Derick has a background in research, strategy and advocacy from over 12 years’ experience spanning a number of leadership roles in research and multi-stakeholder engagement in Ireland and at the EU-level. He has a strong track record in collaborating to influence healthcare policy with the goals of enhancing research infrastructure, increasing patient involvement and improving access to treatments.
Derick believes in the power of a united voice when it comes to patient advocacy and the central role of patients and their representative organisations in healthcare and research. Derick is a board member of PFMD – a global collaborative and non-competitive coalition to improve global health by co-designing the future of healthcare for patients WITH patients. He is a former board member of the European Patients Academy (EUPATI) Foundation, a global initiative which is training patients to become involved in the medicines R&D process, and has spread the IPPOSI public-private partnership model to over 20 countries.
Derick serves on the advisory boards and steering committees of a number of health-related initiatives including Health Innovation Hub Ireland, DataSavesLives.eu, a number of HIQA Advisory committees, as well as the Medical & Life Sciences Committee of the Royal Irish Academy.
Derick is chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Board of the HRB-Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TMRN) and a member of the Governance committee of the Precision Oncology Ireland research consortium.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from NUI Galway and a PhD in Molecular Medicine from University College Dublin. Outside of IPPOSI, Derick spends his free time attempting to influence his two young daughters.