Episoder
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I am extremely honored to introduce Provost Linda Doyle, the 45th Provost and first female Provost of Trinity College Dublin as my guest on the podcast this week. Linda chats to me about her experiences as professor of engineering and the arts at Trinity, her wide range of expertise in the fields of wireless communications and dynamic use of resources her current role as Provost of Trinity College Dublin.
She chats about growing up in Cork, how her experiences in industry cemented her love for academia and why she is so passionate about marrying creative arts with engineering. We also chat about what led her to run for the election of Provost of Trinity College Dublin, what that historical moment felt like when she won and what she hopes to achieve in her ten-year term.
What an utter privilege to have had her time, as you will see we could have chatted for another 40 minutes. This episode marks the end of Season 4 of Unravelling Science, I hope you have all enjoyed listening in this season, will catch you all for Season 5.
Follow Linda: LindaDoyle
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This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Dr Barry Moran core facility manager of the Flow Cytometry Facility, at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute is my guest this week. He chats to me about his 'unconventional' journey through academia, deciding to do a part time PhD while running the Cytometry core facility and why the 'journey-man' in him may be relatable.
Barry also discusses how flow cytometry can advance our scientific knowledge and its benefits particularly in the context of immunology. He describes his own research examining immune dysfunction in the skin disease hidradenitis suppurativa and why this is research that adds value to patients lives.
Follow Barry: tcdflow
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This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Manglende episoder?
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Prof Ellen Roche, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute of Medical Engineering and Science at MIT joins me this week. She directs the Therapeutic Technology Design and Development Lab at MIT and her research focuses on applying innovative technologies to the development of cardiac devices.
She chats to me about growing up in Galway, her experiences in California working in medical device engineering and why she decided to leave industry to do a PhD in Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar.
She describes her work using soft robotic approaches to augment heart function and her collaborations with Boston's Children's Hospital.
She also discusses juggling family life & academia and how most of her work 'gets done when the kids are gone to bed'.
Follow Ellen: ellentroche
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This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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The incredible Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell joins me this week!! Jocelyn is an astrophysicist from Northern Ireland who, as a postgraduate student, discovered the first radio pulsars, the discovery of which eventually earned the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974.
She chats to me about making that crucial discovery, the media attention surrounding it, her research group focused on binary stars and her role as first female president of the Institute of physics. We also chat about the sexism she had faced throughout her academic career and the imposter syndrome she felt before attending Cambridge to do her PhD.
She also chats about growing up in Armagh and the controversy surrounding the Nobel or 'No-Bell' Prize. Such a fascinating episode with great insights into how she navigated her path in a male-dominated field.
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Dr Garret FitzGerald, professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania joins me on the podcast today. Hailing from Wicklow, Garret is an international leader in cardiovascular disease research and leading world figure in pharmacology.
He discusses his work into the development of low-dose aspirin for cardioprotection and his investigations into harmful effects and cardiovascular risks of NSAIDs. He also discusses the importance of the presence of molecular clocks in the cardiovascular system.
We chat about his 'unusual' upbringing in the 'Grand Hotel' in Greystones, being an only child and the 'series of accidents' that have led to him becoming a physician scientist. We also discuss his move to London and subsequently the US and his hopes for the future of Irish science. Garret is also extremely passionate about bridging the gap between basic science and clinical impact and the importance of creating structures for career progression for younger researchers.
Follow Garret: FitzGerald__Lab
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This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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An absolute powerhouse Irish Woman in STEM Abroad Prof Margaret Murnane joins me on the podcast this week. Margaret is a Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado and Director of the STROBE Science and Technology Center. She is among the foremost active researchers in laser science and technology and chats to me about her pioneering discoveries into ultra-fast x-ray lasers, table top lasers and why she is passionate about 'building the microscopes of tomorrow'.
We chat about her upbringing in Limerick, her fathers 'reward systems' for learning, being one of only two female physicists in her degree at UCC and why she decided to leave Ireland for her PhD. She reminisces on her time at UC Berkley in California where she met her now husband and long-term collaborator Henry Kapteyn and discusses the discoveries they have made together.
Margaret also shares some of her insights into being a mentor and how she doesn't view science as a race, instead values collaboration and shared credit. Brilliantly honest and refreshing episode, I hope you enjoy!
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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The passionate and exuberant Professor John Cryan, Professor & Chair at the Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork joins me on the podcast this week. He chats to me about his exciting microbiome research on the neurobiological basis of stress-related disorders and on understanding the interaction between brain, gut & microbiome. John explains that we are living in a 'microbial world' and why he is interested in examining how the microbiome is shaping aspects of brain physiology and ageing.
He also chats to me about growing up in Roscommon, being the first in his family to go to University and his PhD experiences both at home and in Australia. He discusses his experiences in the US, his move to Industry and importantly why he took a pay cut to return to academia.
