The St. Luke's Institute of Cancer Reserch
St. Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research (RCN 20026387) was established in 1992. It is a company limited by guarantee with no share capital and has charitable status.
The Institute supports radiation therapy based research and allied research across the three centres in the St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network (at St. Luke’s Hospital, Rathgar, and St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Centres at St. James’s and Beaumont Hospitals).
The core function of the Institute is to facilitate research and development, clinical trials, education and training in order to develop and promote the discipline of Radiation Oncology in Ireland with the ultimate goal of better patient care and outcomes.
Members of the Board
- Dermot Breen (Chairman)
- Prof. Sinead Brennan (Director of Research)
- Keith Cairns
- Prof. Gerry Hanna
- Antoinette Kirwan
- Prof. Fiona Lyng
- Prof. Orla McArdle
- Prof. Brendan McClean
- Dr. Claire McNicholas
- Martin Nolan
- Paul Swaine
- Ruth Woods
- Valerie Owens (Company Secretary)
Driving Innovation in Patient-Focused Radiotherapy
St. Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research is at the forefront of advancing cancer treatment through world-class, patient-centred radiotherapy research. As part of the St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network (SLRON), the Institute plays a pivotal role in supporting the development of new technologies, therapies, and approaches that improve outcomes for cancer patients across Ireland and beyond.
Our Vision
To be a global leader in patient-focused radiotherapy research, delivering innovation that transforms cancer care.
Our Mission
Guided by the needs of patients, the Institute drives ground breaking research in radiotherapy within SLRON. We focus on translating scientific discoveries into cutting-edge clinical treatments, enhancing outcomes through strategic collaboration, education, and the development of future leaders in cancer research.
Our Core Values
- Patient Focused – We prioritise the well-being and outcomes of patients in every research initiative.
- Scientific Excellence – We uphold the highest standards in clinical research, education, and practice.
- Integrity – Ethical rigor is the foundation of all our work.
- Innovation – We embrace creativity and cutting-edge technology to solve real-world clinical challenges.
- Collaboration – We partner with leading institutions nationally and internationally to advance cancer research.
- Support for Researchers – We empower through training, mentorship, and development.
- Knowledge Transfer – We are committed to educating and supporting the next generation of cancer researchers.
The St. Luke's Institute of Cancer Research Fellowships
The St. Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research Fellowship Programme is a dynamic, research-driven initiative that supports emerging leaders in radiation oncology, medical physics, and radiation therapy.
The fellowship provides structured mentorship, collaborative project development, and opportunities for national and international dissemination through publications, conference presentations, and guideline contributions.
Fellows engage in cutting-edge research areas including AI-driven contouring and planning, adaptive radiotherapy, and surface-guided radiation therapy, while contributing to education, clinical innovation, and the growth of research culture across Irish cancer centres.
The programme not only develops advanced technical and academic expertise but also fosters leadership and cross-disciplinary collaboration to shape the future of radiation oncology in Ireland and beyond.
Ciaran Malone-Physicist Fellow
Here Ciaran speaks about how the fellowship team have worked to implement a zero click AI segmentation tool for all patients.
“It wasn’t just adopting AI and believing in the hype, it was ensuring it was safe and effective for our patients.”
Dr. Jill Nicholson - Radiation Oncology Fellow
Listen as Jill describes some of the experiences she gained as part of her research fellowship. She speaks about her involvement in designing the Phase III OPEN Study, this study was presented during a plenary session at the ESTRO 2025 Conference and was deemed to be a practice changing trial.
“This gives me an opportunity to dedicate some time to research and really focus on helping our patients here.”
This highly impactful research is made possible thanks to the generous support of our key funders.
The Friends of St. Luke’s
The Friends of St. Luke’s is a registered cancer care charity (RCN : 20009458 / CHY5854 / CRO86021) was founded in 1981 and thanks to the generous support of thousands of people across Ireland and abroad, they are continuing to make a difference in the lives of adults and children going through cancer treatment.
Their mission is to raise funds through the network of Friends for use in the care, cure and comfort of the patients at St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network Dublin and support clinical research at the St Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research.
The St. Luke’s Cancer Research Fund
St. Luke’s Cancer Research Fund (SLCRF) is a registered charity (CHY 22658/RCN 20205809) established in 1977, to care for bequests and donations made to St. Luke’s Hospital for the purpose of cancer research. They are based at St. Luke’s Hospital, Rathgar, and are an independent organisation and registered charity, governed by a Deed of Trust.
The Institute supports investigator-led, innovative research that directly enhances radiotherapy care. A continuously updated scientific plan guides our priorities, resource allocation, and performance metrics.
We ensure researchers have access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, including the Michael Moriarty Radiobiology Laboratory, and invest in emerging tools like artificial intelligence and translational research technologies.
We foster talent through our Fellowship Programme and mentorship initiatives, encouraging interdisciplinary research and building a sustainable research culture within SLRON.
Our partnerships span leading Irish and international institutions. We support collaborative networks such as the Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group (IRROG) and the All-Ireland Radiotherapy Translational Research Network.
