Dr Maria Pertl

Maria is RCSI’s Academic Lead for the PPI Ignite Network. She is a Chartered Health Psychologist, Principal Investigator, and Lecturer in RCSI’s School of Population Health. She co-leads the undergraduate Lifestyle Medicine curriculum and teaches Health Psychology, Communication Skills for Brief Interventions and Motivational Interviewing to medical, pharmacy and physiotherapy students. 

Maria’s research explores the psychological and social impact of chronic health conditions on patients, their families, and caregivers. A central focus of her work is psycho-oncology where she addresses challenges of cancer-related fatigue, depression, and anxiety, aiming to improve quality of life and psychological wellbeing among people with cancer.