Alan Macken
MB BCh BAO, MRCPI, MD (c)
_____________________________________________________________________
E-mail:
alanmacken@gmail.com
EDUCATION:
Graduate Entry Medical School, the University of Limerick
Candidate for Medical Doctorate by research.
Thesis submission date September 2013
Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2:
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (Medicine of
Childhood)
National University of Ireland, University College Dublin, Ireland:
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Arts in Obstetrics
Belvedere College SJ, Greater Denmark St, Dublin 1, Ireland:
Irish Leaving Certificate.
Irish Intermediate Certificate.
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT:
Higher Specialist Training in General Paediatrics
July 18th 2011 to present: MD Research Fellow, National Children’s Research Centre.
Attached to the Graduate Entry Medical School at the University of Limerick and
the Department of Paediatrics at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
From July 2013 to July 2014 : Specialist Registrar in Neonatology,
Cork University Maternity Hospital. Pending future post.
Alan Macken CV 2013
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT:
Higher Specialist Training in General Paediatrics
July 1st 2010 to July 11th 2011 : Specialist Registrar in General Paediatrics,
Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
Registrar Training in Paediatrics and Neonatology
July 1st 2009 to June 30th 2010: Registrar in Neonatology,
The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street.
Jan 1st 2009 to June 30th 2009: Registrar in Metabolic Paediatrics,
The Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street.
July 1st 2008 to Dec 31st 2008: Registrar in Paediatric Nephrology,
Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.
Jan 1st 2008 to June 30th 2008: Registrar in Rheumatology and General Paediatrics,
Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.
Jan 1st 2007 to Dec 31st 2007: Tutor Registrar in Paediatrics,
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
& The Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street.
July 1st 2006 to Dec 31st 2006: Registrar in Neonatology and General Paediatrics,
The Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street.
July 1st 2005 to June 30th 2006: Registrar in Neonatology,
The Coombe Women’s Hospital.
Jan 1st to June 30th 2005: Paediatric Oncology Registrar,
Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.
July 1st to Dec 31st 2004: Neonatology Registrar,
Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children. Crumlin.
Jan 1st to June 30th 2004: Paediatric Emergency Department Registrar,
Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.
July 1st to Dec 31st 2003: Paediatric Emergency Department Registrar,
The National Children’s Hospital, AMNCH, Tallaght.
2|P age
Alan Macken CV 2013
2 Year Rotational Paediatric SHO scheme
July 1st to Dec 31st 2001: Paediatric and Emergency Department SHO,
The Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street.
Jan 1st to June 30th 2002: Neonatal SHO, The Rotunda Hospital.
July 1st to June 30th 2003: General Paediatric SHO, Sligo General Hospital
Prior to Paediatrics
Jan 1st to June 30th 2000: Medical Intern at Louth County Hospital, Dundalk.
July 1st to Dec 31st 2000: Surgical Intern at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.
Jan 1st to June 30th 2001: Medical SHO at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.
3|P age
Alan Macken CV 2013
Peer Reviewed Publications
1. What do children in hospital eat? A study of food offered, food consumed and
parental perceptions. A Flinn, AP Macken, D Leddin, W Cullen, C Dunne,
CS O’Gorman. (BMC Research Notes 2012, 5:491 doi:10.1186/1756-0500-5491 November 2012)
Note: The following 10 peer-reviewed papers were published together as a complete
supplement to the Irish Medical Journal in February 2013.
2. What’s the Difference Between PubMed and MEDLINE? And How Do You
Best Search MEDLINE Anyway? MF Higgins, AP Macken, W Cullen, J
Saunders, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Irish Medical Journal Supplement
February 2013; 2013: 106(2):2-4.
3. Research Confuses Me: What is the Difference Between Case-Control and
Cohort Studies in Quantitative Research? MF Higgins, AP Macken, W
Cullen, J Saunders, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Irish Medical Journal
Supplement February 2013; 2013: 106(2):4-6.
