Composition of the Board

Angelman Syndrome Ireland was founded in 2011 by two parents Sara Hetherington and Sarah Roarty.

The current day to day running of the charity is overseen by Thomas Kennedy, Crystal McLoughlin and Anna Walsh, who are parents to young children with Angelman Syndrome. We are backed and supported by a voluntary advisory board, recognised in their respective fields of neurodevelopment, paediatrics, clinical trials and finance and charity governance.

  • Dr. Kevin Dunne, Consultant Paediatrician
  • Robert Moynihan, Finance and Governance.
  • Annette Kent, Clinical Research
  • Thomas Kennedy, Chair & AS parent (thomas@angelman.ie)
  • Anna Walsh, Secretary & AS parent (anna@angelman.ie)
  • Crystal McLoughlin, Vice-Chair & AS parent (crystal@angelman.ie)

Advisors to the Board.

  • Prof. Roy McConkey– Professor of Developmental Disabilities, University of Ulster.
  • Lisa Kinsella – Legal

 

Board Bios

Dr. Kevin Dunne MB, MRCP, DCH:

Dr Dunne is a Consultant Paediatrician in UCHG having qualified from University of CambridgeUK in 1975 and practised as junior doctor in Ireland and UK.  First Professor McClancy research fellow in Rotunda studying babies with “Near-Miss SIDS”. Dr Dunne has extensive experience in developmental medicine in Scotland and was Consultant Paediatrician in Raeden Centre Aberdeen and Ipswich before his present post in Galway 1991. He has over 20 years experience in diagnosing Angelman Syndrome.  Dr Dunne was involved in setting up the Western Cerebral Palsy Register and is a Clinical Lecturer in National University of Ireland, Galway. He also serves as Clinical Director of Enable Ireland, Galway whose mission is to work in partnership with service users to achieve maximum independence, choice and inclusion in their communities. 

Robert Moynihan

Roberts core area of specialisation is financial regulation   and compliance   across all areas of financial services. With over 25 years experience   of financial services management principally in regulation and compliance Robert brings an in-depth knowledge of both domestic and   international   compliance. Since 2005 he has been specialising in the Credit union Sector. He was appointed by the Minister of Finance to the Financial Services Industry   Consultative Panel from 2004 to 2008 and to the Commission of Credit Unions in June 2011. Robert is a chartered accountant and holds an MSc in Financial Management and Compliance Management.

Thomas Kennedy

Thomas is a Senior Delivery Manager within Strategy Consultancy. His background in managing large transformations that cut across people, digital and operating processes. Thomas works within McKinsey’s life sciences practice, a key aspect of which is improving R&D processes at large pharma and biotech companies. Thomas is based in Dublin and is father of two including Anabella, aged 3, UPD

Anna Walsh

Anna is a Clinical Trial Project Manager in academic research. Anna has a BSc in Pharmaceutical Science and has 14 years experience in clinical trials in both industry and academic research, ranging from early Phase I through to Phase II and III studies. Anna and her husband have two daughters, their youngest Róisín, aged 3, lives with Angelman Syndrome.

Crystal McLoughlin

Crystal has over 15 years experience in software engineering leadership managing global delivery teams. In 2024 she will commence carers leave to allow her to focus on her son Tomás therapy & educational needs. Crystal is based in Dublin and is mother of two boys

 

Advisors to the Board.

 Prof. Roy McConkey

Roy is a native of Belfast and Professor of Learning Disability with the University of Ulster. A psychologist by training, Roy previously held posts at the University of Manchester, in Dublin with St Michael’s House and in Scotland with the Brothers of Charity services. He has acted as consultant to various United Nations agencies and International NGOs and currently is an Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Roy is Visiting Scholar, National Institute of Intellectual Disability, Trinity College Dublin and Co Director of the European Regional Collaborating Centre for Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia. Roy’s focus is on social inclusion of people with disabilities, the provision of support services to family carers, transitions to adulthood for young people with developmental disabilities and the development of new models of service both nationally and internationally.

Lisa Kinsella

Lisa is a solicitor with a particular interest in the legal aspects of technological innovation and a practice which has focused on providing legal advice to clients in the life sciences, research and healthcare sectors. Her expertise encompasses medicinal product and medical device regulation, intellectual property, corporate compliance, commercial contracts and transactional matters. She trained and worked with a top-tier commercial law firm, Arthur Cox for six years and also has experience working in-house in the international legal department of a global pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey. She holds a BCL and LLM from University College Cork, is admitted to practise law in Ireland, England & Wales and will shortly be admitted to the New York Bar.