Richard is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, gained much of his clinical experience in the Coombe Womens' Hospital, Dublin followed by a Fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, USA. On his return to Ireland in 2001, he joined UCC as Senior Lecturer/Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology: and took up his current posts as Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC) and Professor of Clinical Obstetrics, UCC, in 2007. Richard was centrally involved in commissioning and establishing the new maternity services at CUMH and continues to maintain a senior management position there.

The NPEC has become a key component of the national maternity service, leading to significant learning and change from auditing outcomes for mothers and babies. His research interests include maternal-fetal medicine, epidemiology, health services research incorporating quality of service and the use of Information Technology towards the improvement of healthcare.

Richard has been a mentor and supervisor to many students, medical trainees and research students undertaking Masters (8) and PhD’s (9 graduated; 4 current) and post-doctoral researchers (4).

Richard is the HSE’s CCIO working across the Chief Information Officer and the Chief Clinical officer functions, assisting the multidisciplinary working for a digital health future.

Current key motivation - believes digital data and information flow between patients/service users and healthcare staff is the key enabler for healthcare transformation in Ireland. Personal Interests: Family time; Walking in Irelands hills and Mountains; Out on the water – Surfboard, Kayak, any floating craft particularly Sailing – (currently other people’s boats)