Orla Hardiman is the one of only two full Professors of Neurology in Ireland. She is Head of the Academic Unit of Neurology at Trinity College Dublin and Consultant Neurologist at Beaumont Hospital, where she is Director of the National Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS ) service . The clinic provides direct clinical care for over 80% of Irish patients with ALS.

She is a Science (BSc, Human Physiology 1979) and Medical (MB BCh BAO 1983) (Doctor of Medicine 1992) graduate of University College Dublin. She undertook a Residency and Fellowship in Neurology at the Harvard Partners Programme Boston (1986-1991), prior to returning to Ireland. A practicing clinical neurologist for over 30 years, she joined the academic faculty of Trinity College Dublin in 2013 as the first Professor of Neurology in modern times and was elected a Fellow in 2014, and member of the prestigious Royal Irish Academy (Science Division) in 2016.

She leads a research group of over 40 individuals in Neurodegeneration, with particular focus on ALS and frontotemporal dementia. She is Co- Chair of the European Network for Cure of ALS (ENCALS) and is Editor in Chief of the journal Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and the Frontotemporal Degenerations. She is the recipient of a number of international awards including the AAN Sheila Essey Award in ALS Research, and the International ALS Alliance Forbes Norris Award.

Her research is funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the Health Research Board, The American Centre for Disease Control, The American ALS Association, the British MND Association the Irish MND Association, and the charity Research Motor Neuron.