Irishman awarded CBE by King Charles III for services to public health and neuropsychology

King Charles III has approved an honorary CBE for Irishman Prof Peter Halligan for services to neuropsychology research and science in government.

An internationally renowned psychologist and neuroscientist, he played a key role in many research breakthroughs at Cardiff University before being appointed as chief scientific adviser for Wales in 2018.

Commenting on his CBE, Prof Halligan said: “I am surprised but pleased about this award which recognises not just my work, but the fantastic team and colleagues with whom I have had the privilege of working and collaborating with over many years.”

Born in Dublin in 1959, he grew up in Templeogue. His late brother, Prof Aidan Halligan, held senior leadership positions in English medicine, including as deputy chief medical officer for England, and turned down the chance to become the first head of the Health Service Executive in 2004. His younger sister Ursula Halligan is a well-known journalist.

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He obtained degrees in psychology, philosophy and education at University College Dublin. His research interest in neuropsychology began in 1984 while working at St Laurence’s Hospital, Dublin, evaluating the neuropsychological consequences of the first split-brain operations for intractable epilepsy in Ireland.

In 1985, he worked as a clinical research psychologist at the Rivermead Rehabilitation Centre in Oxford, a leading UK NHS hospital specialising in neurorehabilitation, before joining the department of clinical neurology at Oxford University as a research fellow in 1987. In 1997, he joined the department of experimental psychology at Oxford as an MRC senior research fellow.

In 2005, he was honoured with the Psychological Society of Ireland’s special award for outstanding contributions to psychology. He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, many book chapters and secured more than 27,000 citations.