researchED_speakers_full.csv (ID 1321)

• Alex Fairlamb
  Alex Fairlamb

  Alex Fairlamb is a Trust Teaching and Learning Coach and an Education Consultant. She is a former Senior Leader of Teaching and Learning, Professional Development, and Literacy and Oracy and a former Trust T&L Network Lead. Alex is an Honorary Fellow of the Historical Association, a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and a member of the Festival of Education Advisory Panel. Alex co-wrote 'The Scaffolding Effect' and co-edited 'What is History Teaching, Now?' Website: Alex Fairlamb Consultancy -

• Alex Quigley
  Alex Quigley

  Alex Quigley is a former teacher and author. His books include 'Literacy Essentials for Every Teacher' and he writes regularly for TES magazine. Alex focuses on supporting teachers to engage with evidence, with a focus on literacy, teaching and learning. www.alexquigley.co.uk.

• Amarbeer Singh Gill
  Amarbeer Singh Gill

  Amarbeer has a background in secondary maths and started exploring educational research as away of finding solutions to common challenges he faced in the classroom. This led him to his current roles as a Teacher Educator for Ambition Institute and Assistant Director of Greenshaw Research School. You can get in touch with him on LinkedIn@ Amarbeer Singh Gill.

• Bradley Busch
  Bradley Busch

  Bradley Busch is the Chief Psychological Officer at InnerDrive. He is one of the world's leading experts on how schools and college scan translate cognitive psychology research to improve teaching and learning. He is the co-author of the international best-selling books 'The Science of Learning', 'Teaching and Learning Illuminated' and 'Evidence Informed Wisdom'. He specialises in making research illuminating and inspiring. He has worked with hundreds of schools running training that focuses on memory, motivation, feedback and AI. Outside of education, he has worked with Premier League footballers as well as with Olympians and Paralympians who have medalled at London2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

• Claire Badger
  Claire Badger

  Dr Claire Badger is the Head of Teacher Professional Development at InnerDrive. Aformer assistant head in charge of teaching and learning, she now specialises in helping schools and colleges develop their evidence-informed practice. Her main area of focus is on cognitive science, teacher development and maximising CPD within schools.

• Claire Comerford
  Claire Comerford

  Claire Comerford is a post-primary teacher and Teaching & Learning Co-ordinator with extensive experience across mainstream and special education. She specialises in Additional Educational Needs, study skills, and innovative teaching approaches. Claire has worked on Teacher CPD workshops with Education Support Centres and DCU, and has presented to organisations including the OECD, NCCA & JMB. She currently leads on planning, assessment, and School Self-Evaluation in a large Dublin post-primary school, with a particular focus on visual study strategies that support student independence and success.

• Clare Madden
  Clare Madden

  Clare Madden is an English and History teacher based in Cork. She is the author of the Touchstones Junior Cycle English series. Clare frequently delivers teacher training webinars on behalf of education centres around the country. She is interested in putting research ideas into practice in her classroom, specifically in the areas of literacy, differentiation and learning to learn.

• David Goodwin
  David Goodwin

  David Goodwin is a trust-wide Teaching and Learning Lead in the East of England, working with colleagues across Early Years to Key Stage4. He writes, speaks, and occasionally illustrates ideas about teaching and learning. He remains, first and foremost, a learner. He is the author of the upcoming book, What Are They Thinking? The Ultimate Guide for Checking for Understanding.

• Deirdre O'Toole
  Deirdre O'Toole

  Deirdre O'Toole is a primary teacher and PhD researcher at Mary Immaculate College, where her research focuses on early literacy acquisition. She delivers professional development for primary teachers across Ireland, supporting evidence-informed approaches to literacy instruction. Deirdre is the owner of Playful Classroom, a business dedicated to practical, research-based teaching resources and training. She is also the founder of the Science of Reading Discussion for Irish Teachers Facebook group and Right to Read Ireland, advocating for high-quality literacy education for all children.

• Eilish McLoughlin
  Eilish McLoughlin

  Eilish McLoughlin is an Associate Professor at Dublin City University. She holds a PhD in Physics and has been teaching physics to undergraduate physics students and pre-service physics teachers since 2000.Her main area of focus is to support teacher professional learning to improve physics/STEM learning and teaching in the second level classroom.

• Eleanor Nolan
  Eleanor Nolan

  Eleanor Nolan is a maths and physics teacher at Col¡iste Bhaile Chl¡ir, Co. Galway and has served as the school lead for Teaching and Learning for the past five years. Last year, she stepped out of the classroom as the Teaching and Learning Coordinator for the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB) to drive whole-school initiatives that promote reflective practice, collaborative professionalism, and high-quality pedagogical development. Her current work focuses on supporting schools to embed evidence-based interventions, where she designs and delivers continuing professional development for teachers and leadership teams, helping them translate educational research into everyday pedagogical routines that improve learning outcomes for all students.

