Blog

Contributor Biography

My name is Dr Suja Somanadhan; I am currently working as an Assistant Professor in Children's Nursing and a researcher at the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems. I have over 20 years of clinical experience in paediatric health care settings with a particular interest in rare diseases and children with complex needs. I have substantial experience in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in both clinical and academic settings. I am currently the lead on the design and delivery of a module, “Primary and Complex needs”, that is part of a national online training programme for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in Irish schools funded by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). My doctoral research study was the first of its kind to act as an initial enquiry into the lived experience of Irish parents of children, adolescents and young adults with Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). Since completing my PhD, I have developed a child and family-focused research programme to improve the understanding of, and response to, the care and support needs of those living with rare and complex needs. This programme emphasises patient and public involvement (PPI) and seeks to enhance healthcare professionals' knowledge and skills who care for these families. I currently lead multiple interdisciplinary research projects in partnership with children and families. These projects employ various creative methodologies to facilitate engagement in the research process and shed light on what it means to live with rare and medically complex health conditions. I am the founder and lead of the Rare Disease Research Partnership (RAinDRoP) in Ireland. This is a collaborative research partnership of Ireland's rare disease community. In addition, I co-lead Rare Disease Research Engaging Social Science (REDRESS) partnerships across the Island of Ireland with Prof Amy Jayne McKnight at Queen’s University Belfast. In 2020, I was appointed as the Higher Education Institutions representative of the Rare Disease Taskforce Ireland. Since 2019, I am a member of the Advisory Committee of the Children’s Research Network Ireland and Northern Ireland. I also serve as an executive member of the UCD CHilD Research Centre and as the country liaison for the International Family Nursing Association (IFNA) and executive membership in IFNA UK-Ireland chapter. I currently hold an honorary research associate fellowship with the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland and was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Health Impact Award in 2019. Currently, I am the lead on a Health Research Board (HRB) Ireland and Irish Research Council funded project called “COVISION” Children as Innovators - Harnessing the Creative Expertise of Children to Address Practical and Psycho-social Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic. This project explores creative and innovative ways that children respond to the changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please review my academic profile and synergistic activities at https://people.ucd.ie/suja.somanadhan/about