"An immense contribuition - nationally and internationally" Professor Ed McKone looks back over the career and impact of Professor Gallagher
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rofessor Charles Gallagher graduated from UCD School of Medicine and completed his initial training in Dublin and Manitoba, Canada before taking up a position as Respiratory Consultant in University of Saskatchewan in Canada. In 1997, he returned to St. Vincent’s University Hospital to take up the position of Consultant in Respiratory and General Internal Medicine and as Director of St. Vincents University Hospital Adult Cystic Fibrosis unit. Since his return, the CF unit has grown dramatically and is now the designated Irish National Referral Centre for Adult Cystic Fibrosis. With over 480 people with Cystic Fibrosis (pwCF), the St. Vincent’s University Hospital CF centre is now one of the largest CF centres in the world and is staffed by an excellent multidisciplinary team focused on the delivery of the best care for pwCF.
Pictured: Prof Ed McKone (right) presenting Prof Charles Gallagher (left) with a lifetime achievement award at the Irish National Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Conference 2025 January 2025.
In 2012, Professor Gallagher oversaw the development and opening of the new St. Vincent’s University Hospital CF unit which is based in the Nutley wing of the hospital. This state-of-the-art CF unit with 34 dedicated single rooms with en-suite bathrooms for pwCF in one of the most modern and well-equipped CF units in the world. Professor Gallagher, in addition to delivering excellent clinical care to CF patients, was also very involved in teaching and research in St. Vincent’s University Hospital and is a Clinical Professor in UCD. He has over 100 publications in peer reviewed journals in the area of CF clinical research and exercise physiology and has trained and mentored junior doctors who are now consultant physicians throughout Ireland and internationally. He has also been appointed to important leadership positions nationally. He was President of the Irish Thoracic Society, Chair of the Irish CF Registry and Chair of the Medical and Scientific Committee of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. More recently, he was appointed as the first Chair of the HSE National Clinical Programme in Cystic Fibrosis, which published the first model of care for Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland as well as the first model of care for Irish CF lung transplantation.
Pictured: Prof Gallagher. TD Simon Harris, Philip Watt, Brian and Patricia Tinsley and campaigners at the launch of the CF Model of Care - October 2019.
Professor Gallagher's contribution to St. Vincent's University Hospital, Respiratory Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis nationally and internationally has been immense and he will be sorely missed by all his colleagues, the CF team and all the pwCF and their families that he cared for over the years.
Pictured: Dr Gallagher, Carl Rainey , Dr Pollock & Mr Godfrey Fletcher launching The Pollock Report February 2005.
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Spectrum / Spring 2025