The National Children’s Research Centre (NCRC) would like to congratulate Dr. Aisling Smith on winning the 2019 Health Research Board (HRB) Ones2Watch competition for her research on heart function in babies born with Down Syndrome. Entrants to the HRB Ones2Watch competition submit a lay abstract and a 3-minute video describing the importance of their research. The top three rated entrants were selected to give an elevator pitch style presentation on their research at the HRB Ones2Watch conference (10/10/19) in front of an audience of their peers, who voted on the eventual winner.
Dr. Aisling Smith being awarded the 2019 HRB Ones2Watch prize by Dr Annalisa Montesanti (HRB).
On winning the One2Watch competition, Aisling said “Our research is focused on heart function in babies born with Down Syndrome over the first two years of age. We are looking at heart function with ultrasound (echocardiography) of the heart and are performing this PhD study across the three Dublin maternity hospitals; The Rotunda Hospital, The Coombe Hospital and Holles St Hospital. Upon completion of the PhD we aim to write national guidelines for cardiac follow up for babies born with Down Syndrome in Ireland. This work is directly relevant for all babies born with Down Syndrome, both nationally and internationally. We are thrilled to have won the ‘HRB Ones to Watch’ prize! We are delighted that our work has reached a wider audience and that it has been recognised as valuable for babies with Down Syndrome and their families”.
Aisling is supported by the NCRC’s Research Education Support Grant scheme to undertake a PhD in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland under the supervision of Prof. Afif EL-Khuffash and Dr. Orla Franklin.