Prof Emma Wallace (MB BAO BcH BMedSci PhD MICGP HDip ClinEd) is Professor and Head of General Practice in the School of Medicine, University College Cork and a General Practitioner in Bandon General Practice, Cork.

Her research focuses on the diagnosis and management of long-term health conditions, including medicines optimisation. To date, she has generated >€13.6 million in peer reviewed research grant funding (€2.8 million as Principal Investigator), collaborating with national and international academic, clinical, patient and policy partners. She is currently leading a Health Research Board (HRB) Emerging Clinician Scientist Award investigating polypharmacy and prescribing cascades in older people living in the community. She leads a team of postdoctoral researchers, research assistants and postgraduate students from multidisciplinary backgrounds undertaking clinical research to inform patient care and healthcare policy. 

Prof Wallace has a strong publication record (>135 peer reviewed publications) in top quartile medical and general practice journals. She is internationally recognised as a research leader in her field (Stanford Top 2% scientist (2024), Health Research Board of Ireland Emerging Clinician Scientist Awardee (2020-25), UK Society of Academic Primary Care Outstanding New Researcher (2019)) and has been awarded numerous national and international research prizes. Prof Wallace is committed to supporting early and mid-career researchers and is currently supervising 7 PhD/MD postgraduate students and is a mentor for HRB and UK NIHR career development awards. She has supervised 10 PhD/MD/MSc students to completion and 13 postdoctoral researchers/clinical research fellows. 

Prof Wallace is an Irish College of GPs Council member and sits on several national and international committees. Roles include Associate Director, Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT), Scientific Advisory Board Member, The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and Steering Committee Member, HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network. She was previously Chair of the Academic GP Ireland executive (2021-2025) and the Irish College of GPs Quality and Safety in Practice committee (2018-2023). She is a graduate of the University of Oxford International Primary Care Research Leadership Programme, an expert panel lead for the Norwegian Research Council and steering committee member for two UK research programmes. She was previously an Associate Editor for the Journal of Comorbidity and Multimorbidity.

Prof Wallace graduated with an honours degree in Medicine from University College Dublin and completed her postgraduate speciality General Practice training and PhD in Dublin, supported by a Health Research Board (HRB) of Ireland Fellowship. Prior to her current role, she held academic positions as Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor of General Practice in RCSI Dublin, in addition to practicing clinically as a GP in North Dublin.

Diagnosis and Management of long-term health conditions, Medicines safety and optimisation in general practice, Multimorbidity management, Improving access to care for marginalised groups