Rory Lambe

I am a final-year PhD student in Wearable Technology and Digital Health at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. I am working with the supervision of Dr. Cailbhe Doherty at the Rinn AI centre. My undergraduate degree is in Physiotherapy.

I'm interested in how wearables, home-based objective testing and machine learning can enhance monitoring and early intervention for cardiovascular disease.

My research has validated the accuracy of measurements such as heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and VO₂ max, from consumer wearable devices, including Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch.

My PhD research involves building a digital biomarker that combines wearable data with point-of-care testing to predict changes in cardiovascular health. I use Python libraries like Pandas and scikit-learn as part of my work.

I also enjoy writing. For the Nature Career Column, I wrote an article about five strategies that help me manage stress and enjoy my PhD journey.

In Spring 2025, I presented my research at the UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences (CHAS) Research Symposium. CHAS brings together students from all of UCD's health professions – from medicine and veterinary to sports science and physiotherapy – and the Symposium showcases research from all its graduate students. I was delighted to recieve second place for 'Excellence in Oral Presentation'. I also gave a Platform Presentation at World Physiotherapy Congress in Tokyo, Japan.

Together with Ben O'Grady, I was winner of NovaUCD's Student Enterprise Compeition. Our start-up, Clia, which uses wearable technology to improve heart health, was also named one of the Bank of Ireland ThinkBusiness '100 Hottest Irish Start-Ups to Watch in 2025'.

In 2025, I was one of 15 Irish PhD students selected to participate in Conception X, and was subsequently part of a smaller group selected for the Startup X track. Conception X is a nine-month programme that helps PhD students from across Europe turn their research into deep tech start-ups.

Outside research, I have spent an academic year teaching Irish in an all-Irish speaking secondary school (Gaelscoil) in Dublin. During this time, I created this website, with notes and resources for my classes. I continue to tutor secondary school student in Irish, French, and Spanish. It's something I greatly enjoy.