Health Board: Upcoming conferences, talks, campaigns and events

1) On Thursday, September 12th a Gala Dinner in support of motor neurone disease research takes place in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin. Funds raised will benefit the work of the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation and of Irish MND Research Group. A table for 10 people is €2,000 (single ticket €200). Contact ResearchMND@tcd.ie or (086) 821 2659 for more details.

2) Purple House Cancer Support Centre will be running the six-week Stanford Cancer Thriving and Surviving Programme – starting on Tuesday, September 17th (6.30pm-9pm). This is a self-management programme for cancer survivors with the aim of improving quality of life to better manage daily health. The topics on the course in Bray, Co Wicklow include: Techniques to deal with problems such as frustration, fatigue, pain & isolation & poor sleep; Living with uncertainty; Exercises for maintaining & improving strength, flexibility & endurance; Making decisions about treatment and complimentary therapies; Communicating effectively with family, friends, & health professionals; and Nutrition & healthy eating. To register, contact Purple House on (01) 286 6966 or email info@purplehouse.ie.

3) The Digital Hub, St James's Hospital and the Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) are hosting the Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Technology 2019 conference on Friday, September 20th from 9am to 4.30pm. Intended for clinicians, healthcare professionals, engineers and scientists, the event is designed to provide the non AI expert with a basic understanding of AI concepts and a road map to the application of AI in healthcare. The event – at Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing, St James's Hospital, Dublin 8 – will begin with an introduction from Lorcan Birthistle, CEO at St James's. Tickets (€40) available at eventbrite.ie.

4) Challenge 21, a 21km walk/jog/run, will take place on Saturday, September 14th in Monaghan (Sliabh Beagh, Knockatallon) and on Sunday, September 15th in Dublin (Booterstown to Howth) and Portlaoise (Togher Woods) to raise funds for the Down Syndrome Centre. For more information, or to buy tickets (€10-€21), go to eventbrite.ie or email emma@downsyndromecentre.ie

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5) Croí, the heart disease and stroke charity, is urging patients to know and look out for the symptoms of Heart Valve Disease and ask their GP for help, in a campaign launching on Monday, September 16th, marking European Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week. Symptoms such as breathlessness, dizziness, swelling of hands or feet and fatigue are sometimes mistaken to be old age when in fact they are symptoms of Heart Valve Disease (HVD).

6) Parents, healthcare providers and educators will come together on Sunday, September 22nd, at the annual Cork Autism Conference, "Autism: No Limits, Just Possibilities", at the Clayton Silversprings Hotel, Tivoli, Cork. Details and registration at autismcork.ie or call 089 239 8900.

7) ARC Cancer Support Centres, which provides support to people with cancer and their loved ones from its drop-in centres across Dublin, is organising a talk on "Returning to Work after Cancer" at its centre at 65 Eccles Street, on Tuesday, September 24th, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. The talk is open to all those who have been diagnosed with cancer, as well as to employers wishing to support their staff in getting back to the world of work. To book a free place, or for further information, contact Amy on 01 215 0250 or email amy@arccancersupport.ie

8) The Trinity Translational Medicine Institute are hosting the Trinity St James's Cancer Institute 11th International Cancer Conference 'Advances and Future Directions in Personalised Medicine' on September 24th-25th. The conference – at the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St James's Hospital – is intended for health professionals, cancer clinicians and clinical scientists, scientists working in cancer and post-doctoral researchers within medicine and science. Tickets €50-€200. For more details and to register, see ti.to/tcdAlumni/11th-tcd-international-cancer-conference-2019

9) Friends of Breastfeeding Awards Gala & 10th Anniversary Celebration takes place at Clontarf Castle Hotel in Dublin on Saturday, October 5th. The award catagories cover celebrities, healthcare professionals, breastfeeding mums, breastfeeding support volunteers, businesses, and journalists. Tickets from Eventbrite.

10) The Annual Medical Careers Day takes place Saturday, October 5th at Dublin's Aviva Stadium. The event is a joint initiative between the Health Service Executive, The Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies and the Irish Medical Council. The free event features career planning seminars, presentation, workshops, career clinics and information stands for each postgraduate training body. Attendees will learn about training programmes available and have the opportunity to speak with senior trainees and consultants to find out what life is like working in the different specialties. Register at medcareers2019.eventbrite.ie

11) Now in its ninth year, the annual Great Pink Run with Glanbia – which raises funds to support Breast Cancer Ireland's research and awareness programmes – takes place in three cities this year, with an overseas location featuring for the first time. The 2019 series will begin on Saturday, October 5th in Chicago's Diversey Harbour, before moving to the Phoenix Park, Dublin on Saturday, October 19th and then Kilkenny Castle Park the following day (Sunday, October 20th). More than 35,000 women, men and children have crossed the finish-line in Ireland since the event began in 2011. Entry fee for the 5km/10km walk, jog or run is €5-€25. For more details and to register, see greatpinkrun.ie

12) The inaugural St Kevin's Way 25km Challenge will take place on Sunday, October 6th, with the aim of raising €50,000 for children's charity Barretstown. The walking route is through the scenic hills and varied landscapes of Wicklow, with participants welcome to enter individually or as part of a team of four. Registration on the day will be held in The Brockagh Centre, Laragh. The registration fee is €50 for an individual or €175 for a team of four. All those participating are asked to raise an additional €100 for donation to Barretstown. For more details, visit barretstown.org/events/st-kevins-way-challenge or contact Donna at (045) 864 115 or fundraising@barretstown.org.

13) To mark World Mental Health Day on October 10th, Aware is to host a national conference on the "Future of Depression & Bipolar Disorder" in University College Dublin on Saturday, October 12th from 9.30am. Among the speakers on the day will be consultant in liaison and perinatal psychiatry, Prof John Sheehan, who will address the topic of managing depression and bipolar disorder in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Clinical psychotherapist Dr Joanna Fortune will look at the impact a parent's mental health can have on children and adolescents, and consultant psychiatrist Dr Declan Lyons will focus on the older generation and why clinicians struggle to diagnose late-life depression. The conference takes place in the O'Reilly Hall, UCD. For more information, see awareconference.com

14) The Pigsback 5k/10k Run in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation takes place on October 13th at the Dublin's Phoenix Park. Whether you are an experienced runner or simply want to get out for a walk, it's time to lace up and join the fight against breast cancer. Tickets (€25) can be found at mariekeating.ie/events

15) A national event for people with type 1 diabetes takes place on Saturday, October 19th in The Red Cow Hotel, Dublin. Speakers include diabetes blogger Chris Aldred (The Grumpy Pumper) and Endocrinologist Dr Kevin Moore. The focus of this day is on the psychological impact of living with type 1 diabetes. Tickets €30-45. For more information, see thriveabetes.ie.

16) FORUM 2019, a national conference on death, dying and bereavement, takes place on Thursday, October 24th at Dublin Castle. Organised by the Irish Hospice Foundation, this year's guest speaker is Dr Kathryn Mannix, author of With The End In Mind. Participate in one of eight workshops and interact with panels on the theme 'Dying is Everyone's Business.' More details at hospicefoundation.ie or (01) 679 3188.

– For inclusion in these listings, email health@irishtimes.com with Health Board in the subject line