4. What is a Randomised Controlled Trial? CS O’Gorman, AP Macken, W
Cullen, J Saunders, C Dunne, MF Higgins. Irish Medical Journal Supplement
February 2013; 2013: 106(2):6-7.
5. What Are The Differences Between A Literature Search, A Literature Review,
A Systematic Review and A Meta-Analysis? And Why Is A Systematic
Review Considered To Be So Good? CS O’Gorman, AP Macken, W Cullen,
J Saunders, C Dunne, MF Higgins. Irish Medical Journal Supplement
February 2013; 2013: 106(2):8-10.
6. What are the Differences Between Common Statistical Tests? MF Higgins,
AP Macken, W Cullen, J Saunders, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Irish Medical
Journal Supplement February 2013; 2013: 106(2):10-11.
7. What is the Difference Between Sensitivity and Specificity? Or Positive
Predictive Value and Negative Predictive Value? And What’s a ROC if It’s
Not a Type of Bird? MF Higgins, AP Macken, W Cullen, J Saunders, C
Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Irish Medical Journal Supplement February 2013;
2013: 106(2):11-12.
8. Research Confuses Me: What is Qualitative Research & What is the
Difference Between Grounded Theory and Phenomenology? CS O’Gorman,
AP Macken, W Cullen, J Saunders, C Dunne, MF Higgins. Irish Medical
Journal Supplement February 2013; 2013: 106(2):13-15.
4|P age
Alan Macken CV 2013
9. What is the Difference Between Deontological and Consequentialist Theories
of Medical Ethics? CS O’Gorman, AP Macken, W Cullen, C Dunne1, MF
Higgins. Irish Medical Journal Supplement February 2013; 2013: 106(2):1517.
10. How to Teach Practical Skills in Medicine: Out of Hospital Training. MF
Higgins, AP Macken, O Coyle, W Cullen, D McGrath, CS O’Gorman. Irish
Medical Journal Supplement February 2013; 2013: 106(2):17-18.
11. How to Teach Practical Skills in Medicine: Bridging the Gap from the Course
to the Patient, and Teaching on the Job. CS O’Gorman, AP Macken, O Coyle,
W Cullen, D McGrath, MF Higgins. Irish Medical Journal Supplement
February 2013; 2013: 106(2):18-19.
Invited Non-Peer Reviewed Publications
1. AP Macken, A. Monavari. PKU in Ireland: from Severe Impairment to Normal
Development. Irish Medical News, p25, Vol 26, No 24, August 24th 2009.
International Oral Presentations
1. P Scully, O Reid, AP Macken, M Healy, J Saunders, D Leddin, W Cullen, C
Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Platform Presentation. Food and beverage cues in
children’s television programs in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Pediatric
Endocrine Societies and Pediatric Academic Societies Joint Meeting. Washington
DC, USA. May 2013 (Pending)
2. AP Macken, MJ Mahony. Platform Presentation. Paediatric upper GI endoscopy in
the noughties: the Limerick experience 2000 to 2010. Irish American Paediatric
Society. Belfast, Northern Ireland, September 2012.
3. KP Dowd, SM Hughes, S Gastinger, G Hayes, M Harrison, AP Macken, CS
O’Gorman, N Moyna, AE Donnelly. Relation between physical activity, sedentary
behaviour and selected cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescent females.
American College of Sports Medicine, 59th Annual Meeting and 3rd World
Congress on Exercise is Medicine. San Francisco, USA. May-June 2012.
National Oral Presentations
1. P Scully, O Reid, AP Macken, M Healy, J Saunders, D Leddin, W Cullen, C
Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Platform Presentation. Food and beverage cues in
children’s television programs in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Irish Paediatric
Association. Belfast, Northern Ireland. April 2012
5|P age
Alan Macken CV 2013
2. O Reid, P Scully, AP Macken, M Healy, J Saunders, D Leddin, W Cullen, C
Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Platform Presentation. Exercise cues in children’s
television programmes in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Irish Paediatric
Association. Belfast, Northern Ireland. April 2012 (Prize awarded for best student
presentation).
