Fidelma Fitzpatrick

Prof. Fidelma Fitzpatrick is a Professor and Head of the Department of Clinical Microbiology at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, and a Consultant Microbiologist at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. She leads national and international initiatives in healthcare-associated infections (HAI), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and sepsis prevention. Her roles include Chair of the National Sepsis Steering Group since 2013 and membership on the ESCMID Executive Committee. She has held senior positions in Ireland’s Health Services Executive (HSE), including National HAI/AMR Lead (2010–2014), where she established national programs for infection control, hand hygiene, and antimicrobial stewardship.

Education: BA (Mod) in Microbiology (Trinity College Dublin), MB BAO BCh (University of Dublin), MD (University College Dublin/RCSI), with certifications in Medical Microbiology and Public Health. She completed a Scottish Patient Safety Fellowship (2012–2013) and holds FRCPI and FRCPath credentials.

Research focuses on Clostridioides difficile epidemiology, sepsis management, and the intersection of AMR with public health policy. She co-founded the Irish Coronavirus Sequencing Consortium and actively engages in public education through media appearances and webinars on AMR and sepsis.

Awards include the Presidents Teaching Prize (2019) for contributions to medical education. She oversees teaching in RCSI’s medical curriculum and serves on national and international committees addressing infection control, including leadership roles in the ESCMID Study Group for Clostridioides difficile (ESGCD).