Healthy Living Conference 2020

Healthy Living Conference, 12th February 2020, IT Sligo Aurivo Theatre.

Book your place here.

Programme  (Downloadable Version Here)IT Sligo Health Conference Programme

8.30     Registration and ‘Meet on your Feet’

9.00     Conference opening – Dr Chris O’Malley. VP IT Sligo

9.05     Dr. Carol Moran (IT Sligo) and Deirdre Lavin (Sligo Sports Partnership) Developing Community Sports Hubs

9.25     Dr. Kenneth Monaghan (IT Sligo) How to exploit ‘Neuroplasticity’ for a healthy Brain and Body

9.40     Ms Ruth Kavanagh (IT Sligo) True TransFARMation: Improving Irish Farmers Health

9.55     Panel discussion, Questions and Answers

10.05      A Guided Mindfulness Session with Ms Maura Mc Guinness, Lecturer in Home  Economics. St Angelas College

10.20   Walk and Talk

10.40   Coffee and poster viewing

11.00   Prof. Donal O’Shea (HSE Clinical Lead on Obesity)    Obesity and the  Immune System

11.30   Dr. Cathy McHugh (Sligo University Hospital)   Healthy Nutrition

12.00   Mr Kevin Craddock (IT Sligo)  Changing diet behaviour in type 2 diabetes

12:15       Panel discussion, Questions and Answers

12.30   Lunch

1.15         Dr. Colette Kelly (Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway) Health Behaviours of Schoolchildren

1.45  Dr. Noel McCaffrey (ExWell) Physical Activity and Health

Wake and Shake

2.15         Ms Mary Haran (Sligo University Hospital)   Physical Activity and Health

2.40   Panel discussion, Questions and Answers

3.00pm          Close of conference

Speakers Bio

Dr Carol Moran is a lecturer of economics and marketing at the Institute of Technology, Sligo.  Her research interests include student experience, mature learner education and social inclusion.  Prior to working in academia, she provided marketing consultancy and support to large multinational clients including Johnson & Johnson, Dyson, Alpha Romeo and Japan Tobacco International.  She is actively engaged in delivering business development projects through Enterprise Ireland for companies located in the North West of Ireland.  She is currently conducting a longitudinal study of the attitudes of final year undergraduate students to continuous assessment and her most recent publication focused on the use of game simulation to enhance the learning experience of accounting students.

Deirdre Lavin is Sports Co ordinator with Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership since its establishment in 2001 the purpose of which is to increase participation in sport and physical activity in County Sligo. Having initially qualified with a BA in Physical Education she was a teacher of Physical Education for a number of years and following this worked as a Sports Development Officer. Currently Deirdre represents the Local Sports Partnership network on the National Sports Leadership Group which is chaired by the Minister for Sport and has the remit of overseeing the implementation of the National Sports Policy.

Maura Mc Guinness is a lecturer in the Home Economics Department at St. Angela’s College, Sligo. Her teaching and interests are in the areas of Wellbeing and Textiles. She has been training in, practicing and teaching mindfulness for the past 10 years. She regularly attends retreats in Plum Village in France and is part of the Sligo branch of Mindfulness, Ireland. She is involved with the Mindful Way Community at NUI Galway and leads out on Mindfulness Shared Practice at NUI Galway and St. Angela’s.

  1. Dr Kenneth Monaghan obtained his PhD in the area of 3D motion analysis from University College Dublin. He has joined IT Sligo in 2012 as a Lecturer in Health Science and currently leads both the Clinical Health & Nutrition Centre (CHANCE), and Neuroplasticity Research Groups (NRG). He is a registered Chartered Specialist Physiotherapist in Musculoskeletal injuries and has completed a Master’s Degree in Sports Medicine from University College Dublin in 1999. Kenneth was responsible for securing more than €600k direct R & D funding, with a 75% success rate from 12/16 applications. In the past 5 years he has published 15 peer-reviewed scientific articles in leading peer reviewed journals, has presented in 27 International conferences, and has delivered 2 International invited talks. His research work was featured in RTE Radio 1 ‘drive-time’ show, the Irish Times, the Sunday Business Post, Ocean FM science shows and 9 local newspaper articles. He recorded his first ‘ThoughtLeader’ Podcast with OceanFM titled ‘Neuroplasticity and The Healthy Brain’. He is the lead inventor in one UK patent (awarded in 2019) for the ‘Mirror Strengthening Brace’ (MSB), is currently developing a further ‘Personal Stroke Recovery Companion (PSRC)’ workstation/prototype in the idea of home-based telemedicine and is also on the board of directors for the Northwest Neurology Institute. The PSRC is predicated on the idea that stroke patients need appropriate equipment, feedback, and Professional support to allow them rehabilitate with sufficient repetitions in their own home to significantly improve functional outcomes. The PRSC is currently awaiting a decision from Enterprise Ireland for full Commercialisation Funding. He is a former editor of Physiotherapy Practice & Research International peer-reviewed journal, and a current Editorial Board member. He currently has a new team of 6 MSc registered Postgraduates. He has established an extensive collaboration of National and International Neurology experts with his NRG. He was elected to the IT Sligo Academic Council, is an active member of the Research & Innovation subcommittee and has established an International reputation for clinical health research in IT Sligo. He has shown excellent leadership/management skills in initially developing and progressing both CHANCE and NRG research clusters, and his first 3 PhD Postgraduates graduated in November 2019.