3. A Flinn, AP Macken, W Cullen, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Platform Presentation.
Children in Hospital in Ireland – What do they eat, and what do they weigh? Irish
Paediatric Association. Belfast, Northern Ireland. April 2012
4. P Scully, O Reid, AP Macken, M Healy, J Saunders, D Leddin, W Cullen, C
Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Food and beverage cues in children’s television programs
in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Intern Research Study Day, Mid-Western
Regional Hospital, Limerick 2012(Winner of Best Intern Research Award).
5. AP Macken, M Barrett, R McCarthy, E Molloy. Elevated serum ferritin in very
low birth weight infants. Inaugural Irish Neonatal Research Symposium, Dublin.
November 6th 2009.
6. AP Macken. JF Murphy. Clinical documentation of neonatal encephalopathy.
Inaugural Irish Neonatal Research Symposium, Dublin. November 6th 2009.
7. AP Macken, O Killeen. Efficacy and safety of infliximab (Remicade) in
refractory Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Irish Paediatric Association Spring
meeting 2008.
International Poster Presentations
1. AP Macken, M O’Neill, C Aherne, A Breen, W Cullen, C Dunne, CS O’
Gorman. Poster Presentation. Endothelial dysfunction studies in children
whose fathers had premature cardiovascular disease. Pediatric Academic
Societies. Washington DC. May 2013 (Pending).
2. KP Dowd, SM Hughes, S Gastinger, G Hayes, M Harrison, AP Macken, CS
O’Gorman, N Moyna, AE Donnelly. Relation between physical activity,
sedentary behaviour and selected cardiovascular disease risk factors in
adolescent females. American College of Sports Medicine, 59th Annual
Meeting and 3rd World Congress on Exercise is Medicine. San Francisco,
USA, May 29-June 2 2012.
3. Paediatric Diabetes: Information-seeking Behaviours of Families. E Sasaki,
AP Macken, AM Quinn, W Cullen, D Leddin, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman.
6|P age
Alan Macken CV 2013
Pediatric Endocrine Society and Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Joint
Meeting, Boston, USA, April 28-May 1 2012.
4. Children in Hospital in Ireland - What do they eat and what do they weigh? A
Flinn, AP Macken, W Cullen, D Leddin, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Pediatric
Endocrine Society and Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Joint Meeting,
Boston, USA, April 28-May 1 2012.
5. Exercise Cues in Children's Television Programmes in Ireland and the United
Kingdom. O Reid, P Scully, AP Macken, M Healy, J Saunders, D Leddin, W
Cullen, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Pediatric Endocrine Society and Pediatric
Academic Societies Annual Joint Meeting, Boston, USA, April 28-May 1
2012.
6. Food and Beverage Cues in Children's Television Programmes in Ireland and
United Kingdom. P Scully, O Reid, AP Macken, M Healy, J Saunders, D
Leddin, W Cullen, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Pediatric Endocrine Society and
Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Joint Meeting, Boston, USA, April 28May 1 2012.
7. Disorders of Beta-Alanine Metabolism in Ireland. AP Macken, V Ricotti , P
Fitzimmons, O Hensey, P Mayne, E Treacy, A Monavari. 4th Annual
Europaediatrics Conference, Moscow, July 3rd-6th 2009.
8. Disorders of Pyrimidine Synthesis in Ireland. AP Macken , D Noone, R
Walsh, C McMahon, P Mayne, A Monavari. 4th Annual Europaediatrics
Conference, Moscow, July 3rd-6th 2009.
9. Pyoderma Gangrenosum in an 8-month Old Boy. AP Macken, M McAleer, D
Devaney , D Gill, B O’Donnell. RCPCH Spring Meeting, York. March 26th27th 2007.
National Poster Presentations
1. E Sasaki, AP Macken, A Quinn, D Leddin, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman.
Paediatric Diabetes: Information-seeking Behaviours of Families. Cori
Conference, Galway September 30th October 1st 2011.
