Angela Clayton-Lea, CEO
Angela Clayton-Lea joined Cancer Trials Ireland in October 2023 as Chief Operations Officer (COO), taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in June 2025. Prior to joining CTI, Angela was COO in Tallaght University Hospital (TUH). She has 20 years of experience in healthcare, having worked clinically as a Research Radiation Therapist before moving to Operations Management. Angela worked with the St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network, the NCCP, and latterly with TUH where she managed the Peri-Operative Directorate before becoming COO.
Olivia McLoughlin, Head of Start-up
Olivia McLoughlin joined Cancer Trials Ireland in 2006 as a Clinical Research Associate (CRA). In 2010 she became head of the Quality & Training Department, with responsibility for the Quality Management System and preparing for and coordinating regulatory inspections. In 2021, Olivia became the acting Head of Clinical Operations and, following a restructure in 2024, moved into a newly created role as Head of Start-up. Before coming to Cancer Trials Ireland, Olivia worked as a CRA in various pharmaceutical companies in Ireland and abroad as well as CROs in the role of CRA and latterly as CRA Development Manager.
Jacinta Marron, Head of Operations
Jacinta Marron joined Cancer Trials Ireland in 2015 and has been a key member of its Leadership Team since 2018. As Head of Biometrics, she focused on the setup and delivery of Investigator-Initiated Trials across the organisation. In 2025, she was appointed Head of Operations, with responsibility for Clinical Operations, Study Start-Up, Pharmacovigilance, Biometrics, Quality, and Training. Prior to joining Cancer Trials Ireland, Jacinta held roles in the pharmaceutical sector with Roche and in Contract Research Organisations including ICON and IQVIA.
David Donovan, Chief Financial Officer
David Donovan joined Cancer Trials Ireland in 2021 to head up the finance team, and assume the role of company secretary. David has held similar roles in previous organisations, including Weatherbys Scientific, Baxter Healthcare and European Rugby Cup, the tournament organisers of the Heineken Cup. David oversees Cancer Trials Ireland’s revenue streams while also providing support to the Cancer Trials Ireland Board and CEO.
Ken Rogan, Head of Communications
Ken Rogan joined Cancer Trials Ireland in 2019. He has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare communications, and media, having worked in industry and the not-for-profit sector as an agent, sole trader, and in-house expert. He currently oversees Cancer Trials Ireland’s annual ‘Just Ask About Cancer Trials’ campaign. Ken previously worked with the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science & Industry, several pharma companies, and PR agencies Carr Communications and WHPR.
Emer Mulvaney, Contracts Manager & PPI Programme Manager
Emer Mulvaney is the Contracts Manager and PPI Programme Manager at Cancer Trials Ireland. With a background in Radiation Oncology and Clinical Research, she joined the organisation in 2021 and has worked across clinical operations, trial start-up, and patient engagement. Now working across both contracting and patient involvement, Emer supports the development and delivery of clinical trials by managing agreements, navigating regulatory requirements, and ensuring the patient voice is embedded throughout the research process.
Claire Hopkins, Head of Marketing
Claire Hopkins is the Head of Marketing at Cancer Trials Ireland. She brings over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications across Ireland, the UK, and Australia, with a background in the education and non-profit sectors. Since joining the organisation in 2023, she has led strategic marketing initiatives and managed the organisation’s website, social media presence, and broader digital strategy to support cancer clinical trials.
Sandra Boldrin, Quality & Training Manager
Sandra Boldrin joined Cancer Trials Ireland in 2008 as a Pharmacovigilance Associate. She first moved to a role in the organisation’s Quality and Training Department in 2013 and after an interim period of holding the acting role, became the Quality and Training Manager in 2023. After completing her master’s degree in Infection Biology and Epidemiology, Sandra worked in the safety department of IQVIA in Switzerland before moving to Ireland and joining Cancer Trials Ireland.
Patricia Dignam, HR Manager
Pat Dignam started with Cancer Trials Ireland as a HR Generalist in November 2021. In 2022, she became HR Manager with sole responsibility for the HR function in Cancer Trials Ireland, covering everything from recruitment and onboarding to employee development and culture building. Having previously worked in a not-for-profit organisation, Pat appreciates the work and dedication of the staff at Cancer Trials Ireland and provides them with support and advice, helping to make it a better place to work.
Anna Shevlin, Clinical Trials Programme Manager
Anna Shevlin is the Clinical Trials Programme Manager at Cancer Trials Ireland, a role she has held since August 2025. She rejoined the organisation in 2017 as a Senior Clinical Project Manager. With 19 years of experience in managing and monitoring oncology clinical trials in Ireland and internationally, Anna has worked across academic, charity, and industry settings, including roles at GSK, Novartis, and Eli Lilly. She currently oversees the planning, coordination, and delivery of a portfolio of more than 90 cancer clinical trials.
Aoife Shannon, Radiotherapy Programme Manager
Aoife joined Cancer Trials Ireland in 2009 as a CRA for Radiotherapy Studies. In 2015, she became a CPM, a Senior CPM in 2021 with oversight of the Cancer Trials Ireland Radiotherapy portfolio, and more recently, she joined the Start-Up Team. Aoife has a PhD in Oncology from Dept. Surgery in RCSI. She completed a 3-year Postdoc with the University of Manchester in collaboration with AstraZeneca focussing on combining anti-cancer agents with radiotherapy, and has a number of publications in the field of oncology.
Sergii Ratushnyi, Clinical Operations Lead
Sergii Ratushnyi joined Cancer Trials Ireland in 2021 as Clinical Operations Lead, with responsibility for a team of Clinical Research Associates and Clinical Trial Administrators. His role includes line management, development and implementation of SOPs, delivery of operational training, and oversight of quality assurance activities. Before joining Cancer Trials Ireland, Sergii held roles of increasing responsibility in two pharmaceutical companies, with experience spanning clinical monitoring, business development, start-up operations, and project management. He also served as a line manager for multiple local and global teams.
Our Group Central Office Team
Our Group Central Office (GCO), based in Dublin, plays a central role in supporting the work of Cancer Trials Ireland – the national network for cancer clinical trials.
The GCO team oversees the organisation’s trial monitoring and operational functions and brings significant expertise in clinical project management, pharmacovigilance, data management, quality management, training, and on-site monitoring.
Working closely with team leaders, research nurses, data managers, and investigators in 19 Cancer Trials Research Units located in hospitals across the country, the GCO helps coordinate clinical research activities nationwide.
The team also supports the Disease Specific Sub-Groups (DSSGs), which guide the development of our research portfolio.
Our team of approximately 60 includes the CEO, Head of Operations, Head of Start-up, Project Managers, Clinical Research Associates, Clinical Trial Administrators, Quality and Training personnel, Head of Biometrics, Clinical Data Managers, a Statistician, Pharmacovigilance professionals, and other support staff.
The GCO provides deep local knowledge in regulatory and ethics processes across Ireland, the UK, and Europe. It is accredited for EudraVigilance by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), enabling direct access to the European safety database.
Our experience in drug distribution, accountability, and labelling further strengthens our collaborations with industry partners and international research networks.