In late August 2023, Celine Heffernan joined the Insight research team as the Business Development Manager. She holds an Executive MBA and has twenty-seven years of experience in administrative management, research and innovation, curriculum reform, and quality assurance. She brings a wealth of knowledge and awareness of the Irish education and research landscape. Her deep understanding of national and institutional research and academic structures, quality and qualifications frameworks, governance models, and ranking profile maximizes her ability to identify research synergies in key sectors aligned with Insights critical mass and expertise. She has a strong track record supporting the initiation and establishment of major national research centres in DCU, specifically the National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR) and the Biomedical Diagnostic Institute (BDI). Through these research centres, Celine worked closely with the leadership, academic, clinical, industry, and societal stakeholders from inception to completion, ensuring the successful delivery of scientific, financial, and technical milestones. Celine understands the importance of sustaining linkages with domestic and global companies to sustain and optimize the impact of Insights research activities and expertise in addressing research, economic, and societal challenges. She is excited to join a team that has built a recognizable and credible brand for translational research and looks forward to leading the DCU BD team to advance the reputation and ensure Insight remains competitive and at the cutting edge of pioneering research innovations in higher education. Celine has a broad-reaching network spanning several sectors, government agencies, industry, national and international student representative bodies. She understands the intersection between academia and the business world and has the ability to cultivate an environment that encourages creativity and promotes the transformation of research findings into practical, ground-breaking solutions.
