Director of Science, Strategy and Implementation
Professor David Wood is Director of Science, Strategy and International Relations at NIPC. An internationally recognised leader in preventive cardiology, he has shaped global policy and practice through major research programmes and senior roles in leading professional societies. At NIPC he provides strategic direction on international collaborations, corporate partnerships and implementation initiatives, working with the CEO and senior team to advance research and education. His leadership continues to influence cardiovascular prevention worldwide.
Medical and Research Director
Prof J. William (“Bill”) McEvoy is Professor of Preventive Cardiology at the University of Galway campus, and a Consultant Cardiologist at Galway University Hospital. Prof McEvoy graduated in 2004 with first class honours from UCC School of Medicine, Cork, Ireland.
He undertook further training at the Mater University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland and completed a cardiology fellowship including advanced training in cardiac prevention, cardiac imaging, and cardiovascular epidemiology at the the Johns Hopkins Hospital and University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Prior to returning to Ireland in 2018, Prof McEvoy was an Assistant Professor on the cardiology faculty at Johns Hopkins for 3 years, with clinical roles in the cardiac intensive care unit and the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. He maintains an adjunct appointment at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Prof McEvoy’s research focuses on testing novel biomarkers of risk and comparative effectiveness research; with an emphasis on hypertension and atherosclerosis. His research has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications, grants and awards. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and has a clinical interest in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, in both critical care and outpatient settings.
Director of Education and Training
Dr Jenni Jones is Director of Training and Education at NIPC. She is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Galway where she directs a portfolio of postgraduate programmes in the specialty of “Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Health”. She is also a Reader in Physiotherapy at Brunel University, London. She has more than 20 years clinical experience in cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation and continues to maintain a clinical caseload in conjunction with teaching and research. She also holds an honorary post at Imperial College London where she previously worked developing and delivering a range of postgraduate programmes in cardiovascular disease prevention. Dr Jones has served as President to both the British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR) and the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Cardiac Rehabilitation (ACPICR) and is now one of the Emerging Leaders of the World Heart Federation (2017 cohort) and current Chair of the Congress Programme Committee for the European Society of Cardiology Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (ACNAP). Her research interests include non-communicable disease prevention and control with a special interest in cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation, lifestyle medicine, health-behaviour change, and health promotion approaches to cardiovascular health and diabetes prevention.
Director of Innovation
Dr Susan Connolly is Director of Innovation at NIPC and Consultant Cardiologist in Integrated Care at University Hospital Galway and the Galway City Hub. She has extensive clinical and research experience in developing innovative models of care for cardiovascular health across both hospital and community settings in both the NHS and HSE. She leads the Institute’s innovation agenda and her work focuses on improving access, quality and outcomes in preventive cardiology, with a strong emphasis on translating evidence into practice and fostering collaboration across health systems to deliver integrated care. She also has a particular interest in harnessing digital technologies to enhance care delivery in these areas. She is currently leading the Peacetime Obesity crossborder programme in Donegal and is bringing her experience in interdisciplinary models of care and digital health to this project.