Professional Background & Innovation Journey
I am a pharmacist with over 20 years of community practice, specialising in medicines optimisation, patient education, and long-term condition management — particularly diabetes care.
In 2015, I completed an MBA at Imperial College London, where I conducted a published research study on the effectiveness of patient-facing healthcare communication.
The research analysed more than 2,000 pages of medicine and health information I had written over 15 years of community pharmacy practice, hosted on a dedicated patient education website. It examined how structure, language, and tone influence understanding, safety, and real-world decision-making.
This work laid the groundwork for a clear, human-centred approach to digital health communication — the same principles that now shape Almost Human.
Building on this research, I co-founded Diadem, a digital diabetes management solution designed to support people living with diabetes in real time. Diadem was selected for the EU Horizon 2020 Flagship Health Innovation Programme, finishing 8th in Europe — the only Irish-led project in its cohort.
The project was also supported by the Health Innovation Hub Ireland, where Diadem was named Winner for Innovation in Healthcare (2020). A proof-of-concept clinical study was scheduled to begin in a GP practice in Munster in early 2020. Two weeks before launch, the COVID-19 pandemic halted all non-essential clinical research.
Rather than abandoning the work, I used this period to rethink how healthcare knowledge is delivered.
From Information to Understanding: The Digital Twin
Traditional healthcare information is static, impersonal, and often overwhelming. Patients don’t just need facts — they need context, reassurance, and timing.
This led to the creation of Almost Human: a pharmacist-led digital twin designed to explain medicines, treatments, and conditions the same way I do in real practice — carefully, clearly, and with patient safety first.
The digital twin combines:
- Clinical experience
- Behavioural insight
- Conversational AI
- A consistent professional “personality”
The result is not a generic chatbot, but a living educational interface — capable of supporting real-time understanding for people managing conditions such as diabetes, while always reinforcing the importance of human clinicians.
Outside of healthcare and technology, I’m an avid mountaineer. I like big, difficult challenges that demand discipline, honesty, and endurance. Almost Human Labs is simply my next mountain: a long, ambitious climb to build something that genuinely helps people.
Important Note
Almost Human is education-only. It is designed to help people understand their health and prepare for better conversations with their own doctor, pharmacist, or healthcare professional — never to replace them.
Professional memberships
Member, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Member, Royal Society of Chemistry
Almost Human Labs 