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Rising Star Fellowship

Through our Discovery Rising Star Fellowship Program we recognise and promote exceptional early career researchers who work in an interdisciplinary field, for their potential as future research leaders.

Dr Kata Szita has always loved gadgets and playing around with new technologies. \n“I\'m also reflective of how I use them, how I experience gadgets or applications or what I feel when I use virtual reality. What elements worked for me? How can they be improved potentially? A lot of my research has been inspired by these ideas.”\n Making virtual worlds more accessible
Dr Kata Szita has always loved gadgets and playing around with new technologies. “I'm also reflective of how I use them, how I experience gadgets or applications or what I feel when I use virtual reality. What elements worked for me? How can they be improved potentially? A lot of my research has been inspired by these ideas.”
PhD student Sinead O’Mahony used a validated measure from New Zealand, called the INFORMAS Food Availability in Supermarkets tool, which measures the proportion of shelf space allocated to healthy and unhealthy foods, in supermarkets, to assess the situation here. How healthy is food on Irish supermarket shelves?
PhD student Sinead O’Mahony used a validated measure from New Zealand, called the INFORMAS Food Availability in Supermarkets tool, which measures the proportion of shelf space allocated to healthy and unhealthy foods, in supermarkets, to assess the situation here.
The late Nobel laureate Richard Feynman famously said that If you think you understand quantum mechanics then you don’t understand quantum mechanics. \nThat was back in 1964 but “it’s still absolutely true” confirms UCD’s Dr Steve Campbell, of the mysterious branch of physics that deals with subatomic particles and energy. \n “Quantum mechanics poised to give us a wholly new modern world.”
The late Nobel laureate Richard Feynman famously said that If you think you understand quantum mechanics then you don’t understand quantum mechanics. That was back in 1964 but “it’s still absolutely true” confirms UCD’s Dr Steve Campbell, of the mysterious branch of physics that deals with subatomic particles and energy.
Dr Brendan Kelly said that experimenting with ChatGPT4-Vision\'s accuracy at assessing disease progression in multiple sclerosis MRI scans was the first time he worried about whether artificial intelligence could take his job as a radiologist. \n Will ChatGPT transform radiology?
Dr Brendan Kelly said that experimenting with ChatGPT4-Vision's accuracy at assessing disease progression in multiple sclerosis MRI scans was the first time he worried about whether artificial intelligence could take his job as a radiologist.
“I firmly believe that nanomedicine will play a significant role in disease prevention," says Dr Nan Zhang, Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at UCD. 'Lab-on-a-chip' science using nanomedicine
“I firmly believe that nanomedicine will play a significant role in disease prevention," says Dr Nan Zhang, Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at UCD.
Dr Daniel O\'Reilly is a PhD student in the Conway Sphere research group in UCD. His work examines the activation of platelets in the blood to identify preterm babies who will develop infections. Platelet research by Dr Daniel O’Reilly targets preterm infections
Dr Daniel O'Reilly is a PhD student in the Conway Sphere research group in UCD. His work examines the activation of platelets in the blood to identify preterm babies who will develop infections.
For her PhD, Dr Emma Farrell conducted in-depth interviews with 27 university students who experienced a mental health crisis, piecing together their lives from the origin of their distress through their lowest moments to eventual recovery. Personal accounts of crisis should build mental health policy & practice
For her PhD, Dr Emma Farrell conducted in-depth interviews with 27 university students who experienced a mental health crisis, piecing together their lives from the origin of their distress through their lowest moments to eventual recovery.
“There is a ‘falls detection’ feature on the Apple Watch. If you have a fall the accelerometer and the gyroscope data within the watch will prompt the alert: ‘Do you need me to call emergency services?’ That is potentially very powerful.” Smartwatch health data a “massive opportunity” for researchers
“There is a ‘falls detection’ feature on the Apple Watch. If you have a fall the accelerometer and the gyroscope data within the watch will prompt the alert: ‘Do you need me to call emergency services?’ That is potentially very powerful.”
Legend has it that The Beatles’ success helped to fund one of the greatest medical advances of the last century, when their record label EMI invested in research resulting in the computed tomography (CT) machine. Advancing CT scan technology using 3D printed patient surrogates and AI
Legend has it that The Beatles’ success helped to fund one of the greatest medical advances of the last century, when their record label EMI invested in research resulting in the computed tomography (CT) machine.
Last January 15th, high winds toppled a ‘big rig’ truck on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge at rush hour. Luckily no casualties were reported, other than the thousands of commuters inconvenienced by hours-long delays. From wind tunnels to computer simulations: climate resilient design
Last January 15th, high winds toppled a ‘big rig’ truck on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge at rush hour. Luckily no casualties were reported, other than the thousands of commuters inconvenienced by hours-long delays.
Dr Kevin Doherty is Assistant Professor of Human Computer Interaction in UCD. His research focuses on the design and development of new and improved health and mental healthcare technologies. “Evidence shows technology can improve mental health and wellbeing.”
Dr Kevin Doherty is Assistant Professor of Human Computer Interaction in UCD. His research focuses on the design and development of new and improved health and mental healthcare technologies.
“Atherosclerosis is called the silent killer of the 21st century and it silently killed my father two years ago,” she says, of the disease caused by a build-up of fats, cholesterol and other substances, known as plaque, on the artery walls. “Atherosclerosis is the silent killer of the 21st century.”
“Atherosclerosis is called the silent killer of the 21st century and it silently killed my father two years ago,” she says, of the disease caused by a build-up of fats, cholesterol and other substances, known as plaque, on the artery walls.
According to London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, most skull fractures in children happen “when children are playing”, like falls from playground equipment. Surgery may be needed for a serious fracture if the bones have moved or there are any fragments. Repairing children’s skull injuries with 3D resorbable magnesium implants
According to London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, most skull fractures in children happen “when children are playing”, like falls from playground equipment. Surgery may be needed for a serious fracture if the bones have moved or there are any fragments.

