RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has announced the appointment of Professor Garry Duffy as the university’s 30th Professor of Anatomy and Head of Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine.
Professor Duffy joins RCSI from the University of Galway where he was Professor of Anatomy and Regenerative Therapies. Having previously served as Associate Professor and Principal Investigator (PI) in RCSI's Department of Anatomy and Tissue Engineering Research Group, he brings with him a unique combination of institutional knowledge and a fresh leadership perspective to this new role.
With expertise spanning traditional anatomical sciences and translational medicine, Professor Duffy’s appointment supports RCSI’s strategic focus on integrating excellence in health sciences education with innovative, patient-centred research.
An award-winning educator and researcher, Professor Duffy has led numerous innovations in anatomy teaching over the past 16 years and has secured over €65 million in research funding as PI and co-PI. As coordinator of three major EU-funded projects (AMCARE, DRIVE and DELIVER), co-founder of two campus companies and an experienced leader in technology transfer to major medical device companies, he has a strong track record of translating scientific discovery into clinical and commercial outcomes. His spin-out companies include FeelTect, which is developing remote sensing technology to manage chronic wounds, and Fada Medical, which has developed a novel infusion technology that extends cannula lifespan, that has been shaped by the patient voice from its origin at patient innovation workshops.
His research has been published in leading journals including Science Robotics and Nature Biomedical Engineering, with over 100 publications, a h-index of 41, and 57 patents / invention disclosures. Professor Duffy was named a 2024 Falling Walls Global Winner in Life Sciences for pioneering work in soft robotic drug delivery systems. He was recognised with the 2021 Science Foundation Ireland Prize for Industry Partnership and was shortlisted for the 2023 Times Higher Education Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year.
Commenting on his new appointment at RCSI, Professor Garry Duffy said: “My vision as Chair of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine at RCSI, is to build on our distinguished heritage of anatomical education and research by enhancing how we teach and study the human body. We will integrate cutting-edge technologies, including dynamic imaging and anatomical simulation, into our teaching while pioneering research that bridges classical anatomy with regenerative medicine.”
“By combining our traditional strengths in clinical anatomy with emerging fields such as tissue engineering, MedTech and soft robotics, we will position RCSI as a global leader in understanding not just how the body is structured, but how it can be rebuilt and regenerated for the benefit of patients.”
Professor Cathal Kelly, Vice-Chancellor, RCSI congratulated Professor Duffy on his appointment: “I am delighted to welcome Professor Garry Duffy back to RCSI as Professor of Anatomy and Head of the Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine. Professor Duffy is an exceptional academic leader whose career has been defined by innovation, collaboration and impact. His unique combination of anatomical expertise and pioneering research in regenerative medicine brings with it huge potential for the translation of impactful health technology that will drive improvements in human health worldwide. I am confident that under his leadership, the department will continue to advance excellence in teaching and innovative research at the frontiers of regenerative medical science.”
In previous leadership positions, including Vice Dean of Research Innovation and Graduate Studies at the University of Galway, Professor Duffy helped secure record-breaking research funding, launched new innovation programmes, and played a role in establishing the Institute for Clinical Trials and the Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation.
Professor Duffy previously held roles at RCSI from 2008-2016 during which he was a Fullbright Scholar and Visiting Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and MIT. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering Sciences and a First Class Honours BSc in Anatomy from the University of Galway.
Alongside his appointment at RCSI, Professor Duffy will retain a role at the University of Galway as Professor of Health Technology Innovation. Professor Duffy succeeds Professor Clive Lee who retires as Professor of Anatomy this month.