International Men's Day 2019

What does work-life balance mean to you?

To mark International Men’s Day this year, the Faculty of Health Sciences reached out to some colleagues to ask that very question.

For further information on International Men’s Day: https://internationalmensday.com/

Stephen Finn
Professor Consultant, School of Medicine

'Both are intertwined but I am careful to protect and respect my private time and look after the health of my family and myself.'

I am a clinician scientist and my clinical service work involves providing Liver, Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary histopathology services. Our lab provides a solid tumour molecular diagnostic service to St. James and Trinity Cancer Institute and acts as a tertiary referral centre nationally. My research interests are in the areas of the molecular diagnosis of cancer, and the biology of lung and prostate cancers.  We are fortunate to be involved in several large international groups focussed on improving outcomes for patients with early and advanced cancers.
Outside of work I am family focussed and have interests in fitness, sports, art, literature, travel and trying to cook something edible!

What does work life balance mean to you?
For me, work life balance has become easier as I have grown older and perhaps more insightful. I travel a lot for work, but over the years I have become more strategic and believe in prioritizing rest when it is needed. 

Fabio Boylan
Professor, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

'Simple things in life are as important as major successes in our careers.'

I am a pharmacist and researcher in the area of Natural Products. My research focuses on the scientific validation of natural products, especially medicinal plants for several ailments, including cancer, inflammation and pain to cite a few. This is a fascinating area of research because it requires a multidisciplinary approach and the involvement of a network of collaborators from many other complementary fields of research.
Although I love my work, I also love my spare time. I enjoy spending time with my husband and our dog. I also am a disciplined gym goer and I take pleasure in travelling and going to the cinema. I value spending time with family, being with my husband, mum, siblings, relatives as well as cooking, travelling, working out, etc.

What does work-life balance mean to you?
Throughout the years, I gathered the importance of striking a balance between working and living. This comes to us with years of experience and nowadays I value both equally and I try to achieve the best in both.

Trevor Woods
Technical Officer, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

'Time off is just as important as time on the job.'

I provide assistance and setup with undergraduate practical classes and exams as well as ensuring the correct operation and calibration of Pharmacy’s varied research equipment. I also monitor compliance with health and safety legislation in regards to chemicals and equipment operations.
When not at work I’m an active scuba diver especially with regards to teaching undergraduates their underwater skills. I’m a keen creator of art including paintings and sculptures and if not attempting the next ‘Picasso’ I’m visiting art galleries at home and abroad.

What does work life balance mean to you?
While I feel very lucky to like my job and the interesting people and challenges I meet every week, I think it’s very important to switch off from work at the end of each day. Spending time with friends, family and hobbies can result in a rejuvenated soul which results in a more productive/enjoyable person to work with when back in the laboratory.

Stephen Maher
Professor, School of Medicine

'For me, the ideal work-life balance provides flexibility where I can put my focus where it’s most needed.'   

I am a cancer biologist and researcher. My lab is interested in understanding the molecular biology of why some patients respond well to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and others do not. My research group largely focuses on cancers that have a poor outlook, such as pancreatic cancer, oesophageal cancer and mesothelioma. Our work aims to increase patient response rates to chemo-and radiation-therapy, ultimately improving the outlook for patients. Outside of my work I enjoy music, art, literature, cooking, astronomy, outreach activities and general science. I am keen on fitness and enjoy long distance open water swimming and high-board diving. I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

What does work-life balance mean to you?
A good work-life balance involves having the time to do the research and teaching work that creates a necessary sense of job satisfaction, accomplishment and the recognition that my work is valued, while providing enough time away from the lab and lecture theatres to pursue other interests and spend quality time with my family.

Ken Coogan
Executive Officer, School of Nursing and Midwifery

'Striking that all important balance between the two extremes can be challenging at times.'

I have been a member of the administrative staff team since 2004. I provide assistance with examinations, assessments and everyday course-related issues, as well as overseeing the allocation of elective modules to our Senior Fresh and Junior Fresh undergraduate students. I am also involved in the management of the annual Foundation Scholarship examinations. In addition, I work closely with the Director of Undergraduate Programmes by providing administrative support to the Nursing and Midwifery Joint Working Group and liaise with the Directors of Nursing of the various health service providers.

What does work-life balance mean to you?
Achieving a work-life balance is very important to me, especially with ever-increasing workloads and a very busy family life. If successfully achieved, this balance can make both ‘work’ and ‘life’ all the more enjoyable. In my spare time, I am an avid runner and have just completed my second marathon. I am also a keen artist, with a specific interest in caricature art.

Hal Duncan
Professor, School of Dental Science

'A constant battle of the modern academic’s life is to ensure that there is enough room to shut out work and enjoy without intrusion other interests and passions.'

My research is focussed on developing new strategies to treat the damaged dental pulp (or ‘nerve’), by targeting inflammatory or reparative processes with next-generation biomaterials. Our group encompasses basic research working on developing our understanding of defensive and mineralisation-based responses in teeth, moving through translational research investigating new diagnostic strategies or therapeutic inhibitors, to pure clinical research evaluating novel or existing vital pulp treatment materials responses and outcomes in vivo. My personal time is occupied with attempts to keep fit, enjoy music, driving my kids around and maintaining an active if frustrating interest in Scottish football.

What does work-life balance mean to you?
Balance has always suggested to me that, while work may take precedent on occasion, there are other moments where other aspects of life are more important

Martin Henman
Professor, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

'Balancing my work life and personal life is an art, one that I have yet to master.'

My research examines the use of medicines in different settings and with various groups. More specifically, I look at medicine use among people with Intellectual Disability. This is very challenging as they need a lot of medicines and combining these can bring additional complications. The aim is to optimise medicine use in a group who are vulnerable because of their health problems and because they often find it hard to communicate their difficulties to health care professionals. When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and walking our dogs. I like to travel and that is fortunate because I often travel for my work.

What does work-life balance mean to you?
Finding the right balance between my work and personal life is difficult because I like my work and consequently it can be easy to justify spending more time working. The satisfaction and recognition for work well done helps me to enjoy my personal time. I increasingly appreciate making time to do and see other things especially with my family and I like to think that I am getting better at this balancing act.

Michael Brennan
Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery

'I must admit when I started in this job, I got it all wrong, in terms of work-life balance, now gladly after many years, I think I have it right.'

I work as a lecturer in the School of Nursing & Midwifery. It is probably one of the most enjoyable jobs I have ever had, however, it is also the busiest one I have ever had. I am passionate about mental health, which is great because this is one of my main research interests. My interest in this area has not only been the focus of my career but also in my personal life. I have learnt a lot from this area of work and research but, “what good is learning if you don’t apply it to yourself?”.

What does work-life balance mean to you?
For me, I love my job and I get great satisfaction from it. Equally, I love spending time off with my family, who are sports fanatics-this keeps me very busy and affords a balance to my life.