Derry’s Dr Gerard Walls receives prestigious Fulbright Award to the USA

As a Fulbright Health Impact Scholar, Dr. Gerard Walls, from Magherafelt, will join the world-leading Cardio-Oncology research team at Washington University in St. Louis to conduct further analysis on the interaction between radiotherapy and cardiovascular health in patients with lung cancer.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Ireland Mike Clausen recently announced 37 Fulbright Irish Awardees for 2023-2024. Recipients were presented with Awards at a ceremony in the U.S. Ambassador’s Residence.

Academics, professionals, students and Irish speakers will attend 17 leading U.S. institutions to research, study, teach and collaborate with experts in their fields from August 2023 to August 2024.

The Fulbright bilateral exchange program is known for selecting outstanding candidates from across the island of Ireland to study and work with U.S. Institutions across all disciplines ranging from health, science, technology and business to the arts and culture. As the Fulbright Awardees forge ahead on these exciting opportunities, the breadth of their U.S. engagement is diverse and impressive.

Awardees will travel to 17 states across the USA embedding themselves in institutions ranging from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Poets House New York and The University of Hawaii to The Smithsonian Institution in Washington and East Los Angeles College, the largest community college in California. Fulbright Irish Scholars, Students, and Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) will also engage with U.S. society and share their knowledge and expertise when they return home.

In a year that saw Irish American President Biden visit Ireland, when ties between Ireland and the U.S. have increased, the 37 Irish awardees will head to the U.S. to exchange ideas and knowledge and serve as cultural ambassadors. By doing so they strengthen connections between the U.S. and Ireland to foster much needed understanding and empathy in today’s increasingly polarised world.

Dr Gerard Walls is also an alumnus member of the Wellcome-Health Research Board Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) Programme. In his clinical practice, Gerard specialises in radiotherapy and systemic therapy for all stages of lung cancer. He seeks to improve the prognosis of patients with lung cancer by greater personalisation of treatment. As a Fulbright- HRB Health Impact Scholar, he will join the world-leading Cardio-Oncology research team at Washington University St. Louis to conduct further analysis on the interaction between radiotherapy and cardiovascular health in patients with lung cancer.

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and at the Department of Education, Thomas Byrne TD said: “The warmth of the relationship between Ireland and the United States is underpinned by our shared history and common values. The Fulbright Commission and the Fulbrighters, past and present, are a testament to the best traditions of academic and cultural exchange, and have an outstanding record in representing Ireland.