DrSinéad O'Donnell

Sinéad currently teaches students from a variety of disciplines; medical, nursing and pharmacy, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She was awarded a postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions’ Education in 2021. She has successfully lead on the redesign of microbiology teaching materials during the COVID-19 pandemic including redesign of teaching sessions to enable increased interaction in virtual formats.

Current Teaching Responsibilities:
• Design and delivery of content for
o MSc in Technologies and Analytics in Precision Medicine (MSc TAPM)
 Applications in Precision Medicine
• Personalised Medicine Approaches to Viral Infection

Curriculum Development Responsibilities:
• Module Lead for NSD Module
• Transforming Healthcare Education Project (THEP)
o Microbiology lead for the THEP II Foundations for Practice 2 (FFP2) module
 Responsibilities
• Leading on the development of the case-based learning (CBL) activity on sepsis involving collaboration with colleagues in Pathology, Immunology and Surgery
• Sequencing of microbiology content for the module
o Microbiology lead for the New Technologies in Medicine / Horizon's module
 Responsibilities
• Leading on the development of the microbiology content for the module
• Development of assessment modalities

Assessment Responsibilities:
• Blueprinting for assessment to enhance constructive alignment
• Examination question writing including multiple choice questions (MCQ’s), short note questions and case presentation cases
• Correction and moderation of written examinations for Dublin, Bahrain and Perdana sites
• Development of cases for Year 2 student team case presentations and assessment of same


2020 – 2021 Clinical Lecturer
Clinical Microbiology, RCSI

Teaching Responsibilities:

• Designing and delivery of
o lectures, small group tutorials and workshops to undergraduate and graduate entry medical and postgraduate nursing students
o new workshops for the Year 2 students
 Appropriate use of the microbiology laboratory
 Antimicrobial stewardship and prescribing
• Adaptation of material for delivery via an online format in response to the COVID 19 pandemic including
o Re-design and delivery of a very successful Inter-professional learning (IPL) activity with School of Pharmacy
o Modification of existing resources for delivery on-line for undergraduate and graduate entry medical students and postgraduate nursing students
• Development and provision of voluntary virtual drop-in sessions for student questions following Year 2 modules

Previous Teaching Experience
Prior to joining RCSI as a Senior Lecturer, I had a number of teaching roles in this and other institutions

2016- 2018 Clinical Tutor
Clinical Microbiology, NUIG – Undergraduate Medicine
• Small group case based tutorials

2015 -2019 Guest Lecturer
Clinical Microbiology, RCSI – Intermediate cycle, Undergraduate Medicine
• I designed a very well received multidisciplinary, interactive central nervous system infection case for IC2 students which will continue as part of the Year 2 curriculum

2014 Clinical Tutor
University of Otago Medical School, New Zealand – Undergraduate Medicine
• Bedside clinical skills tutorials

2004 Microbiology Laboratory Tutor
UCD – Undergraduate Science
• Laboratory skills tutorials

2003 Microbiology Laboratory Tutor
RCSI – Undergraduate Pharmacy
• Laboratory skills tutorials

2002 Microbiology laboratory Tutor
NUIG – Undergraduate Science
• Laboratory skills tutorials