2. AP Macken, MJ Mahony. Paediatric Upper GI endoscopy in Limerick 20002010. Irish Paediatric Association, Kilkenny, June 9th & 10th 2011.
3. D Deverell , PE Fitzsimons, AP Macken, E Crushell, C Mc Mahon, PD
Mayne. The Value of Metabolic Markers in Diagnosis of Vitamin B12
Deficiency. Association of Clinical Biochemists of Ireland Annual
Conference, Dublin. October 16th-17th 2009.
7|P age
Alan Macken CV 2013
4. AP Macken, Ricotti V, Fitzimmons P, Hensey O, Mayne P, Treacy E,
Monavari A. Variability of Presentation of Complete Dihydropyrimidine
Dehydrogenase Deficiency. Irish Paediatric Association / Welsh Paediatric
Society Meeting, Cork, May 14th-16th 2009.
International Published Abstracts
1. Relation between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and selected
cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescent females. KP Dowd, SM
Hughes, S Gastinger, G Hayes, M Harrison, AP Macken, CS O’Gorman, N
Moyna, AE Donnelly. American College of Sports Medicine, 59th Annual
Meeting and 3rd World Congress on Exercise is Medicine. San Francisco,
USA, May 29-June 2 2012. Abstract published in Medicine and Science in
Sports and Exercise, 44(5).
2. Paediatric Diabetes: Information-seeking Behaviours of Families. E Sasaki,
AP Macken, AM Quinn, W Cullen, D Leddin, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman.
Pediatric Endocrine Society and Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Joint
Meeting, Boston, USA, April 28-May 1 2012.
3. Children in Hospital in Ireland - What do they eat and what do they weigh? A
Flinn, AP Macken, W Cullen, D Leddin, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Pediatric
Endocrine Society and Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Joint Meeting,
Boston, USA, April 28-May 1 2012.
4. Exercise Cues in Children's Television Programmes in Ireland and the United
Kingdom. O Reid, P Scully, A Macken, M Healy, J Saunders, D Leddin, W
Cullen, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Pediatric Endocrine Society and Pediatric
Academic Societies Annual Joint Meeting, Boston, USA, April 28-May 1
2012.
5. Food and Beverage Cues in Children's Television Programmes in Ireland and
United Kingdom. P Scully, O Reid, A Macken, M Healy, J Saunders, D
Leddin, W Cullen, C Dunne, CS O’Gorman. Pediatric Endocrine Society and
Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Joint Meeting, Boston, USA, April 28May 1 2012.
6. AP Macken , McAleer M, Devaney D, Gill D, O’Donnell B. Pyoderma
Gangrenosum on an 8-month old boy. Archives of Disease in Childood 2007;
92 (Suppl 1): A80-A87
National Published Abstracts
8|P age
Alan Macken CV 2013
1. AP Macken, O Killeen. Efficacy and safety of infliximab (Remicade) in
refractory Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Irish Paediatric Association Spring
meeting 2008.
9|P age
Alan Macken CV 2013
COURSES:
Statistical research methods and sample sizing course.
C-Star, University of Limerick, 22-24 June 2012
HRB Cochrane half-day training course,
Galway, 13 June 2012.
Child Protection Recognition and Response,
-ALSG, RCPI Certified March 25th 2011.
Physicians as Trainers: Effective Teaching and Supervising Skills ,
-RCPI, 22nd & 23rd March 2011
Practical Neurology Study Days,
-Institute of Child Health, London, March 14th to 18th 2011
Neonatal Resuscitation Programme(NRP) Instructor Course
-Cork University Maternity Hospital, 11th November 11th 2010
Research Skills
-RCPI, October 28th 2010
Paediatric Epilepsy Training (PET) 2: Days 1&2,
-BPNA, Cork September 16th&17th 2010
Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Bayley III 2-Day Training Workshop
-Milford Care Centre, Limerick, August 27th & 28th 2010
Neonatal and Paediatric Ventilation,
-Institute of Child Health, London, May 2009.
Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) Certification, September 2008.
S.T.A.B.L.E. certified 2005.
