Profile

Even though my family is Irish, but I was born on the West coast of Australia. I moved here when I was 12 and have lived in Cork since. I started my undergrad in CIT, (Pharmaceutical Biotechnology), in 2014, and even though I was very nervous, I grew to love it! Doing my final year project in my fourth year at CIT, I found my passion in antimicrobials, (medicines that kill bad bacteria). I started my postgrad, a PhD, in 2018 and was introduced to the Cell Explorer team through my supervisor in 2019. I am an enormous bookworm, I read everything and anything, (the aim is to read 52 books this year). I love films, particularly foreign works and Japanese animation. I am a big people person and have been active member of my college’s societies since my undergrad, being on committees and even starting my own society, (the CIT Biotechnology Society), in 2017. Although the bookworm lifestyle makes me inclined to be a bit of a couch potato, I am really into my personal fitness and diet.

I am a microbiologist, which means I study bacteria. Bacteria are really tiny organisms that we need a microscope to see. Even though they are so small, bacteria are really strong and can do lots of things to help make human lives better, like make medicines! Doing a PhD means doing research to learn new things that no one has seen before. I hope that I can find bacteria that make new medical treatments that can help fight hard to treat infections. I look at bacteria that live in soil to see what antibiotics they can make. Antibiotics are chemicals some bacteria use to kill other bad bacteria that make us sick. Maybe you have taken one when you were not well! Unfortunately, the world is running out of antibiotics because some have stopped working, so I am trying to find new ones. Doing a PhD can also help you become a teacher in a college. I use some of my time to teach students microbiology lab classes, so they can understand how bacteria can help us or hurt us, depending on what type they are. I also have a position on the CIT Post Grad Society, which is like a club for all post grad students that helps us get together to do fun things like going to outdoor adventure courses or to nice restaurants in Cork. By working with Cell Explorers, I hope I can improve how I communicate with others about microbiology to help make them as interested and passionate about the field as I am.

Doing a PhD means I have to do research to work out problems and discover new things that no one else has done before. My research is in microbiology, which means I work with bacteria. I am trying to find for new antibiotics  to help people who are sick with infections. My day usually starts around 9am, where I spend an hour organising the chemicals and reagents I will need for the day and answering emails! I get the bacteria I need for my experiments ready by giving them food, (media), and incubating them, (keeping them warm). They are like pets, but much smaller! Because I work with bacteria that could make me sick, I wear gloves, a lab coat and glasses, and I always wash my hands.  If I am not in the lab doing an experiment, I will be at my desk writing or reading. I need to read lots of scientific papers to understand how to do different and new experiments. Reading papers also helps me to see what the latest break throughs in my field are, (it’s kind of like watching the news but for microbiology). Throughout the day I write up all the results of my experiments carefully and make lots of notes, so I always understand what I have done. A big cup of tea always helps me stay focused when I am writing for a long time. Sometimes I teach lab classes to college students and help them with their projects and assignments. At the end of the day, even if I am really tired, I go to the gym or go to a society event, (a fun meet up with other students), to watch movies or do fun activities. When I get home, I make a note to put all work away. I make a big dinner, and I always read before bed!