Clinical Advisory Board
Derek J. Fairley B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Dip. RCPath
Chairperson
Dr. Fairley has extensive experience in translational research, diagnostic assay development and applying molecular methods in clinical settings to improve diagnosis of infection. Since 2005 Dr. Fairley has held the position of Research Scientist at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, the largest NHS Trust in the UK. He has been responsible for developing a range of new molecular diagnostic assays for detection, quantification and typing of bacterial & viral pathogens, and new clinical services based on molecular and DNA sequencing methods.
Since 2011 he has also been an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast. Dr. Fairley holds degrees from the University of Warwick (B.Sc., Microbiology and Microbial Technology), Queen’s University Belfast (M.Sc. with distinction, Applied Environmental Sciences and Ph.D. in Microbial Biochemistry) and Manchester University (M.Sc. with distinction, Bioinformatics). Dr. Fairley is a Diplomate member of the Royal College of Pathologists.
Peter Coyle MB BCh, BAO, FRCPath, MD
Dr. Coyle has extensive experience and has published widely in the field of Clinical Virology. His particular interest is to improve the effectiveness of patient management through molecular approaches to diagnosis. In 2007 Dr Coyle received a grant from the Meningitis Research Foundation for the development and clinical validation of a rapid qualitative, near patient test to detect Neisseria Meningitides.
For 29 years since 1986 Dr. Coyle has held the position of Consultant Virologist and Clinical Director of Laboratory Services at the Virus Reference Laboratory of the Royal Victoria Hospital, part of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
Dr. Coyle has also served as President of the European Society of Clinical Virology and he has been a Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Genetic Modification (SACGGM) as well as a Section Editor of the Journal of Medical Microbiology. He is also currently a lecturing Professor at the Queen’s University, Belfast and holds professorial post at Qatar University.
Gary Keating Diploma in Industrial Studies, B.Sc. (Hons), Ph.D
Dr. Keating is HiberGene Diagnostics’ Chief Technology Officer since 2014. He has 20 years of technical and management experience in the in-vitro diagnostics industry, with a strong record in the planning and delivery of new product development projects and complex technology transfer.
Prior to joining HiberGene, Dr. Keating worked with DiaSorin Ireland, Biotrin Ltd. and Abbott Diagnostics. Dr. Keating earned his Diploma in Industrial Studies and B.Sc. with honours at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown and completed his Ph.D. focused on the design of novel biosensor-based immunoassays at Dublin City University.
Joe Kidney MB BCh, BAO, FRCPI, MD
Dr. Kidney has an extensive experience and special interest in respiratory medicine with particular emphasis on airways disease, respiratory failure and sleep. He is currently conducting advanced research in the relationship of COPD and certain infectious diseases. For 17 years since 1998, Dr. Kidney has worked as Consultant Physician at the Mater Hospital Belfast. Dr. Kidney was a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University in the USA from 1996 to 1997. He was a Clinical Fellow in Johns Hopkins from 1995 to 1996.
He was a Research Fellow at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada from 1992 to 1995. He conducted his doctoral research at the Brompton Hospital and National Heart and Lung Institute from 1989 to 1992 and was awarded MD in 1995 (NUI).
He is currently a Fellow at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and is a regular examiner in Part 2 of the MRCPI and was Hospital Dean for the exam in The Mater Hospital Belfast for 7 years. Dr. Kidney graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in 1984 with MB BCh and BAO.