• Fiona Chambers
  Fiona Chambers

  Fiona Chambers is Professor of Education, Sport and Innovation at University College Cork, Ireland, with over 30 years of international experience. A teacher educator, design thinking coach, and two-time TEDx speaker, she serves as President of AIESEP, Vice President of CEREPS, Senior Advisor to UNESCO's Global Observatory in Gender Equality and Sport, UNESCOCIGEPS Observer, and Sport Ireland Coaching Committee member. In 2025, she co-founded #PE4PISA, a global movement to include physical education in OECD PISA. She received the2023 inaugural Women in Business in Sport award and was named among Sport for Business '50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport' (2023-2025). She is a government-appointed Sport Ireland board member.

• Humphrey Jones
  Humphrey Jones

  Humphrey Jones is the Head of Science and Biology, and Guidance Counsellor, at St. Columba's College, Dublin, where he has taught for 20 years. He is an active voice in science education, and shares his experiences at various conferences and webinars. He is author of the best-selling Biology textbook, 'Evolution', a former blogger, and a co-organiser of researchED Dublin in 2019 and in 2022. In 2025,Humphrey was awarded the ASTI Outstanding Teacher Achievement Award for his work in science education. He is currently studying for Postgraduate Diploma in School Leadership at UL. Follow him on Bluesky.

• Josephine Smith
  Josephine Smith

  Josephine Smith is Executive Head teacher designate of two 11-18 secondary schools in the East of England. As Head teacher she took the first to Ofsted Outstanding in every category and featured in the Sunday Times Parent Power supplement in 2024 and 2025. She writes regularly for SecEd and is a frequent podcast contributor discussing high performance, staff wellbeing, leadership and retention.

• Julian Girdham
  Julian Girdham

  Julian Girdham has taught English at St Columba's College in Dublin since 1984. He initiated the arrival of researchED in Ireland in 2019, and co-organised that event and the successor in 2022 with his colleague, Humphrey Jones. He comments on teaching and education generally at www.juliangirdham.com and on his Substack, 'The Fortnightly'. He also writes for a wide variety of publications, including book reviews in the 'Irish Times'.

• Kate Barry
  Kate Barry

  Kate teaches French and English at Loreto Secondary School, Fermoy. She has previously presented at researchED events as well as at the annual Irish National Organisation for Teachers of English National Conference. Kate holds an MEd in Anglo-Irish Literature from TCD and a Masters in Education from UCC.

• Margaret Gilbert
  Margaret Gilbert

  Margaret has nearly 30 years' experience supporting families, young people, and professionals across education, disability, social care, and community services. Her work spans roles including Special Needs Assistant, ASD tutor, and practitioner with HSE Family Support and autism services in Kerry. She is now an NVR Practitioner, Trainer, and Supervisor, as well as a Further Education teacher and parent coach. Margaret focuses on helping families and schools respond to challenging behaviour with calm, connection, and confidence, building stronger relationships and restoring a sense of hope.

• Marie Sheehan
  Marie Sheehan

  Marie Sheehan is an experienced Deputy Principal and a post-primary teacher with 20+ years experience in education. She is currently on career-break and has set up her own Education Consultancy business - Cloch Coaching & Education Consultancy. Marie is an accredited team and individual coach with the European Mentoring & Coaching Council and she completed her Masters with CLEO in 2016. Marie works with middle and senior leadership teams in schools and has a particular interest in the areas of developing teacher agency and building leadership capacity in our schools. Marie also delivers bespoke CPD for teachers and SNAs and provides private coaching for individuals also.

• Martin Finn
  Martin Finn

  Martin Finn is the Service Development Manager with ADHD Ireland Cork, where he develops practical supports for adults with ADHD. He has played a key role in building a strong community through support groups, talks, and innovative programmes. A strong advocate of the accountability approach, he developed Focus Hub and Action Hub, body-doubling services designed to support productivity, motivation, and follow-through for people with ADHD. With a background in music education and content creation, Martin brings a clear and practical approach, translating ADHD research into strategies that work in everyday life for individuals, families, and organisations.

• Michael O'Brien
  Michael O'Brien

  Michael O'Brien is a psychology lecturer at Gower College Swansea with over 25 years' experience in Further Education. He has published work in topics covering psychology, consciousness, mental health, and high performance. Central to his current thinking is the Domain Loop Model a framework exploring the physiological underpinnings of psychological states, with significant implications for learning and education. He is also an active performance psychologist and remains deeply committed to widening participation and supporting students from diverse backgrounds to reach their potential.

