Rachel is originally from county Clare and holds a BSc in Nursing (Intellectual Disability) from the University of Limerick. She worked for several years as a Registered Nurse in adult residential settings, where she developed a strong interest in the intersection of intellectual disability and health. This led her to complete a Master’s degree in Audiology at University College Cork.

Rachel has experience working with both adults and paediatrics, diagnosing hearing loss in community settings and acute ENT clinics. To support her work in this area, she completed a course in Irish Sign Language, enhancing her ability to communicate with individuals who are part of the Deaf community.

Rachel has also volunteered with Special Olympics Ireland as a Healthy Hearing screener and has provided nursing and medical support at Irish Special Olympic competitions. Her research interests focus on the link between intellectual disabilities, cognitive decline, dementia, and hearing loss, with a particular passion for improving early identification and support strategies in these areas.

In her spare time, Rachel enjoys travelling, exploring new places, and spending quality time with her family and friends.