University of Galway Surgery

Would you like to learn more about Sustainability in Surgery?

Professor Camilla Carroll and Mr Muhammad Umair will host the Sustainability Session on Measuring What Matters - From Operating Theatre to System Change.

The surgical suite is a major carbon hotspot within the hospital and transforming how we work in this environment is essential to achieving our climate goals. This session will explore practical, evidence-based approaches to reducing the environmental footprint of surgical care, demonstrating how together, we can move towards delivering safe, high-quality, net-zero surgical services by 2050.

🔗 www.freyer.ie
📍 University of Galway
🗓 5th September

🚀 We Have an Exciting Opportunity for You to Step Into the Future of Surgery!

Join us for the First Nationwide Remote Telesurgery Training Event for Surgical Trainees at the 51st Sir Peter Freyer Surgical Symposium at the University of Galway on Friday, 4 September 2026!

In collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and supported by Cornerstone Robotics UK, this groundbreaking initiative offers Surgeons and Trainees an exclusive opportunity to gain hands-on experience through dedicated telesurgery sessions using the Sentire Surgical System, remotely operating robotic arms located at the RCSI Robotic Surgery Training and Research Centre.

This is a unique chance to engage with next-generation surgical technology in a live training environment, connect with leading experts in the field and expand your skillset in robotic and remote surgery.

🔗 Secure your place in advance by registering for www.freyer.ie and booking your slot: https://51stfreyersurgical.youcanbook.me/

📩 For queries: [email protected].
🩺Take part in shaping the future of surgery.

The Dermot Hehir Seminar will provide an overview of evolving approaches to hernia and complex abdominal wall surgery, considering the role of national registry data, emerging innovations and the skills required to manage abdominal wall defects effectively.

It will also examine the wider responsibilities of Consultant General Surgeons in treating primary incisional hernias, encouraging discussion around surgical capability, standards of care and the appropriate management of these increasingly complex conditions.

🔗 Register to attend: www.freyer.ie
📍 University of Galway
📅 Friday, 4th September

Don’t miss the Sustainability in Surgery session at the 51st Sir Peter Freyer Surgical Symposium!

This session will explore how we can drive meaningful change from the operating theatre to the wider healthcare system, bringing together Surgeons, Researchers and Healthcare Experts to share ideas and practical solutions for a more sustainable future in surgery.

📍 University of Galway
🗓️ 5th September 2026
📩 www.freyer.ie

🌍 Are you joining us at the Sir Peter Freyer Surgical Symposium at the University of Galway on 4-5 September?
➡️ Check out our programme at http://freyer.ie
📩 Early bird registration available until Friday, 14th August.
⭐ We are looking forward to an excellent Surgical Symposium featuring Professor Shafi Ahmed and Professor Helen Heneghan as Keynote Speakers.

Take part in a groundbreaking advance in surgical innovation - the First Nationwide Remote Telesurgery Training Event for Surgical Trainees at the 51st Sir Peter Freyer Surgical Symposium at University of Galway on Friday, 4 September 2026!

In collaboration with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and supported by CornerstoneRobotics UK, this unique initiative offers Surgeons and Trainees an opportunity to step into the future of surgery. Participants will gain hands-on experience through dedicated telesurgery sessions using the Sentire Surgical System, remotely operating robotic arms located in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Robotic Surgery Training and Research Centre at 26 York Street, Dublin.

This is a valuable opportunity to engage with next-generation surgical technology in a live training environment, connect with Experts in the field and expand your skillset in robotic and remote surgery.

Secure your place by registering for at http://freyer.ie

Telesurgery training slots can be booked on the day.
For queries, contact [email protected].
Join us in shaping the future of surgery.

Two Presidents from the West of Ireland meet at Áras an Uachtaráin.

President Catherine Connolly welcomed Professor Michael Kerin, President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Galway based Surgeon for a courtesy call at Áras an Uachtaráin.

A proud moment bringing together two Leaders with strong ties to the West of Ireland.

We are delighted to welcome Professor Helen Heneghan, Chair of Surgery, University College Dublin & Consultant Bariatric & General Surgeon St. Vincent's University Hospital to deliver the Sir Peter Freyer State of the Art Lecture - 'The Changing Landscape of Obesity Treatment: Personalised Approaches to Optimise Surgery and Outcomes' at University of Galway on Saturday, 6th September 2026.

A graduate of the University of Galway, Helen completed her basic surgical training in Galway University Hospital in 2008 and was awarded a PhD in molecular expression of breast cancer and obesity from the University of Galway in 2012. She completed the RCSI Higher Surgical Training scheme in General Surgery and during her training, she spent two years in the Bariatric Metabolic Institute in Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. Helen completed her training with a Bariatric Fellowship in the UK. She has co-authored 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has written 5 book chapters on the topics of bariatric and endocrine surgery. She is the surgical lead for the National Clinical Programme for Obesity. She is co-founder and President of the newly established Society for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Ireland (SOMSI) and Council member of the British Obesity and Metabolic Specialists Society.

Register for 6 September: http://freyer.ie

We are honoured to announce that Professor Shafi Ahmed, Consultant Colorectal and Laparoscopic Surgeon, Barts Health NHS Trust, London will deliver the Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture at the University of Galway on Friday, 4th September.

Prof Ahmed is a world-renowned Surgeon, Educator and Healthcare Innovator, known for pioneering the use of technology in medicine. He has helped shape the future of surgical training through his work in digital health, virtual reality and medical education.

🔗Register for 4 September: http://freyer.ie

We are delighted that Dr Ruaidhrí Jackson will be visiting the University of Galway on Friday, 26 June, to deliver a guest seminar.

Dr Jackson is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard University Medical School whose research focuses on neuro-immune interactions in gastrointestinal disease and cancer. His work has been published in leading journals including Nature and Cell and has provided important insights into how the nervous and immune systems interact in health and disease.

Emerging evidence suggests the nervous system plays a direct role in cancer progression. Dr Jackson will present unpublished research identifying a neuro-immune circuit through which enteric neurons actively drive colorectal tumour growth by shaping a tumour-supportive immune environment. These findings uncover a previously unrecognised mechanism of immune evasion and highlight a novel therapeutic target for patients resistant to current immunotherapies.

Dr. Jackson completed his PhD at the National University of Ireland Maynooth and a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Richard Flavell at Yale University, where he investigated non-canonical protein translation, mechanosensation, cytokine biology, and enteric neuroinflammation in mucosal immunity. His current research focuses on defining how neuro–immune interactions, RNA biology and mechanical cues, regulate inflammation, infection, and cancer biology. His work has been recognised with the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award and the Paul Allen Distinguished Investigator Award.

We encourage colleagues, researchers and students to attend what promises to be an excellent seminar.