Prof Foley is Professor of General Practice at University College Cork. An academic GP, with over 20 years of experience in clinical practice, research and medical education, his work is dedicated to improving health outcomes for older people, with a specific focus on dementia care in primary care settings. Prof Foley remains deeply rooted in clinical practice as a GP Partner in Kinsale Medical, a position he has held since 2002. He has a particular clinical interest in care of the older person, nursing home care and in dermatology. 

Actively engaged in national health policy, Prof Foley has served on the working group for the Irish National Dementia Strategy (2014) and continues to collaborate with the HSE's National Dementia Service, as a member of the Brain Health working group, and with the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA), as a member of the Governance Committee of the Irish Dementia Registry. He has also collaborated with the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland on advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns.

Prof Foley's research interests centre on dementia prevention, diagnosis and post-diagnostic care, as well as emerging biomarkers and novel disease-modifyng therapies for Alzheimer's disease.

To date, he has secured over €3.3 million in research funding. He has authored over 60 publications in international journals, including The Lancet Primary Care, British Journal of General Practice and Age and Ageing. His research extends into nursing home care, palliative care, medical education, and the safe and equitable prescribing of isotretinoin for acne in primary care. 

Prof Foley is committed to supporting early and mid-career researchers and is currently supervising PhD, MD, Master's, Postgraduate Fellowship Candidates and medical students, in the areas of dementia care, dermatology and medical education. He is an alumnus of cohort 14 of the Oxford International Primary Care Research Leadership Programme.

In addition to his research, Professor Foley holds significant leadership roles in medical education. He is module lead for the final year medical student programme in UCC; CP5200: Principles and Practice of Internal Medicine and General Practice, and is a member of the UCC School of Medicine Curricuclum Review Working Group. From a post-graduate perpective, he is an Examiner for the Irish College of GPs' membership exam, and has been a GP Trainer on The Cork GP Training Scheme for over 15 years.