Celebrating International Men’s Day 2024: Honouring Role Models and Health Advocates in Research and Innovation

Published: 19 Nov, 2024

Today, the global community celebrates International Men’s Day (IMD) with the themes “Positive Male Role Models” and “Men’s Health Champions.” These themes highlight men who inspire others through their actions and advocate for health and well-being within their communities, fostering a sense of compassion and progress.

The theme of “Positive Male Role Models” focuses on recognising individuals who lead with kindness, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to societal betterment. In the research and innovation community, positive male role models can be found driving impactful initiatives, mentoring the next generation, and collaborating across disciplines to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. Their work demonstrates that leadership is not just about achievement but about empowering others to thrive.

The theme “Men’s Health Champions” draws attention to the essential role of men in advocating for wellness and leading health-conscious lifestyles. In sectors like research and innovation, where high-stress environments are common, these champions remind colleagues of the importance of physical and mental health. By creating supportive workplaces and advocating for wellness initiatives, they contribute to a healthier and more sustainable professional community.

International Men’s Day is not solely about celebrating men—it is an opportunity to promote gender inclusivity and equality. In research and innovation, this involves acknowledging men’s contributions while fostering collaborative efforts to dismantle stereotypes and achieve shared progress.

As we honour this year’s highlighted themes, let us recognise some of our colleagues in the TU Dublin research and innovation community who inspire us with their dedication, mentorship, and advocacy for health and inclusivity. Their contributions not only advance knowledge but also help shape a more balanced, healthier, and inclusive society.

