Appointment of new Chairperson of the National Cancer Registry Board (NCRB)

Following a States Board campaign, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly T.D. has appointed Dr Robert O'Connor as the new Chair of the National Cancer Registry. The appointment comes in the year the National Cancer Registry marks its 30th anniversary of collecting comprehensive cancer information for the population of the Republic of Ireland.

Robert O'Connor Ph.D. has been a member of the National Cancer Registry Board since 2019. Robert has served on multiple national charity, health and research boards and is Director of the HRB-funded National Clinical Trials Office. With over 25 years of experience in clinical trials, oncology, and translational health research, he brings a fount of knowledge and a deep commitment to advancing cancer research and improving patient outcomes, making him an ideal fit for this critical role.

Robert’s Postdoctoral research transitioned laboratory findings into early-stage clinical trials for cancer. He served as Executive Chair at ICORG (now Cancer Trials Ireland), fostering connections between laboratory and clinical researchers. A former lecturer at Dublin City University, Robert later became Director of Research for the Irish Cancer Society, where he delivered the research strategy of the organisation, helped support the inclusion of research into national cancer treatment policy and developed patient partnership initiatives.

Welcoming the appointment of Dr Robert O’Connor, Prof. Deirdre Murray, Director of the NCRI, said: “Robert brings a wealth of experience to the National Cancer Registry with a strong research background and governance experience. I look forward to working with Robert and the other Board members in implementing our ambitious strategy.”

As Chair, Robert will lead the seven member NCRB, overseeing governance, strategic direction, and management of the Registry to ensure transparency, ethics, and effectiveness in serving the cancer community.

“I am immensely honoured to have been nominated as Chair of the Board of the National Cancer Registry,” said Robert following his appointment. “Our community faces a growing tide of cancer challenges and accurate, timely and trusted insight on cancer will be of ever-greater importance if we are to keep driving improvements in outcome for people affected by cancer. I look forward to our ongoing strategy and governance work with my excellent fellow members of the Board, the world class team within our National Cancer Registry, our ever-supportive colleagues in the Cancer Policy Unit of the Department of Health and our many other stakeholders. Together, we will ensure the Registry remains a vital, trusted resource for those affected by cancer, policymakers, researchers, and the public.”