Neonatal Resuscitation Programme (NRP) certified 2005
Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certified 2002.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certified January 2001.
10 | P a g e
Alan Macken CV 2013
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE:
I spent 12 months as Tutor in Paediatrics at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.
My responsibilities included lecturing and tutoring undergraduate medical students, using
a variety of eduction methodologies, including bedside teaching, small group sessions,
problem-based learning and traditional didactic lectures. Additionally, I was responsible
for the maintenance of the newly-introduced videoconferencing systems to allow for
education sessions to be disseminated from The Children’s University Hospital, Temple
Street, to other sites where our students were located. I also had responsibilities including
preparing and correcting examination questions and organising and running the clinical
examinations.
During my SpR year and my 2 year MD program (ongoing) at the University of Limerick,
I delivered education sessions to the UL medical students, who are all post-graduate
students engaged in a 4 years problem-based learning medical curriculum. I delivered
regular lectures to the students on failure to thrive, paediatric celiac disease and
gastroenterology. I led twice yearly a seminar on Paediatrics in General Practice, before
students began their rotations in general practice. I also delivered tutorials to small groups
of students during their paediatrics rotations. And I examined in their Final Medical
examinations in Paediatrics.
MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE:
I gained some management experience during my years as a registrar and Specialist
Registrar, with responsibilities including organising on call rosters, and especially in
Limerick, responsibilities for organising the team of SHOs and Registrars to ensure
adequate junior hospital doctor cover for all areas of clinical practice in paediatrics on a
daily basis.
During my 2 years MD program in Limerick, I gained an exceptional amount of
experience in management. Along with my supervisors and study principle investigators,
I gained experience in liaising with colleagues from many different departments
throughout the hospital and the university, to establish a framework and pathways within
which a detailed patient-centred investigative study, such as my MD project, could
function. This was the first research of its kind to be conducted in Paediatrics in Limerick.
CURRENT ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS:
Cardiovascular and metabolic risk in children (boys and girls) whose fathers have
had early cardiovascular disease.
Research team: Alan Macken, Walter Cullen, Michael O’Neill, Colum Dunne, Clodagh
S O’Gorman.
11 | P a g e
Alan Macken CV 2013
This is my MD by research project. It focuses on comparing subjects (children aged 8-14
years whose fathers have had myocardial infarctions or coronary artery bypass grafts
before the age of 55 years) with control children, age-. BMI- and gender-matched, whose
parents have not had cardiovascular disease. To date, almost 70 patients have been
recruited and tested. Recruitment will end in April 2013. Testing includes oral glucose
tolerance testing, fasting cholesterol measurements, peripheral arterial tonometry and
carotid intima media thickness testing, as well as 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure
monitoring.
Activity and sedentary patterns in female adolescents.
Research team: Kieran Dowd, Alan Macken, Clodagh S O’Gorman, Alan Donnelly.
This study aims to profile the activity levels of healthy Irish adolescent females aged 1418 years, with exercise measured objectively using the ActivPal device. Additional testing
includes anthropometric measurements and fasting bloodwork for cholesterol, insulin and
glucose. Patient testing has been completed, and analysis is currently underway.
Cardiovascular and metabolic risk in young adults whose parents have had early
cardiovascular disease.
Research team: Alan Macken, Fionnuala Lavin, Clodagh S O’Gorman, Michael O’Neill
This study profiles young adults (aged 18-25 years) whose parents have had early
cardiovascular disease, compared with a healthy control cohort. Testing includes
peripheral arterial tonometry testing, anthropometric measurements and fasting
bloodwork for cholesterol, insulin and glucose.
Food and Exercise cues in children’s television programming
Research team: Paul C Scully, Orlaith Reid, Alan Macken, Walter Cullen, Colum
Dunne, Clodagh S O’Gorman.
This study examined over 80 hours of children’s television programming on Irish and
British network television, and scored the children’s television programs for content and
duration of indicators of food and exercise. Data analysis and manuscript preparation are
nearing completion.
REFERENCES:
On request.
12 | P a g e