A strong foundation in financial planning, risk management, and compliance ensures the long-term impact and credibility of our work.
We work to elevate the role of radiotherapy in cancer treatment through public engagement, strategic communication, and contributions to national healthcare strategies.
The Michael Moriarty Research Laboratory
The Michael Moriarty Research Laboratory at St. Luke’s Hospital Rathgar represents a major enhancement of the scientific and clinical research capabilities within SLRON. Funded through the support of The Friends of St. Luke’s and the Institute of Cancer Research the upgraded facility is now fully equipped for standard laboratory preparation and offers a wide range of advanced functionalities critical for modern cancer research.
The Capability to Perform Diverse Cell-Based Assays
Key features include a high-capacity -80°C freezer capable of storing a minimum of 4,500 clinical and cell samples, dedicated cell-culture space suitable for conducting experiments with cytotoxic drugs, and the capability to perform diverse cell-based assays. The lab also supports the processing of both cell and clinical samples for protein and transcriptomic analysis, as well as imaging of cells.
A Research Linear Accelerator
Beyond these technical capabilities, the laboratory’s location on a site that already houses modern radiotherapy treatment units and a research linear accelerator provides a unique and powerful environment for integrated translational research. This proximity allows for closer alignment between laboratory discoveries, radiotherapy innovation, and clinical practice, creating opportunities to expand the translational components of clinical trials and deepen scientific collaboration.
Research-Driven Clinical Advances
The refurbished facility significantly enhances the potential for laboratory-based research, offering wide-ranging benefits for SLRON. These include direct improvements to patient care through research-driven clinical advances, enriched training and educational opportunities for staff, and strengthened support for the development of specialised research areas such as stereotactic radiotherapy, which is becoming an increasingly important component of the clinical programme. Overall, this laboratory represents an important investment in the future of cancer research, education, and patient-centred innovation.
Meet the Board
Dermot Breen
Professor Sinéad Brennan – The Institute
Professor Sinead Brennan is a Consultant Radiation Oncologist at St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network and St. James Hospital since 2010 specialising in head and neck cancer, breast cancer and skin cancer. She is Director of Research at St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network and the St Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research. She graduated from University College Cork in 2000 and completed general medical training in Beaumont Hospital and subsequently specialist training in Radiation Oncology in St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network in Dublin. She completed Clinical Research Fellowships at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne in 2008 and the Royal Marsden Hospital in London in 2009. She was awarded Membership of Royal College of Physicians in Ireland in 2002 and awarded Fellowship of the Faculty of Radiology in Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland in 2006. She was Hospital Training Coordinator and a member of the Radiation Oncology Committee of the Faculty of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, RCSI.
She is Clinical Lead of the Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group (IRROG), which is a HRB funded national radiotherapy clinical trials group which she founded in 2022 so that all patients in Ireland have increased access to novel radiotherapy treatments and international clinical trials. Sinead is Principal Investigator of a number of clinical trials in Head and Neck and Breast Cancer.
She is a Clinical Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin and was a previous member of the executive group of the Trinity St James Cancer Institute. She is the Irish representative and a board member of the Head Neck Cancer International Group (HNCIG). She has leadership roles in several cancer charities, including Chair of Head Neck Cancer Disease Subgroup and member of Cancer Trials Ireland Senior Management Group and Executive Groups. She was a director of the Board of the Friends of St Luke’s from 2021 to 2024 and is currently a Director of the Board of the Irish Cancer Society since 2016.
She is a mum to 3 children and in her spare time enjoys running, triathlons and golf.
Keith Cairns
Valerie Owens
Brendan McClean
Brendan McClean
Dr. Brendan McClean is the Director of Physics at the St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network (SLRON) in Dublin and has dedicated his career to advancing cancer treatment through innovation, research, and education.
After earning a BSc and PhD in Physics from Queen’s University Belfast, he completed postdoctoral research in medical physics at the University of Alberta in Canada. He went on to work as a Senior Radiotherapy Physicist at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton before returning to Ireland in 1995 to take up his current leadership role at SLRON.
Brendan plays a key role in shaping radiotherapy research in Ireland. He is the Physics Lead for the National Cancer Control Programme, Chair of the SLRON Research Ethics Committee, and a Board Member of the St. Luke’s Institute of Cancer Research. He also oversees the Michael Moriarty Research Laboratory Scientific Committee, helping to ensure that research is carried out to the highest ethical and scientific standards.
A passionate advocate for education, Brendan teaches and mentors students through the University College Dublin MSc and PhD programmes and contributes to international training initiatives with organisations such as the IAEA, ESTRO, and EFOMP.
He has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications (2015–2025) and continues to lead efforts to improve the safety, precision, and effectiveness of radiotherapy for patients across Ireland.
Professor Orla McArdle
Ruth Woods
Join Us in Transforming Cancer Care
The Institute is committed to advancing the science of radiotherapy for the benefit of every patient. Whether you’re a researcher, partner, donor, or advocate your support helps us make meaningful strides against cancer.