ON THE COUCH: Dr Angie Brownis consultant cardiologist at St James's Hospital and chairwoman of Ash Ireland.
Family/personal:
Married to Ray and adopted by several stray cats.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
My father for being a wonderful man, and inspiring in me an enduring passion for medicine.
What do you regard as the top three problems facing Ireland's health system?
Inequality of access to optimal healthcare, short-term crisis management rather than effective long-term integrated development of services, and difficulty in retaining high calibre and motivated frontline personnel.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Keeping a horse.
What is your most unhealthy habit?
Snacking on sweets during ward rounds, instead of having lunch.
How do you relax?
I ride my horse.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
David Attenborough, Amelia Earhart, David Norris, Frida Kahlo, David Hare and, of course, Ray.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
One idea of happiness would be creating perfect ski tracks down a fresh powder-filled couloir on a beautiful sunny morning.
What trait do you most value in your friends?
Personal and professional integrity.
What talent would you most like to have?
To be fluent in several languages.
Do you use alternative/complementary medicines or therapies?
No.
What is your earliest memory?
Feeding worms to my baby brother.
What is your most treasured possession?
The things I value most, I don't own, such as my husband, animals, health and family.
What other career might you have chosen?
Environmentalist or naturalist.
What books or films have inspired you?
A book called Hard Rain: Our Headlong Collision with Natureby Mark Edwards, and the film The Missionfor the powerful, beautiful but tragic imagery.
In conversation with Fiona Tyrrell