1. Dr Aidan Meade is a Principal Investigator in the Radiation and Environmental Science Centre, and Lecturer in the School of Physics, Clinical and Optometric Sciences, where he is Programme Director of the BSc in Physics with Data Science. His research develops AI, machine learning and biophotonics for application in cancer diagnosis and prediction of therapeutic outcomes, particularly for breast and prostate cancer. Aidan is a Funded Investigator within the SFI ADAPT research centre, participates as a member of the Steering Committee of the All-Island Cancer Research Initiative (AICRI) and is a member of Council of the European Radiation Research Society (ERRS).
2. Dr Amit Jaiswal is a lecturer in Food Technology and Industrial Biotechnology at the School of Food Science and Environmental Health, TU Dublin. Recognised among the world’s top 1% of most-cited scientists by Clarivate Analytics, he was included in the 2023 list, marking his debut as one of 37 Irish researchers. Additionally, Dr. Jaiswal has been ranked in the global top 2% of scientists by Stanford University for four consecutive years (2021-2024).
3. Dr Bilal Javed is an Assistant Lecturer in Biochemistry (Industrial Biotechnology) at the School of Food Science and Environmental Health. As an Early Career Researcher his work has been focussed on the development on novel sensing platforms for food borne pathogens and has been a leading example, as supervisor, for postgraduates and undergraduates. Additionally, he has been recognized among the Top 2% of the Most Cited Young Scientists globally by Stanford University and Elsevier, underscoring the impact of his research on the scientific community. His research work resulted in new knowledge generation for solving major national and global problems and challenges, such as food security and world hunger, drug discovery, and drug development along with the mobilization and training of several researchers. 
4. Dr Daniel McCartney is Programme Director of the BSc in Human Nutrition & Dietetics at TU Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. His research and teaching focus on the nutritional treatment and prevention of chronic degenerative diseases like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, disorders which are common in Ireland, and which are particularly prevalent amongst men. His recent research has focused on the role of vitamin D in protection against Covid-19 and on healthy ageing. Given the very significant role of diet and nutrition in disease prevention, enhanced immunity and resilience against ageing, he is a strong advocate for healthier diet and lifestyle choices in men of all ages.
5. Dr Gordon Cooke is the university’s Research Impact Lead and an active investigator currently co-supervising four PhD students in the Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health Research (CAMROH), part of the Health and Materials Science Hub and the School of Chemical & BioPharmaceutical Sciences. With a focus on fostering impactful research, Dr Cooke is dedicated to mentoring early-career researchers, driving interdisciplinary collaborations, and advancing innovative solutions in antimicrobial resistance and public health. His work exemplifies leadership through mentorship, advocacy for health-conscious practices, and a commitment to creating research with meaningful societal impact.
6. Prof. Hugh J. Byrne plays a key role in enriching the research experience for colleagues and collaborators at all stages of career progression, including undergraduate and postgraduate, early career researchers, and new and/or returning members of staff. Hugh’s open-door policy and inclusive leadership style have been instrumental to cultivating a collaborative atmosphere in the Physical to Life Sciences Research Hub, and the research funding, PhD students’ numbers and publications citation profile have shown exponential growth under his direction.
7. Prof. James Curtin is developing activatable therapies for the treatment of brain cancer and other cancers. His research group explores the use of technologies such as ultrasound, nanomaterials and cold plasma to locally activate anti-cancer therapies inside the tumour where they will be most effective. Prof. Curtin's lab is based in the Sustainability and Health Research Hub with significant activity also in the Physical to Life Sciences Research Hub.
8. Prof. Jesus Maria Frias Celayeta’ role as lead of the Sustainability and Health Research Hub has enabled him to support researchers in TU Dublin to achieve their goals. Jesus has always been conscious of the opportunity to shape how the academic work, and particularly research, is carried out by academic colleagues. He has always been very giving of his time, advice and technical and scientific guidance. Over the years he has contributed substantially towards a positive male culture of research in TU Dublin that 1) is conducive with other parts of their lives and that 2) is focused on seen other colleagues as
9. Dr Keith Murphy is a Lecturer in Applied Social Care. His research explores students with dyslexia/neurodiversity and how they navigate third level education. He is a dyslexic thinker, friend and supporter of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland and European Dyslexia Association and advocates for students with neurodiverse differences.
10. Dr Keith Nolan exemplifies what it means to be a positive male role model. As the leader of the national EDTips SFI outreach program, he has empowered teachers across Ireland to confidently teach computing, fostering future generations of tech enthusiasts. Within the CSinc research centre, Keith inspires budding academics and PhD students, guiding them on their research journeys with unwavering dedication. His commitment to going above and beyond to support his team and the centre reflects his exceptional character and leadership, and truly defines what it means to be a role model.
11. Dr Keith Quille is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Enterprise Computing and Digital Transformation in TU Dublin. Keith is the lead for the TU Dublin CSinc research centre. Keith is an NVIDA-certified instructor for Deep Learning. Keith's PhD was the development of an AI system to identify students who may be at risk of failing or dropping out of introductory programming courses, which is now being deployed on six continents.
12. Dr Kieran Collins is the Head of Dietetics, Nutrition and Sport Science in the Faculty of Science and Health and Centre Director for the Gaelic Sports Research Centre who are currently developing advanced AI-driven solutions to efficiently manage and analyse the vast volumes of data generated in sports, enhancing performance insights and decision-making processes.
13. Dr Marek Rebow with over 30 years of experience in academic research and development, he has been serving as the Head of Research & Innovation for the Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment since 2006. His broad research interests span thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, validation of mathematical and numerical models, materials science, thermal energy storage materials, sensing technologies & systems,  energy efficiency of buildings and data centers, and engineering education. As a research leader and manager, he has demonstrated  expertise in developing and managing efficient frameworks and processes to promote and support a research culture and has a deep understanding of the research and innovation landscape and policies in Ireland & Europe.
14. Dr Paul Maguire joined TU Dublin Innovation as the Head of Innovation & Knowledge Transfer where he launched 13 spin­outs, negotiated and executed 30+ licences and assignments, and secured over €5m in commercial research funding. In 2017, Paul was named as the Knowledge Transfer Ireland Achiever of the Year. Paul provides strategic and managerial leadership for knowledge transfer, innovation and enterprise support across TU Dublin and the partnership comprising the Dublin Region Innovation Consortium. He leads a high-performance team of professionals that delivers best-in-class innovation and enterprise supports to academics, students and industry, with a keen focus on knowledge transfer, industry partnerships and entrepreneurship, all leading to real, measurable, impacts within Dublin and nationally.
15. Dr Robert Howard is a Physics Lecturer in the School of Physics, Clinical and Optometric Sciences in Technological University Dublin. He is an 9th Degree Grandmaster with the Republic of Ireland Taekwon-Do Association and the International Taekwon-Do Federation. He is also an academic mentor to students on the TU Dublin Elite Athlete Programme. He leads a team of instructors and coaches to use sport through martial arts to promote mental health and wellbeing for over 150 children, teenagers and adults from the local community around Grangegorman. As the Irish National Coach, he mentors high performance athletes preparing for European and World Taekwon-Do championships and helps them to balance their performance goals with their mental wellbeing and their work or study. Robert also brings his skills learnt from coaching research to mentor his Physics students in TU Dublin helping them to balance their mental health and wellbeing while they navigate their path through third level education.
16. Dr Sajad Alimohammadi is a lecturer and leader of the largest research group in the School of Mechanical Engineering at TU Dublin. His expertise is in Applied Thermofluids Sciences and Novel Energy Efficiency technologies to tackle sustainability challenges. His collaborative work with various industrial and academic partners underscores his commitment to driving meaningful innovation. His achievements include the prestigious Harvey Rosten Award in 2020 and being named Early Career Researcher of the Year 2023 at TU Dublin. Beyond his research, he inspires through mentorship and empowers others, fostering a culture of collaboration, health-conscious practices, and innovation. His leadership embodies the values of progress, inclusivity, and well-being, making him a role model within the research community.