Molly Halligan

Molly, a former masters student at Edinburgh, has transformed her personal struggle with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) into a powerful voice for patient involvement in medical research. 

 

Her journey began with personal battles against the disease, which she bravely shared in the short film "Our Lives with IBD," at the Edinburgh Science Festival in 2024. This film offers deep insights into the diagnostic challenges faced by those with the condition and explains how her experience influenced her masters research into gender and IBD.

 

Molly has been a dynamic participant at various symposia, including a memorable presentation at the IRR Symposium, where she highlighted the often-overlooked distance between patients and researchers. Her efforts emphasise the significant, mutual benefits of involving patients in the research process — a practice she supports as a member of the Patient Public Involvement/Engagement group for IBD at the University.

 

One of Molly's groundbreaking contributions is her leadership in producing a patient-led paper, which voices the real-world impacts of IBD from a patient’s perspective. Molly's work epitomises the future promise of CMVM research and its capacity to ameliorate the lives of those grappling with debilitating conditions.