RCSI President Professor Michael Kerin has highlighted the need to strengthen surgical research in Ireland, emphasising its importance in improving patient outcomes and supporting advances in healthcare.

His comments come ahead of the RCSI Millin Meeting, taking place today, which will bring together leading surgeons, researchers and healthcare experts to examine how research and innovation can be better supported and integrated into surgical practice.

Under the theme 'Research and Innovation in Surgery', this year's meeting will focus on strengthening Ireland's surgical research capacity, supporting clinical trials and ensuring that new discoveries can make a meaningful difference to patient care.

Professor Michael Kerin, President of RCSI, said: "Surgical research is essential to improving patient care, yet we need to ensure that surgeons have the opportunities, support and infrastructure to make research a central part of clinical practice.

“Progress in surgery depends on our ability to ask important questions, test new approaches and translate evidence into better treatments for patients. We must continue to strengthen collaboration across our hospitals, universities and research networks, while supporting the next generation of surgeons to lead this work.

“The Millin Meeting is an important opportunity to bring the surgical community together, recognise the research taking place across Ireland and consider how we can build on that work.”

Strengthening surgical research in Ireland

The meeting will open with a symposium examining the role of the National Surgical Research Support Centre (NSRSC) in building research capacity and the vision for the Irish Surgical Trials and Research (I-STAR) Network.

Professor Shirley Potter, Clinical Director of the I-STAR Network, said: “I look forward to sharing our ambition for I-STAR with surgical colleagues at the Millin Meeting. The network aims to create a national framework for collaborative surgical research across Ireland.

“Connecting surgeons, trainees, trial experts, research centres and patients, the network will support the development and delivery of high-quality multicentre studies focused on real-world clinical challenges. Our goal is to position Ireland at the forefront of international surgical research and generate evidence that leads to better outcomes for patients.”

Keynote speakers

Keynote speakers include Dr Gráinne Gorman, Chief Executive Officer of the Health Research Board, who will discuss the surgical research landscape in Ireland, and Professor Stuart McIntosh, Professor of Surgical Oncology at Queen's University Belfast, who will share his experience as a chief investigator in surgical clinical trials.

Dr Ciaran Lawlor, Chief Executive Officer of Travin Bio, will deliver the final keynote, exploring the development of research ideas into successful biotechnology ventures.

The programme will also explore developments in medical technology, artificial intelligence and the use of health data to support research, alongside discussions on the importance of academic surgery and developing the next generation of surgical researchers.

49th Millin Lecture

A highlight of the meeting will be the 49th Millin Lecture, delivered by Ms Jessie A. Elliott, Consultant Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon, Principal Investigator and Academic Lead at the National Centre for Oesophageal and Gastric Cancer, Trinity St James's Cancer Institute.

Her lecture, entitled 'Collaboration and Intelligent Systems to Advance Clinical Trials in Surgical Oncology', will examine how collaboration and intelligent systems can help advance clinical trials and research in surgical cancer care.

The annual Millin Meeting is held in honour of former RCSI President and pioneering Irish urologist Terence Millin. It is a significant event in the Irish surgical calendar, bringing together surgeons across specialties to share research, expertise and developments in surgical care.