Core College Team
The academic and clinical team at Core College brings together experienced clinicians, educators, horticulturists and researchers who share a passion for medicinal plants and natural healthcare.
As practising professionals, they combine academic knowledge with real-world expertise, ensuring that students learn from people who actively work in their fields.
Meet the Team
Members of the academic and clinical team at Core College are listed below in alphabetical order.
David Christopher
David Christopher is a herbalist and educator based in the USA. He holds a Master's degree from The School of Natural Healing, where he now serves as Director. The school was founded in 1953 by his father, Dr John R. Christopher, a well-known figure in American herbal medicine.
David lectures in the United States and Europe and has written extensively on herbal medicine. He has also contributed to the development of the herbal medicine courses at Core College.
Brian Clement
Brian Clement directs the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida, where he has worked for forty years, and has written extensively on living foods and plant-based nutrition. He has lectured in more than twenty-five countries.
His work on the role of raw and living foods in health is the foundation of the college's nutrition programme.
Peter Jones
Professor Peter Jones was Emeritus Professor at University College Cork. He co-authored the Diploma in Organic Medicinal Herb Growing with Helen Begadon and developed the plant science component of the course.
Peter’s research focused on the role of plant chemicals in plant interactions with pests and pathogens. He was also the founding director of the MSc in Organic Horticulture at University College Cork. His work continues to underpin the plant science teaching within the programme.
David Judah
David Judah is a master medical herbalist and iridologist who co-directs Core College with its founder, Helen Begadon. He combines clinical practice and teaching in the college's herbal clinic with responsibility for the college's operations, admissions, marketing and long-term strategic development.
David trained as a yoga teacher with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres in India and also teaches on the college's Professional Reflexology programme.
Jackie Keane
Jackie Keane is a master medical herbalist, iridologist, vitalist nutritionist and reflexologist, and tutors the first year of the Herbal Medicine Programme. Jackie practises as a herbalist within the college's teaching clinic.
She is also an aromatherapist, with particular training in teaching meditation to children and teenagers. She also runs her own practice, Little Leaf, where she sees patients of all ages, working with mindfulness and breathwork.
Rachel Kelly
Rachel Kelly is a master medical herbalist, iridologist, vitalist nutritionist and horticulturist, and tutors the first year of the Herbal Medicine Programme and the Medicinal Herb Growing Course. She is part of the college's clinical herbal medicine team.
She is the author of two books and an equine herbalist, an early advocate of species-appropriate nutrition for horses, particularly the use of living and sprouted foods.
Heiko Klee
Heiko is a horticulturist with over thirty years' experience in organic growing, including more than nine years cultivating medicinal herbs in Ireland.
He oversees the college's certified organic medicinal herb gardens, leads the practical components of the Medicinal Herb Growing Course, and is core to the medicinal herb growing project at Core College. His expertise lies in sustainable organic growing methods adapted to Irish conditions.
Klaus Laitenberger
Klaus Laitenberger is an organic grower, author and lecturer with over twenty-five years' experience in organic horticulture. He is the author of three widely respected gardening books and has been involved in the development of the medicinal herb gardens at Core College since their inception.
Widely recognised for his expertise in organic growing, Klaus is an inspiring teacher who brings a wealth of practical knowledge and experience to his students.
Ciara Murphy
Ciara Murphy is a registered nurse, master herbalist, iridologist, reflexologist and colon hydrotherapist. She worked as a nurse in Australia before moving into herbal medicine, and now runs a busy practice in Blackrock, County Dublin.
At Core College, she is module leader and author of the Pathophysiology module on the Herbal Medicine Programme.
Anny O'Neill
Anny O'Neill is an experienced master herbalist and colonic irrigation therapist. She spent several years in intensive care nursing in Ireland and Australia, and has taught anatomy and physiology to nurses at Brighton University in England.
At Core College, she is module leader for the Human Sciences modules, which run across many of the programmes.
Fionnuala O'Neill
Fionnuala O'Neill is a plant scientist and ecologist with a particular interest in the preservation of Ireland's native woodlands and grasslands.
At Core College, she is module leader and author of the Botany and Plant Chemistry modules on the Herbal Medicine Programme, and the Organic Medicinal herb growing course. Fionnualla organises the field trips on which students learn to identify plants.
Leonardo Piervitali
Leonardo Piervitali is an agronomist with over twenty years' experience in organic agriculture and the commercial cultivation of medicinal plants. His work spans viticulture, olive production, horticulture and ancient cereals, with a particular focus on soil health, biodiversity and sustainable farming systems.
As a lecturer and contributor to the Medicinal Herb Growing Course, he shares his extensive practical experience in large-scale organic cultivation.
Sharron Boyd
Sharron Boyd is a master medical herbalist, iridologist and vitalist nutritionist. She tutors the fourth year of the Herbal Medicine Programme, supervises the final-year dissertations, and sees patients in the training clinic. She also runs operations and supports students across all programmes.
Sharron came to this work after twenty years in adult learning and development and holds a PhD in Environmental Science.
Helen Begadon
Helen Begadon founded Core College and is its director and academic lead. She has practised herbal medicine and iridology since the early 1980s, and holds a postgraduate certificate in education.
Alongside her passion for education on human herbal medicine, her particular interest is the herbal treatment of horses, work that has taken her across Ireland and to several other countries.
Stephen Gascoigne
Stephen Gascoigne qualified in medicine in the United Kingdom in 1976 and worked in both hospital medicine and general practice before specialising in natural medicine. He trained in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine in Shanghai and London and is the author of several books.
At Core College, he is the module leader and author of the Clinical Sciences modules.
Helen Costelloe
Helen Costelloe is a living food chef and practical tutor at Core College. She teaches the practical component of the Living Food Instructor course and delivers the college's one-day Living Food workshops.
She previously owned and ran a successful vegan restaurant in Kilkenny, bringing extensive practical experience to her teaching.
Iain Tolhurst
Iain Tolhurst has worked in the organic movement for over forty-five years and is a pioneer of stock-free, or veganic, organic horticulture and low-carbon local vegetable production. His farm runs on agroforestry, biodiversity and green manure systems. He was awarded an MBE for services to agriculture in 2023.
Iain is passionate about veganic growing and contributes to and lectures on the Medicinal Herb Growing Course.
Nikita Purcell
Nikita Purcell is a Master Medical Herbalist, Iridologist, Vitalist Nutritionist, Reflexologist and Living Food Instructor with over twenty years' experience in natural health. She tutors the second year of the Herbal Medicine Programme and the practical components of the Vitalist Nutrition and Reflexology programmes.
As a member of the college's herbal clinic team, she also practises as a herbalist and serves as Student Liaison.
Donna Weir
Donna Weir is a master medical herbalist, iridologist and vitalist nutritionist who tutors the third year of the Herbal Medicine Programme. She is also a practising herbalist in the college's teaching clinic.
She came to natural health after a career in education, and joined the college in 2017. She runs a practice in County Down and grows medicinal herbs and fruit shrubs on her allotment.