Research Team

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.

Professor Wood is a cardiologist committed to prevention of cardiovascular disease and holds joint emeritus academic appointments at Imperial College and the University of Galway. He has contributed to international policy and guidelines on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention through the World Health Organisation, World Heart Federation and the European Society of Cardiology. He was a founder and President of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, a Board member of the European Society of Cardiology and President of the World Heart Federation.

He is the principal investigator for the ASPIRE and EUROASPIRE studies across 27 European countries, evaluating standards of preventive cardiology practice in hospital and primary care. He led the EUROACTION and EUROACTION+ trials in preventive cardiology evaluating nurse-led models of preventive care in hospital and general practice across 8 European countries, and the principals of EUROACTION were incorporated in the Imperial College NHS Cardiovascular Health (MyAction) programme for the NHS. He was Course Director for the Imperial College Masters degree programme in Preventive Cardiology (2008-18) providing education and training for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

He is now working for the National Institute of Prevention and Cardiovascular Health at the University of Galway to support the development of research in all aspects of cardiovascular prevention and health, to help expand the MSc course in Preventive Cardiology at NUI-G into a portfolio of MSc courses in cardiovascular health and disease prevention, and to contribute to innovative service development in secondary and primary prevention of CVD. He is Co-Principal Investigator for the INTERASPIRE study of secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in 14 countries from all six WHO regions and is also leading, together with Professor McEvoy, the EUROASPIRE VI survey (2023-25) of secondary and primary prevention of CVD across 27 countries. He developed the concept of the INTERCEPT-App to bridge preventive care for ACS patients between hospital and home which is now being tested with coronary patients at Galway University Hospital.

He is Senior Editor of the European Society of Cardiology Textbook of Preventive Cardiology and also founded the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (now European Journal of Preventive Cardiology) and served as the first Joint Editor in Chief. He is now preparing, as Joint Editor in Chief, the 2nd Edition of the ESC Textbook of Preventive Cardiology for publication in 2026.

He is married to Dr Catriona Jennings, a cardiovascular specialist nurse, and they have four adult children and two grandchildren. He enjoys cooking for family and friends and also sailing, having recently circumnavigated the UK in a Frances 26 sailing boat

Professor Sue Hennessy is Head of Research and Education at NIPC and Adjunct Professor at the University of Galway. A nursing specialist with over 30 years of experience in clinical research, she leads the strategic and operational delivery of the Institute’s research and education portfolios. She is responsible for ensuring programmes are delivered to the highest scientific, financial, and regulatory standards, and oversees the evaluation of impact across all NIPC activities. With specialist expertise in data analysis, modelling, and biostatistics, she combines clinical insight with operational leadership to strengthen the organisation’s role in cardiovascular prevention, rehabilitation, and health.

Professor Kornelia Kotseva, MD, PhD, FESC holds an honorary academic appointment at the National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health, University of Galway, and a position as a Consultant Cardiologist at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK. Prior to this she held academic appointments at the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, the Medical Universities in Sofia and Varna, Bulgaria and Visiting Professor at the Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Belgium.

Prof. Kotseva has been involved at a senior level on several International, European and UK studies: INTERASPIRE, EUROASPIRE, ASPIRE-2-PREVENT, ASPIRE-3-PREVENT surveys, EUROACTION and EUROACTION PLUS randomised controlled trials, the productivity losses and indirect costs after cardiovascular events in Europe study, the Heart QoL project and other studies. She was an expert panel member of the World Heart Federation Roadmap programme of the prevention of cardiovascular disease among people with diabetes, the Euro Heart Index and the EU funded EConDA project on cost-effectiveness for chronic diseases.

Prof. Kotseva has won numerous prestigious awards and authored more than 250 publications in peer reviewed journals, two textbooks and chapters for a further eight textbooks. She serves as Editorial Board member of the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology and American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs.
Prof. Kotseva established numerous preventive cardiology masters programs and her main research and clinical interest is primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Professor Catriona Jennings is Head of Nursing and Interdisciplinary Relations at NIPC. She leads nursing and allied health contributions across research and education, ensuring high standards in study design, data collection and training. Her role involves coordinating research nurses, supporting clinical sites, and contributing to publications and international presentations. With a background in cardiac nursing and rehabilitation, she brings strong leadership and academic expertise to developing multidisciplinary practice and advancing preventive cardiology. 

Agnieszka Adamska is Research Operations Manager for international scientific research in preventive cardiology. She leads the planning and management of research studies across multiple countries and six WHO regions, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and to the highest standards. Her responsibilities include overseeing project frameworks, compliance, reporting, resource and database management, and contributing to data analysis, as well as managing the operations and logistics that enable large-scale international collaboration. She works closely with research partners worldwide and has a key role in governance and quality assurance processes. With a background in business administration and management, and previous experience leading a non-profit voluntary association, she brings strong leadership, organisational, and cross-cultural management skills. She has extensive experience in managing complex research operations that underpin the Institute’s international work.

Andrea Pereti is Research Project Coordinator supporting international scientific research in preventive cardiology. She plays a central role in the management and delivery of multi-country research projects across six WHO regions, ensuring studies progress efficiently and to the highest standards. Her responsibilities include coordinating documentation, timelines, logistics, and partner engagement, as well as supporting compliance, reporting, and effective communication across international research teams, task forces, and steering groups. Andrea contributes significantly to the smooth running of complex research operations and large-scale collaborations. With a background in sociology and research methods, she brings strong analytical and organisational skills to her role.