Amazingly, Ireland is to have its first serious investigation into what causes an alcohol hangover. The organizer of a conference of international “hangover” experts later this week says that only a small volume of research has been dedicated to the condition.

What’s being billed as Ireland’s first Alcohol Hangover Research Seminar will open on Friday in the Institute of Technology in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

Its aim is to explore the behavioral, physiological and psychological effects arising from an alcohol-related hangover.

One of the main speakers will be Dr. Joris Verster of Utrecht University who is a leading authority on alcohol hangovers and founder of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group.

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He is noted in the Nederlands for scientific-based explanations of varying degrees of hangover severity.

Organizer Dr. Lydia Devenney of the Letterkenny Institute told the Donegal Democrat that the seminar aims to offer strong insights into the implications of an alcohol-induced hangover from a number of perspectives.

She said, “The health and safety risks of a hangover are substantial and far-reaching, yet the area of hangover research isn’t as developed as many other areas of health research.

“Research in the area of alcohol tends to focus more on dependency than the effects of a hangover, and a relatively small volume of research has been dedicated to understanding its biological, psychological and physiological consequences.”

Devenney added that she believed the collaboration of scientists at the seminar would offer a unique opportunity to explore research findings and map out future research directions for better understanding of alcohol-related hangovers.