Aoife Fleming

Dr Aoife Fleming is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at University College Cork's School of Pharmacy within the College of Medicine and Health. She serves as Director of the MPharm Programme and Vice Head for Interprofessional Learning. Dr Fleming holds a joint appointment with Mercy University Hospital as a research pharmacist since 2016. She is actively involved in antimicrobial stewardship research, vaccine uptake studies, and interprofessional education initiatives.

Dr Fleming earned her Pharmacy degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2004 (awarded Gold Medal), completed a Masters in Hospital Pharmacy from Trinity College Dublin in 2007, and received her PhD in Health Services Research from University College Cork in 2015. She has held various academic and clinical positions since her pre-registration year at St James's Hospital in Dublin.

Dr Fleming's research primarily focuses on antimicrobial stewardship, particularly examining behavioral determinants influencing antimicrobial prescribing and the impact of point-of-care test systems. She also investigates vaccine hesitancy, interprofessional learning, medication safety, and penicillin allergy's impact on antimicrobial stewardship. Her work spans hospital, long-term care, and primary care settings, often involving multidisciplinary collaborations.

Her recent publications demonstrate strong trends in interprofessional education, antimicrobial stewardship metrics development, and vaccine uptake research. She has been increasingly focusing on patient experiences of sepsis and antimicrobial resistance, as well as human factors in healthcare education and practice. Her work often employs qualitative methodologies to explore healthcare provider and patient perspectives.

• 2022: Professional Skills for Research Leaders, University College Cork
• 2020: Aurora Leadership Programme for Women Scholarship, University College Cork
• 2018: President's Award for Excellence in Teaching, University College Cork
• 2012: HRB Scholars Programme Shani Rushin Award for Academic Excellence
• 2005: Mary Harte Award for best pre-registration project
• 2004: Trinity College Dublin Gold Medal

Dr Fleming has supervised multiple doctoral students to completion, including Dr Sarah Marshall and Dr Frank O'Riordan, and currently mentors eight doctoral candidates. She has secured significant research funding from organizations including the Health Research Board, Department of Health, Merck Sharp & Dohme, and the Higher Education Authority. Her current projects include the All Ireland Vaccine Research and Training Alliance and a qualitative study capturing patient stories of sepsis and antimicrobial resistant infections.

As Vice Head for Interprofessional Learning, Dr Fleming chairs the UCC College of Medicine and Health Interprofessional Learning Development Committee and leads initiatives like the All Ireland Interprofessional Healthcare Challenge for Students (AIPEC). She was appointed to the Board of the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) UK in 2024, reflecting her national and international leadership in this field.