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Associate Professor John Mulvihill has been appointed Chair of the ������’s Research Ethics Governance Committee (ULREG), it has been announced. A member of the School of Engineering and the Bernal Institute, Professor Mulvihill brings extensive experience in research ethics and biomedical research to the role.

The appointment follows a university-wide expression of interest earlier this year and marks the beginning of a new chapter in UL’s approach to research ethics oversight. Professor Mulvihill will succeed Dr. Paul Reynolds as Chair.

An expert in biomedical engineering, Professor Mulvihill has built a strong research profile in cellular mechanobiology, with a particular focus on the role of mechanical forces in traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. A former Marie Curie Fellow at both Georgia Institute of Technology and Trinity College Dublin, he has secured over €3.3 million in competitive funding from agencies including Science Foundation Ireland, the Irish Research Council, and Enterprise Ireland.

From 2016 to 2025, he served as a member of the Science and Engineering Research Ethics Committee, acting as Chair from 2019 to 2024. With over 15 years of experience in research involving human biological samples, Professor Mulvihill has developed deep expertise in both ethical and data protection aspects of biomedical research.

In his new role as Chair of ULREG, he will lead the committee in providing strategic oversight of research ethics policy and governance at UL. He will also work closely with the Research Governance Office, faculty-based Research Ethics Committees (RECs), and other key university stakeholders to promote ethical best practices across the institution.

Speaking about his appointment, Associate Professor Mulvihill said:

“I am honoured to take on the role of Chair of ULREG. I look forward to working with colleagues across the University, building on the significant contributions of my predecessor, deepening and supporting a culture of ethical research.”

ULREG, a committee reporting to Academic Council, meets four times per academic year and plays a key role in ratifying REC decisions and shaping research ethics policy at UL. Professor Mulvihill’s three-year term as Chair will commence in October 2025.

We wish him the best in his new role.