#WomenInFocus, 2020

RCSI Art Committee Commission of a Series of Portraits from The Winner of the RCSI Art Award 2018.
A collaboration between photographer Amelia Stein and 9 leading members of the Academic Staff of RCSI.
This body of work portrays Staff who have achieved the distinction of  Professor, Dean or Director at RCSI campus, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland .

These contemporary photographic portraits, undertaken in 2019, are of nine Women, Leaders in their particular fields of expertise and excellence.Each Woman photographed holds a particular chosen object which defines/ indicates their individual area of Expertise. The portraits were made in the Historic Boardroom of RCSI, 123 St Stephens Green, under the watchful eyes of the Women in the posthumous Painted Portraits.

ARTIST STATEMENT . A preliminary conversation with each of the subjects chosen for the Portrait Commission was the starting point for this body of work.
To establish a level of understanding and trust between myself the photographer and the nine remarkable, formidable women on the staff of RCSI. There needed to be complicity between the person being photographed and the photographer, in this instance the fact that we were all women was to our advantage. It was a learning curve for all 10 of us. There were the inevitable discussions how  women are perceived and of how to portray the very best possible version of themselves as women in their chosen professions in 2019. Many interesting conversations and discussions ensued between us before the process of making the work was commenced .
My hope was that each person would be satisfied with their individual  portraits, and that as a body of work the individual images would capture a moment in time in the history of RCSI.

 

Professor Niamh Moran, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies

96-well plate and 3 Blood tubes: My research is based on understanding how blood platelets play a role in disease manifestation; so we analyse blood from patients and volunteers. We collect blood in these special blood tubes called vacutainers. We analyse the blood in standardized laboratory tests. In the past, scientists would have used glass test tubes, but as we get more sophisticated, we have reduced the volume of the tests to only use micro litres of blood. A 96 well plate is essentially an array (12 X 8) of micro test tubes.

Professor Zena Moore, Professor and Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery

A Sub-epidermal moisture scanner: One in every 10 patients in hospital develops a pressure ulcer, which arises due to sustained mechanical loading of the soft biological tissues of the body. Early detection of adverse responses to mechanical loading is fundamental to prevent the advancement of cell changes from stressed or injured (reversible processes) to damaged or dead (irreversible processes). Sub-epidermal moisture (SEM) relates to the quantity of skin and tissue water and is an indication of early pressure ulcers development. Since 2015, the RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery/Skin Wounds and Trauma (SWaT) Research Centre has led on 10 research projects exploring the value of SEM measurement across a number of different settings. Our experience shows that the SEM predicts pressure ulcer damage 4 days before visual evidence appears on the skin. The information gained enables us to implement targeted care bundle interventions, which contribute to achievement of key quality indicators in pressure ulcer prevention.

Professor Anne Hickey, Professor of Psychology and Deputy Dean for Positive Education

Model of a brain: I am holding a plastic model of a brain. This is for two reasons – the first is that my teaching is in the area of psychology, which is defined by the American Psychological Association as “the scientific study of the mind and behaviour”. The second reason is that my particular research focus is in the area of stroke, a common vascular condition affecting the brain that will become more prevalent as our population ages. My research focusses particularly on cognitive impairment and dementia after stroke, and development of rehabilitation interventions to address and improve these outcomes.

Professor Marie Guidon, Foundation Head of School of Physiotherapy

Grip Strength Dynamometer: The Hand Dynamometer measures grip strength. Grip strength indicates physical capability and is a significant predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Higher grip strength is associated with better health outcomes. The aim of physiotherapy is to develop, maintain and restore movement and functional ability. Grip strength measurement is a valuable test employed by physiotherapists to identify those who would benefit from exercise interventions to increase physical function and improve health outcomes.

Professor Mary Leader, Professor and Head of the Department of Pathology

Pathologists tray & container: I am holding a cardboard oblong shaped “tray” that pathologists use in order to keep their histopathological slides safely. These slides are placed in these trays in the histopathology laboratory and are then given to the pathologist to examine the slides under the microscope and provide a clinical report. The smaller object is a plastic container for a similar purpose.

Kate Kelly, Director Library Services, RCSI Library

Booklet entitled “Instruments and Innovations”: Signifying how the library supports student learning and research, enhances RCSI’s reputation by engaging the public with RCSI heritage, preserves RCSI outputs, past and present, and makes them discoverable and accessible for the future, in print and online.

Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

My two objects are a medal I am wearing and a book I am holding:
The Dean’s Medal: this represents my role as an academic and educator – an official medal and ribbon I wear on formal academic occasions reflecting my role as chief academic officer in RCSI (on the most formal occasions, i.e. graduation ceremonies, I wear a chain of office). I am proud to wear this medal as the first woman dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at RCSI.
The SAVI Report: this represents my role as a researcher – it is a book summarising a national survey of the prevalence of Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland – published in 2002 as a survey of 3,120 adults about childhood and adult experiences, it provided a unique population backdrop to understanding the subsequent decade of revelations about various forms of institutional abuse. Apart from bringing an evidence base to such a significant and hidden subject in Irish society, I am proud that it was a methodologically influential study and has facilitated a range of subsequent Irish studies on sexual health, contraception, domestic violence etc. I am delighted that in 2019 the government agreed to conduct a follow-up (SAVI-2), led by the Central Statistics Office, and due for completion in the next few years.

Professor Teresa Pawlikowska, Director of Health Professions Education Centre

A stethoscope and ‘clicker’: The objects were chosen to convey that: a stethoscope and ‘clicker’ which I use to advance slides so that I can move around and teach groups of students freely.

Teresa Pawlikowska is the Foundation Professor and inaugural Director of the Health Professions Education Centre at RCSI. She trained as doctor and was an oncologist before entering general practice which enabled her to pursue her career as an educationalist. She has developed a variety of medical education programmes in diverse environments as part of EU and World Bank curricular reform to support capacity building and progress towards patient centered care. She contributed to the expansion of graduate entry medical education and latterly has championed the development of medical education on an evidence base. Teresa has a research interest in consultation quality which springs from her clinical practice.

Professor Tracy Robson, Professor and Head of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences

Conical Flask: I was holding a conical flask – a real symbol of the ‘research laboratory’ – where it is used routinely. I am a research scientist at heart– a cancer biologist – working on developing a new approaches to further personalize and improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients. I led a major programme of research to develop a drug which completed a Phase I clinical trial in cancer patients and was granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the treatment of ovarian cancer. I am also Head of School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences.