Professor Jan Illing

Director of Health Professions Education Centre

Jan was appointed as Professor of Health Professions Education and Director of the Health Professions Education Centre at RCSI in November 2020.  She was previously Professor of Medical Education Research at Newcastle University and has led a research team for over 15 years. Prior to that she was Professor of Medical Education at Durham University, where she was also Director of the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing and Director of Research for the School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health.

Jan has worked in the field of Health Professions Education for over 20 years. Her research in health professions education has addressed, for example, medical transitions, assessment and regulation, CPD, learning in the community, professionalism, clinical supervision and workplace bullying. Some of this work has resulted in changes to policy and practice in the UK.

Dr Martina Crehan

D.Ed., M.A., H.Dip.Ed., B.A.

Deputy Director Health Professions Education Centre

Dr Martina Crehan joined RCSI in 2012, and was part of the inaugural Health Professions Education Centre team, with responsibility for the development and implementation of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education and other initiatives. In 2018, she was seconded to the role of Deputy Director of the RCSI Transforming Healthcare Education Project (THEP) which focuses on the evolution and re-design of the Undergraduate Medicine programme. As part of her academic development role, she focuses on pedagogical support for curriculum design/redesign, and course development, specifically in relation to the constructive alignment of curricula. Her areas of expertise include teaching and learning in higher education, student engagement and retention, formative assessment and feedback, and reflective practice.

Martina’s educational research interests are in the areas of the first year experience and transition to higher education, reflective practice, and faculty development. Her doctoral research was a study of “The Lived Experience of Transition to Higher Education: A Phenomenological Analysis of Educational Decision Making and Acclimatisation to the First Year of Study”. She is a committee member of the Educational Developers in Ireland Network (EDIN), a RCSI representative on National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning and a panel member on the Shannon Consortium panel for their regional teaching excellence award. She was also appointed to an expert Panel of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching Learning focusing on the development of a Professional Development Framework for educators in Higher Education in Ireland.

Catherine Bruen

B.A., MSc., M.Litt., D.Ed. c.

Technology enhanced Learning Manager

Catherine Bruen joined RCSI as Technology enhanced Learning (TeL) Manager in June 2013. Catherine has extensive experience in the areas of technology enhanced learning (TeL), research, lecturing, digital education and teaching and learning from the higher education and private sector in Ireland. She is responsible for developing and implementing an overall Technology Enhanced Learning strategy for RCSI and shaping blended learning solutions for existing and new programmes. Her role focuses on working with academics to meet the challenges of enhancing existing teaching and learning strategies with TeL. Catherine will advise on designing, developing and implementing effective and relevant online learning programmes. Catherine is currently the Deputy chair for Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA). Areas of expertise: best practice pedagogies for eLearning; online learning, assessment, learning design and digital learning resource design, strategic development around the use of digital education.

Research interests include Technology enhanced Learning, Communities of Practice, Open educational resources (OERs), digital literacy, digital professionalism, adaptive learning, academic practice and personalised learning.

Jenny Moffett

BVetMed MSc DipMC SFHEA MRCVS

Faculty Developer

Jenny Moffett joined RCSI as Faculty Developer in March 2018. Jenny is a health professions educationalist with a wide range of teaching and learning experience, latterly as Senior Teaching Fellow and a Programme Director at the University of Surrey. She also holds a veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College, London, a Master of Science Communication from DCU, Dublin, and a diploma in Coaching and Mentoring from the University of the West of Scotland.

Jenny is an Institute for Healthcare Communication-accredited coach and was awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2015. She founded SkillsTree, a coaching company which supports personal and professional development of healthcare workers, in 2016. Jenny’s specific areas of interest include: learner-centred education, faculty coaching and mentoring, workplace well-being, online learning and social media.

Dara Cassidy

B.SocSc, MA, EdD

Head of Online Education

Dara Cassidy joined RCSI as Head of Online Education in September 2018. Over a 20-year career Dara has developed extensive experience in the world digital learning, encompassing online teaching, faculty development, content creation, organisational dimensions and quality assurance of online and blended education.

Dara has been involved in a range of projects with the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, including as Lead Developer of an online CPD course aimed at helping HE staff to develop the technical and pedagogical skills to teach online and supporting their attainment of a digital badge, a novel form of micro-credential.

Her research interests lie in socio-cultural perspectives on technology, identity and learning and the development of presence and community in online programmes.

Mary Smyth

HPEC Administrator

Mary joined the Health Professions Education Centre in September 2013. As Administrator, her role is to provide management, administrative and operational support to the HPEC Team and contribute to the development of the Centre. She is the first point of contact for all general HPEC enquiries. Mary joined the College in 1998 and prior to the Health Professions Education Centre she held administrative positions in both the Dean’s Office and the Communications Department.