UCD CHAS Hosts AIPEC 2025
UCD Team and Judges
On 28th March, University College Dublin - College of Health and Agricultural Sciences (UCD CHAS) played host to an exciting and competitive day as it welcomed students competing in the All-Ireland Interprofessional Healthcare Challenge for Students (AIPEC). Eight interdisciplinary university teams from across Ireland competed. Students showed an outstanding display of collaboration, critical thinking, and ingenuity in their presentations.
The UCD organising committee including representatives from UCD Health Affairs and CHAS:
Brona Fullen – School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science
Dr Lisa Rogers – School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Rachel Howe – School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Kasia Gaughan – UCD Health Affairs
Suzanne McMahon – UCD Health Affairs
UCD CHAS Organising Team with Prof Cecily Kelleher, College Principal
The competition brought together teams with a range of academic backgrounds, with participants representing various fields such as medicine, nursing, dietetics, physiotherapy, radiography, pharmacy and social studies. Each team was tasked with presenting innovative solutions to a hypothetical case that centred on improving outcomes for a patient with cardiac heart failure while also providing family support.
The judges, who brought a wealth of expertise from different disciplines, played a crucial role in providing valuable feedback and determining the winners of the competition. Judges were Dr Dermot Caffrey – Cardiologist SVUH, Christine Howley - Clinical Nurse Specialist MMUH and Dr Julie Broderick - TCD Physiotherapy.
After a day filled with insightful presentations and spirited discussions, the competition concluded with UCC (University College Cork) taking home first-place prize. Congratulations to UCC, a well-deserved win! UCD secured second place, delivering a highly commendable performance that showcased this team’s talent and dedication.
Winners of AIPEC 2025 - University College Cork with Judges + Academic Lead
The atmosphere throughout the day was one of excitement and camaraderie, with all participants demonstrating not only their academic strengths but also their ability to collaborate across disciplines. The competition was a fantastic opportunity for students to apply their learning in a real-world context, offering a glimpse into the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex challenges.
Then competition ended with the announcement that AIPEC 2026 will be hosted by RCSI