Dr. Órla Gilheaney

Dr. Órla Gilheaney is Assistant Professor in Speech and Language Pathology in the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies. She has clinical experience working in acute, rehabilitation, and palliative care settings and currently works part-time in TCD and part-time in a clinical post-acute rehabilitation setting. Her research interests focus particularly on under-researched invisible illnesses, the lived experience of chronic illness, and patient and public involvement in research. She has active national and international collaborative projects underway which focus on these topics and their translation to patient-centred care. She has multiple peer-reviewed publications and acts as a reviewer for numerous international peer-review journals. Her undergraduate teaching focuses on ethics and professional studies, evidence-based practice, and research skills. She also supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate research projects currently and is Vice-Chair of the research Ethics Committee for the School of Linguistic, Speech, and Communication Sciences. She is the Inclusivity Champion for the School of Linguistic, Speech, and Communication Sciences and was awarded a Trinity Teaching Excellence Award in 2021. She is passionate about championing inclusivity and diversity in all clinical and educational sectors in order to positively impact on personal and overall societal wellbeing. Her aim in teaching is to ensure that all of her students, regardless of background, personal circumstances, or learning abilities, have equitable opportunities to engage fully in learning and to achieve their goals during their time in Trinity.

  Acquired Motor Speech Disorders   Chronic Disease Management   Communicative Disorders, Speech   DYSPHAGIA   Instrumental evaluation of voice and swallow   SPEECH   Speech and Language Technology   speech and language therapy   Swallowing Disorders

My research interests centre on the investigation of the prevalence, nature, impact, and management of dysphagia and communication difficulties in under-researched populations, especially among people who experience chronic invisible illnesses. Research has demonstrated that those with so-called "invisible illnesses" face stigmatisation within healthcare, with reduced levels of clinical management, low levels of satisfaction with care, poor healthcare outcomes, and resultant impaired quality of life. Building on this point, as SLT is a relatively new profession globally, the potentially impactful role of the SLT in supporting such patients has not yet been established or standardised. It is my aim that via the involvement of patients and the public in the design and conduct of research into this area, we can address healthcare inequities, improve patient-centred care plans, and contribute to the professional knowledge base. The focus of my research addresses large gaps in current evidence and service provision in three unique ways, positioning me as an international lead within research in this area. Firstly, I approach chronic invisible illnesses from a new perspective, through the exploration of swallowing and communication difficulties and their sequalae from both an evidenced-based practice and patient lived experience perspective. Secondly, via the promotion of patient and public involvement at all stages of research, I strive to produce coherent and readable syntheses of a range of perspectives that tend to be treated separately or discounted entirely (eg: patient, clinician, and academic). As these perspectives are typically reported separately or ignored this can lead to confusion in care provision and a lack of understanding between all stakeholders. It is rare in current international research to find an academic that successfully integrates lived experience, evidence-based literature and clinical management of invisible and often misdiagnosed illnesses, leading to the potential for my research to prompt improvements in care provision and patient well-being. Thirdly, across the medical and allied-health clinical and research realms, the effects of chronic and invisible illness are often side-lined or ignored, despite anecdotal patient reports of these being core priorities for care. This can lead to undiagnosed or mismanaged respiratory, nutritional, and psychosocial consequences which exacerbate underlying difficulties further. As such, my research aims to champion these perspectives in order to reduce the potential for long-term negative health sequelae. As is evident from my publication history and involvement in international collaborations in this area, I have established myself as a champion for research into under-explored dysphagia and communication concerns, with the potential to contribute significantly for future improvements in care provision, research integrity, and patient outcomes.