Niall O'Higgins

Co-Chair, INTERACT-EUROPE project and a former president of ECO

Niall O’Higgins is retired Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery at University College Dublin. He was consultant general surgeon at St. Vincent’s University Hospital with a special interest in surgical oncology (especially breast cancer) and endocrine surgery. Throughout his career he was responsible for surgical teaching and training in the university.

He established the first Breast Cancer clinic in Ireland and was extensively involved in the development of breast cancer screening and services in Ireland and in the designing of requirements for Cancer Centres.

He was President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and of the European Cancer Organisation at a time when it was known as the Federation of European Cancer Societies.

He initiated the proposal to the European Commission of interdisciplinary training of cancer specialists.

He is Chairman of the National Screening Advisory Committee in Ireland.