Dr Derek O'Keeffe

Always fascinated by how things work, Limerick-born Derek nurtured his curiosity by studying Engineering at UL, first completing an Electronic Engineering degree in 1996, a Masters in Engineering in 1998 and in 2001, a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. During his undergraduate and postgraduate training, he developed a Drop Foot correction system and his project work won the Stryker Howmedica International Competition. He was awarded a fellowship to pursue his PhD and spent time at Salisbury District Hospital, UK working with world experts in Rehabilitation Medicine and published widely. He also did field work with NASA in the Mojave Desert, California on astronaut mobility and was invited to Russia's Star City. 

Derek was subsequently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Harvard University and during his time in the US, was invited to speak at several prestigious Institutions such as MIT, NorthWestern and Stanford University. He holds a faculty appointment at UL, where he lectures and supervises his own research students and he also teaches 7-11 year old children every week as part of the Centre for Talented Youth of Ireland. 

 Possessed with a great passion for life, Derek loves exploring and holds a pilots license, advanced diver qualification, sailing license and is a qualified black belt instructor. He loves all sports, in particular triathlons and marathons. He has been a radio DJ for five years and has been trying to play the guitar for longer! His traveling has served to heighten his sense of humanity, leading him to fundraise for charities such as Red Cross, SightSavers and Hospices. He also has a great zeal for education outreach and has given many interviews to media outlets such as National Geographic, Irish Times, Discovery Channel and RTE promoting Science and Engineering. 

Recently, Derek decided to augment his knowledge by pursuing a medical degree. As a Henry Hutchinson scholar at NUI Galway, he has been awarded clinical fellowships in Sydney and Oxford. The potential of this unique expertise in engineering and medicine was recently demonstrated when Derek (along with his colleague Dr. Marc O'Griofa) successfully put Irelands first space experiment on board the International Space Station. This ambitious Project CASPER used state-of-the-art techniques to monitor astronaut sleep quality, with the trial having direct relevance to sleep treatments on Earth. 

In recognition of his life's work to date, Derek was awarded The Outstanding Young Person of the World, 2007 by Junior Chamber International. Previous recipients of this prestigious award include Elvis Presley, and John F Kennedy. 

The above text is an extract from the 2008 UL Alumni Awards Souvenir Booklet.