Such fascinating research on how the state of your gut can inform your state of mind, but John also gives excellent insights into how we can 'fuel the fire in the bellies' of young researchers to sustain this career.
Follow John: jfcryan
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This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Prof Maria McNamara, Professor of paleontology in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork joins me this week. Maria’s research focuses on the preservation and paleobiology of exceptionally preserved fossils with particular interests in soft tissues and fossil colour.
She speaks to me about her Granny's influence on her at a young age to explore the natural world and how she still considers herself a 'curious child'. Maria discusses leaving academia to work as a geopark geologist in the Burren, what that experience taught her and what drew her back into academic life.
Her passion for paleontology is evident from the first moment you listen to this episode. She explains why she wants to extract biological information from fossils, her interest in the evolutionary functions of feathers and the importance of insect colour in communication. Maria also discusses her latest projects on melanin and how this may have implications on human health.
Finally Maria also chats about her exciting new project 'Irelands Fossil Heritage' and her passion for science communication. This episode is bursting with interesting facts and inspiring advice, I really hope you all enjoy.
This is the last episode before Christmas - Back on Jan 4th!
Follow Maria: MariaMcN_palaeo
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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This week I am joined by Dr Ciaran Murphy-Royal, assistant professor in the department of neuroscience at the University of Montreal. He chats to me about growing up in Dublin, his undergraduate experiences at Trinity and making the move to France for his PhD.
We chat about moving to a different country and learning a new language all while doing a PhD, moving from France to Canada and his latest role as a new PI a the University of Montreal. Ciaran's research focuses on investigating the link between stress, astrocyte metabolism, and neuronal plasticity. He is interested in how early life adversary an impact and shape brain development long term and acute vs chronic stress.
Ciaran also discusses setting up his lab during the pandemic and how he's found the transition from postdoc to PI. Such an interesting chat, I hope you enjoy!
Follow Ciaran: Ciaran_MR
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Professor Muireann Irish, cognitive neuroscientist at the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney joins me this week. Muireann's research explores memory and imagination and how these processes can break down in dementia. We chat about growing up in the south of Ireland, the impact her granny had on her research interests, her experiences in college and the mentors who kept her motivated to keep going.
Muireann chats about her fascinating work into memory and explains that memory is 'who we are, where we've been and where we're going. Why do we need imagination? Why do we daydream? And how are these processes affected in those with dementia.
We also chat about her reentry into academia after a short break and how lucky she was to find a good postdoc mentor, her experiences juggling family life and academia and why is an advocate for girls in STEM.
Muireann is just so relatable, humble and honest and such a brilliant representative for Irish Woman in STEM Abroad. I hope you enjoy!
Follow Muireann: Muireann_Irish
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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In this episode I am so pleased to be joined by Prof Douglas Veale, Consultant Rheumatologist and Director of the EULAR Centre of excellence for arthritis and rheumatic diseases at St Vincent’s University Hospital and someone I am lucky enough to call my mentor.
Doug chats about his family history in the medical profession, how he knew he wanted to be a doctor since he was 10 years old, his education at RSCI (both academic and social) and his time as a researcher in the UK. We also talk about his research career in Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis, seminal work on joint hypoxia and work into early diagnosis and treatment of RA and in trying to identify patients before they get arthritis. We also chat about the benefits of precision medicine and 'finding the right drug for the right patient at the right time'.
As a clinician scientist Doug gives real insight into the impact translational research can have on patients lives. The passion and dedication he has towards his patients is extremely evident, I hope you enjoy.
Follow Doug: CardArthritis
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This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Welcome to Season 4 of Unravelling Science!
This season I will be chatting mainly to Irish Researchers Abroad but also some key researchers working here at home. In this first episode back I chat to Dr Darragh Ennis aka 'The Menace' on ITV's The Chase about growing up in Dublin surrounded by history books, his early ecology field trips and his latest work as a chaser. We also chat about his role as Lab Manager and Postdoc at Oxford University studying the fly brain as a model of human brain function to understand which genes are involved in synaptic plasticity and brain development. Darragh speaks about his struggles to find a job post PhD and his own podcast 'Untangling Science' and what he hopes to achieve in the world of scicomm.
We also delve into his TV career and how his job on the Chase came about, how he prepares for shows and his love of quizzes. I am so honored to have chatted to a real-life celebrity but also such a down-to-earth person. I hope you enjoy it!
Follow Darragh: bones_giles
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fischer Scientific.
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For my final guest of Season 3 I was so thrilled to be joined by Prof Rose Anne Kenny, Chair of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin and founding PI of TILDA the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing - Irelands largest adult population study on ageing. She chats to me about her early medical influences, why she wanted to pursue a career in geriatric medicine and her return to Ireland after many years in the UK.
We chat about how and why she undertook the TILDA project, the success stories to come out of this 12 year ongoing study and how it has informed government policy. Rose Anne also chats about the importance of Vitamin D for healthy and healthy ageing and how the secret to success is about having a 'fantastic team'.
