Official Bio

Dr. Áine O’Dea brings a distinctive background of clinical expertise, leadership, and research experience to support occupational therapy and allied health leaders. Having trained as an occupational therapist, Áine spent 20 years in public and private sectors with a clinical focus in mental health, child and adolescent health, and adult neurology.

Áine was the first occupational therapist in Ireland to be awarded the prestigious SPHeRE (Structured Population and Health-services Research Education) PhD scholarship from the HRB (Health Research Board). She completed her doctoral studies in the area of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)  with a focus on interventions for DCD and best practices to improve inclusion and participation.

As part of this PhD programme, Áine completed a post-graduate diploma in population health and health services research. Out of this study came mastery over complex topics impacting public health including population health issues, national health policies, health economics, health informatics, and research methodologies.

Determined to help others translate knowledge into practice, Áine provides premium consultancy and supervision services to professionals in leadership across allied health. In this role, she supports continuous professional development, policy implementation, and evidence-based clinical practice.

As a published author and contributor, Aine strives to share high-quality resources in the areas of occupational therapy, clinical supervision, and parent/educator coaching.