TILDA Launches Fully Operational Trusted Research Environment: TILDA-VISTA
Posted on 28 August 2025
Ireland’s flagship study on ageing, has launched TILDA-VISTA, a fully operational Trusted Research Environment (TRE) enabling approved researchers to securely analyse sensitive health data. This milestone strengthens TILDA’s and Trinity College Dublin’s position as leaders in research data infrastructure in Ireland.
Pictured left to right: Dr Ann Hever, Dr Siobhan Scarlett, Dr Ann Monaghan and Joseph McDonnell.
In the News
For over a decade, TILDA has provided secure data access to researchers through a physical secure processing environment based at Trinity College Dublin. While this system allowed for controlled and responsible analysis, it was limited to researchers being physically on-site.
TILDA-VISTA changes this landscape, offering a remote, virtual workspace where approved researchers can log in from the comfort of their own workspace. Within this secure platform, users can access TILDA’s rich dataset and the necessary statistical tools to conduct analyses, all within a fully governed and secure environment.
Dr Siobhan Scarlett, Senior Data Manager at TILDA, said:
“TILDA is a rich data resource for ageing research and has always strived to maximise the accessibility of our datasets for scientific research. While we have years of experience managing access to sensitive health data through our on-site systems, establishing secure remote access presented a significant challenge.
This is a major step forward in making TILDA data FAIR in line with the European Union’s drive toward Open Data, striving to make our data as open as possible, and as restricted as necessary. We’re delighted to be able to lead this initiative within Trinity College Dublin and build the expertise and partnerships that can guide other research studies facing similar challenges.”
Pioneering infrastructure of its kind
TILDA-VISTA was established in partnership with the Secure e-Research Platform (SeRP) at the University of Swansea, UK. While not the first operational TRE in Ireland, it is the first of its kind set up by a research study, run by the study itself, and now fully accessible to approved researchers in the EU/EEA.Dr Ann Monaghan, TILDA’s Project Manager, said:
"Our first duty is to protect participants and the information they share with us. For several years, TILDA has been developing a secure remote access platform with strict data management and cybersecurity measures.“With the expertise and support of our collaborators at SeRP, and in consultation with our participant representative group (PPI), we’ve created a system that ensures strong safeguards while enabling secure, reliable access. We are now excited to be in a position where external researchers can access TILDA data in a way that is both secure and supportive of high-quality research.”
Enabling collaboration and innovation
TILDA-VISTA supports cross-border and multidisciplinary collaboration, facilitating research that informs health policy, ageing research, and public health initiatives. Researchers can securely conduct analyses while maintaining full compliance with ethical and data governance requirements.
Regius Professor Rose Anne Kenny, founding Principal Investigator of TILDA, said:
“This pioneering platform strengthens Ireland’s position in global ageing research,” said. “TILDA-VISTA sets a new benchmark for responsible data sharing, fostering innovation, driving evidence-based policy, and enabling multidisciplinary collaborations, while demonstrating Trinity’s leadership in this field.”
Learn more about TILDA VISTA and Data Access here: TILDA Data Access