This is episode marks the end of Season 3 of Unravelling Science. I will take a quick break for the summer but I will be back in the autumn for Season 4 and plenty more stories that shaped the science!
Follow Rose Anne: RoseAnnekenny1
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Prof Kate Fitzgerald, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Program in Innate Immunity at the University of Massachusetts joins me on the podcast this week. Kate chats to me about growing up in Waterford, working with Luke O'Neill during her PhD and her relocation to the US (coincidentally the same week as 9/11).
Kate describes 'the delicate balance' of our immune system and her interest in how the immune system makes decisions, particularly the innate arm. She chats about her work in defining signalling pathways including nucleic acid sensors for a better understanding of viral immunology, tumour immunology and auto-immune diseases.
Congratulations again to Kate on her recent election to the prestigious US National Academy of Sciences - it was a real honor to have her time this week!!
Follow Kate: FitzgeraldKate
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This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Dr Kieran Meade, Associate Professor in the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science and Senior Conway Fellow joins me this week. He chats to me about all things cows! From bovine immunology and fertility to how they are like elite athletes or even supermodels at times! We chat about his desire to link the 'passion of agriculture with the expertise in immunology' for a a One Health approach to science.
We also chat about vitamin D levels in calves, the impact of the annual TB test and his fascinating trip to Kenya during his PhD. Kieran also discusses being a 'Dub' in a agri-world, his childhood trips to Tipperary and why failure is just as important as success.
Follow Kieran: kmeade11
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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I am so thrilled to be joined by a fellow macrophage enthusiast Dr Fred Sheedy this week. Fred is an Ussher Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin interested in macrophage function in health and disease as well as innate immune training particularly in the context of Tuberculosis. We chat also chat about immunometabolism and his recent research focus on Immune Health and Nutrition and why 'we are what we eat'.
In this episode he chats to me about growing up in Cork, finding himself in Dublin and his love of creative writing. We also chat about the importance of LGBT visibility and representation in STEM, Fred's own experiences as an LGBT researcher and the 'brain drain' across the sea. This is an episode full of laughter - I hope you enjoy!
Follow Fred: Fredtwee
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Dr Katriona O'Sullivan, lecturer in the Department of Psychology and a researcher at the Assisting Living & Learning Institute at Maynooth University joins me this week. Katriona chats to me about her incredible journey through academia from being 15 and homeless with a baby on the way and the defining moments that has got her to where she is today. Katriona also discusses the importance of people believing in her and encouraging her to believe in herself.
As a graduate from Trinity Access Programme herself, Katriona's research now focuses on the impact of such programmes which attempt to raise the aspirations of underrepresented students. Her recent work includes collaborations with Microsoft to develop Dreamspace an immersive learning hub and her new 'STEM-Passport for Inclusion' project which aims to transform how disadvantaged women gain access to STEM course.
Katriona's story is one of resilience, determination and true passion for what she does.
Follow Katriona: katrionaos
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Prof Mark Cunningham, the Ellen Mayston Bates Professor of Neurophysiology of Epilepsy, Trinity College Dublin joins me this week. He chats to me about his fascination with studying the brain, the 'instant gratification' of electrophysiology and his cutting edge research into epilepsy. Mark describes his work using live brain tissue, what an honor it is to work with such precious samples and how you can 'listen to the symphony of brain cells firing'.
He also chats to me about growing up in Newry, the critical influence teachers and a summer research project had on his career and his PhD days in Bristol. This was such a warm, friendly and engaging chat - hope you enjoy!
Follow Mark: markcnewry
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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I am so pleased to be joined by Dr Ellen Gravallese, Chief of the division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, this week. Ellen chats to me about her early days in pathology, how she ended up specializing in Rheumatology and her seminal research identifying osteoclasts as the cells that resorb bone in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
She also chats to me about why she loves 'following a lead and solving a puzzle' and how she balances her many roles including her most recent role as 83rd President of the American College of Rheumatology. We also discuss how COVID has impacted medicine, the struggles of telemedicine and reformed clinical practice guidelines but also how rheumatologists should be 'in the room where it happens' as experts in immunology.
What a better guest to have on National Arthritis Week - a total honour!
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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Prof Peter Gallagher, Head of Astronomy and Astrophysics, at DIAS and Director of the Dunsink Observatory and I-LOFAR project is my guest on the podcast today. He talks to me about his astrophysics research, why his passion lies within studying the sun and how his research group makes measurements using radio telescopes and space satellites. Peter also explains the real need for understanding how the sun impacts the earth and how his research into solar flares has become more relevant with this current pandemic.
He tells me how a present of 'A Brief History of Time' ignited his passion for astrophysics, reminisces on his days at NASA in the US and how he managed to set up the I-LOFAR telescope in Birr in the middle of the recession. This chat was one of the most enjoyable and entertaining one yet! Enjoy!
Follow Peter: petertgallagher
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This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
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