Dr Natalie Walsh is the Director of Entrepreneurial Development and the Co-Lead of Patient and Public Involvement in Research and Innovation in the University of Galway.  She has worked in higher education for over seventeen years with senior roles in the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation and Deputy President and Registrar. 

As Director of Entrepreneurial Development Natalie wears many hats: strategist, mentor, connector, and advocate—all with the aim of fostering innovation and entrepreneurial thinking and driving ecosystem development and economic growth. All of this work takes place through the University Innovation and Entrepreneurship hub, IdeasLab.  Natalie has extensive expertise in human centred design and is currently completing her Innovation Fellowship with Stanford University.

Natalie has extensive research funding and project experience with over €10 million secured in national and EU Grant awards.  The most notable awards include Designing Futures where Natalie leads on a work package supporting entrepreneurial and innovation skills(funded by the Higher Education Authority HCI), PPI Ignite Network which ensures that the voice of the patient shapes and influences our health and social care research, enhancing the quality, relevance and impact of our research and Innovation(Health Research Board and Irish Research Council) and EIT HEinitiative i2i Idea to Impact Project, which focused on building innovation capacity for staff and students of HEI’s(European Institute of Technology).