Patricia O’Beirne has a primary degree in engineering and has worked in two medical device companies in Galway, namely Medtronic and most recently Aerogen (2019-2022), in both R&D and manufacturing. Patricia also attended the University of Galway, initially part-time, where she undertook a Diploma in English Literature, and then full-time to complete a Masters in Theatre and Drama and in 2019 was awarded a PhD (Doctoral Thesis in Arts and Humanities) from the university of Galway. Recently Patricia has begun working as a postdoctoral researcher on an IRC funded project examining the economics of working as a theatre practitioner in Ireland over the last two decades.
Patricia has personal experience with caring for a family member, of parenting, and of advocating for family members in the health system. Patricia has been involved with the Health Research Board (HRB) Public Review Panel since 2017, reviewing research grant applications from a wide variety of disciplines in her role as a public reviewer and providing feedback to the HRB from a Patient & Public Involvement (PPI) perspective.