On September 11 and 12, University College Cork (UCC) will be hosting the second edition of their TransCare conference, which intends to develop “Creative practices trans, gender‑diverse, and intersex inclusive healthcare research and education”.
The conference is organised by UCC Healthcare Lecturer, Dr Valeria Venditti, who is also a part of a scientific committee involving Trinity College Assistant Psychology Professor, Dr Meg Ryan, and UCC mental health nursing lecturer, Mx Biskupović-Goulding.
Some of the speakers will be University of Hampton Senior Lecturer in Midwifery, Dr John Pendleton; Assistant Professor at Coventry University’s Healthcare and Community Transformation, Dr Sally Pezaro; and finally, Professor Surya Monro, Loughborough University Professor in Sociology and LGBTQ+ scholar. The TransCare 2026 website explains, “Their contributions will help frame this year’s focus on creative and interdisciplinary methodologies”.
The programme combines workshops and panels on topics such as Trans Bodies in Clinical Settings, Trans-Inclusive Education in Healthcare, Methodologies as Care and much more. Daire Dempsey, Executive Director of Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI), will also be organising a workshop titled ‘Who’s Driving This Plane?: How We Can Make Research Work for the Trans Community’.
The first TransCare conference in 2024 was a major success, marking the launch of the Professional Association for Trans Health Ireland (PATHI), who continue to advocate for improvements in Irish gender-affirming care. The organisation will be returning this year to host a workshop on provider training.
UCC has shown consistent dedication to platforming queer research and scholarship, as the TransCare conference comes after they hosted the Lesbian Lives conference in May and launched Ireland’s first LGBTQ+ action plan in higher education in June.
The focus of this conference comes in response to the urgent need for medical providers to become more educated and informed in treating trans and intersex patients. TransCare 2026 is funded by the Health Research Board Scheme. For more information and to see the full programme, check out their website.
© 2026 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.