John Laffey is the Professor of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at the School of Medicine of the National University of Ireland, and a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at Galway University Hospitals.

He is Director of Clinical Research Governance at University of Galway and the Ireland West-Northwest Region and holds prominent leadership roles as Research Committee Chair of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) and Chair of the Outcomes Research Committee at the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland. 

Professor Laffey holds BSc, MB and MD degrees from University of Galway, a DSc from the National University of Ireland, Fellowships of the College of Anaesthesiologists and the Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine of Ireland. He was elected to Membership of the Royal Irish Academy in 2023. 

Professor Laffey’s research interests integrate clinical, translational, and laboratory research, focusing on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, and perioperative outcomes for major surgery patients.

His laboratory’s preclinical program investigates nanoparticle and cell-based therapies, notably mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), gene therapy strategies, and the immunomodulatory effects of hypercapnic acidosis. Recent studies focus on the mechanisms and clinical potential of MSCs for late-phase sepsis and ARDS, with translational projects supported by international collaborations in Europe, North America, and Australia. His international funding includes EU Horizon grants, Science Foundation Ireland, Health Research Board Ireland awards, Canadian Institutes for Health Research and European Research Council grants.

He co-leads landmark global observational studies such as LUNG SAFE (epidemiology and outcomes in severe acute respiratory failure; JAMA 2016) and WEAN SAFE (weaning from mechanical ventilation; Lancet RM 2023), each enrolling over 10,000 patients, and his research team is actively engaged in clinical trials for innovative cellular therapies. Professor Laffey’s preclinical research has developed candidate cell therapeutics—such as Orbcell-C—now in testing in clinical trials.

Professor Laffey has played a leading role in clinical trials that have significantly advanced the care of critically ill patients. His clinical trials program spans drug interventions, novel cell and gene therapies, mechanical ventilation strategies, airway management techniques, and postoperative analgesia—providing key evidence to guide critical care practice internationally. His work bridges laboratory discoveries with bedside patient care, and he serves as Clinical Trials Investigator at the HRB Clinical Research Facility in Galway, furthering the translation of promising therapies into improved patient outcomes.

Perioperative research interests include the investigation of the utility of novel devices and technologies for management of the airway, and investigation of novel approaches to postoperative analgesia.

Professor Laffey has supervised over 30 MD/PhD/MSc postgraduate students, many of whom have received national and international awards and hold senior positions in medicine and research. He is currently supervising PhD projects in manipulating MSC immunomodulation for enhanced therapeutic effects in sepsis and pneumonia—such as the ongoing evaluation of PPAR modulation and microenvironment impacts on MSC function, and the safety of mechanical ventilation strategies in ARDS.