• Miriam Hussain
  Miriam Hussain

  Miriam Hussain is a teacher of English, writer, and senior leader who believes that every child deserves access to high-quality education. She is committed to raising school standards and has spent her career serving in challenging contexts. As Vice Principal responsible for Behaviour and Culture, Miriam continues to teach English alongside her work as a writer and speaker. Miriam is the author of 'Ready to Teach: An Inspector Calls', and her upcoming book 'The Attention Blueprint' will be released in 2027. As a Teach First Ambassador and member of the Chartered College of Teaching, Miriam actively engages with the wider educational community, regularly presenting at national and international conferences, speaking on podcasts, and sharing her insights on educational research through her Twitter account @MiriamHussain_ and her website www.miriamhussain.education. Miriam is a Visiting Fellow for Aston University and is currently completing the National Professional Qualification for Headship.

• Nathan Burns
  Nathan Burns

  Nathan Burns is one of the premier experts in metacognition in the UK. Having established himself as an effective classroom practitioner in several roles across schools in the East Midlands, primarily as a Head of Maths, Nathan now works full-time in delivering high-quality metacognitive training and change support across educational contexts, both in the UK and worldwide. The author of four books on metacognition. Nathan has supported schools and colleges across phases, as well as working in state, private, and international contexts. He delivers staff facing training, leadership development support, curriculum development support, and overarching metacognitive consultancy.

• Nick Pointer
  Nick Pointer

  Nick Pointer is a teacher educator, school improvement advisor and author. Drawing on the latest research from education and psychology, his work focuses on how cutting-edge approaches to professional development can inform the design and delivery of transformational school improvement for educators at all levels. He specialises in instructional coaching, delivering training in the UK and internationally. In addition to working as a school improvement advisor and coach, Nick is currently Associate Dean for Learning Design at Ambition Institute, where he leads the design of innovative professional development programmes for educators. In the classroom, Nick worked in a number of UK state secondary and all-through schools as a science teacher and leader.

• Pamela O'Leary
  Pamela O'Leary

  Pam O'Leary has 20 years' experience as a Guidance Counsellor and SPHE teacher in Irish post-primary schools. She specializes in teaching sensitive topics including pornography education and sexual health. Pam co-authored My Wellbeing Journey 2 and My Wellbeing Journey 3 (Gill Education), Junior Cycle textbooks widely used across Irish schools. As Head of Education at Let's Talk SPHE (www.letstalksphe.com), she collaborates with psychotherapist Richie Sadlier to create practical, teacher-centered resources that support high-quality SPHE and RSE delivery. Her work focuses on translating research into classroom-ready materials that address real challenges teachers face when delivering wellbeing education.

• Paul Nugent
  Paul Nugent

  Paul Nugent is a Physics Coach with the Institute of Physics. The IOP provide a range of supports to teachers of physics. Paul teaches in Santa Sabina, Sutton, Dublin, and is Executive Board Member of Science on Stage-Europe, and a council member of the Irish Science Teachers Association. Paul is an Associate of the School of Education, Trinity College, Dublin, working with student teachers. He is a founder and leader of the physics outreach group, Physics Buskers. In 2020, he was awarded the Irish Science Teachers Association Educator of the Year, and in 2025, he received The Maths Week Ireland Raising Public Awareness of Mathematics Awards. paul.nugent@gmail.com @PhysicsIreland

• Rachel Ball
  Rachel Ball

  Rachel Ball is a PD Specialist at Steplab. She is a former Teaching and Learning lead and SLE, based in the North West with over20 years teaching experience. Rachel is a keen blogger and writer, and is the co-author of the recently published bestselling book 'The Scaffolding Effect.' 

• Simon Lewis
  Simon Lewis

  Simon Lewis is principal of Carlow Educate Together NS. He has spent the last two decades training teachers to make the best from educational technology through his workshops and courses. During the first wave of COVID19, Simon helped half the principals in Ireland with a number of sessions on getting started with remote learning and continues to follow the latest advancements in educational technology. Simon runs a podcast called "If I were the Minister for Education," a regular examination of the primary education sector. He also runs Mash.ie, a site for teachers to share their resources, as well as several other educational sites. He regularly appears in the media discussing issues relating to primary education.

• Tadgh O'Donovan
  Tadgh O'Donovan

  Tadgh O'Donovan is a Secondary School Science Teacher from Cork, who has taught in both the UK and Ireland. During the global pandemic, he took his style of teaching online, where he used his platforms to educate students in Science, while also taking a humorous look at school life. In 2020, he moved back to Cork and started working in Carrigaline Community School. More recently, he has featured in the Virgin Media TV series, A Rebel Education, which looked at school life within his current school.