complete this form and click SUBMIT