2022 Rising Stars

“This morning I drove into the campus and I crashed my car,” says Eoin Delaney - and thankfully this is the start of a fictional anecdote to illustrate a counterfactual explanation, rather than a real-life event. Counterfactual explanations and overconfident artificial intelligence
“This morning I drove into the campus and I crashed my car,” says Eoin Delaney - and thankfully this is the start of a fictional anecdote to illustrate a counterfactual explanation, rather than a real-life event.
It was provocative by any standard. But when German religious reformer Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) published the richly illustrated, pope-mocking pamphlet, The Passion of Christ and Antichrist in 1521, the Catholic Church was all-powerful in western Europe and heretics were burned at the stake. Applying artificial intelligence to the printing press during the Protestant Reformation
It was provocative by any standard. But when German religious reformer Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) published the richly illustrated, pope-mocking pamphlet, The Passion of Christ and Antichrist in 1521, the Catholic Church was all-powerful in western Europe and heretics were burned at the stake.
It’s more common for people with lower limb loss to use prosthetics than it is for people with upper limb loss. “There’s a variety of reasons for that,” says Sigrid Dupan. “Partly it\'s because if you still have one arm, a lot of people can actually do the majority of the tasks they need to do. Using sensory feedback to improve prosthetics
It’s more common for people with lower limb loss to use prosthetics than it is for people with upper limb loss. “There’s a variety of reasons for that,” says Sigrid Dupan. “Partly it's because if you still have one arm, a lot of people can actually do the majority of the tasks they need to do.
Madhusanka Liyanage is Ad Astra Fellow and Director of Graduate Research at the School of Computer Science. His new book 6G Security and Privacy - a Comprehensive Guide troubleshoots the sixth-generation wireless technology slated for roll-out in 2030. AI hackers in a ‘huge’ threat landscape
Madhusanka Liyanage is Ad Astra Fellow and Director of Graduate Research at the School of Computer Science. His new book 6G Security and Privacy - a Comprehensive Guide troubleshoots the sixth-generation wireless technology slated for roll-out in 2030.
Julia Cañas Martinez has, understandably, kept close tabs on one of the most controversial cases to come before Ireland’s Central Criminal Court in recent years. Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith, 40, was found guilty in May of being a member of the unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, from 2015 to 2019. Lisa Smith and other western women of Islamic State
Julia Cañas Martinez has, understandably, kept close tabs on one of the most controversial cases to come before Ireland’s Central Criminal Court in recent years. Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith, 40, was found guilty in May of being a member of the unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, from 2015 to 2019.
Propaganda has been around for centuries. But its modern iteration - disinformation - is a far more recent buzzword. “I think 2016 was a watershed moment because of the Brexit vote in the UK and the election of Donald J. Trump as a US President,” ‘Pizzagate,’ fact checking, and the weaponisation of social media
Propaganda has been around for centuries. But its modern iteration - disinformation - is a far more recent buzzword. “I think 2016 was a watershed moment because of the Brexit vote in the UK and the election of Donald J. Trump as a US President,”
Dr Ailise Bulfin had perhaps never expected to research fictional representations of the “really difficult issue” of child sexual abuse (CSA) in contemporary culture. After all, she is a scholar of nineteenth century literature and had originally sought to examine its covert presence there. How do fictional representations of child sexual abuse affect readers and viewers?
Dr Ailise Bulfin had perhaps never expected to research fictional representations of the “really difficult issue” of child sexual abuse (CSA) in contemporary culture. After all, she is a scholar of nineteenth century literature and had originally sought to examine its covert presence there.
What worries Abeba Birhane about her field is the prevalence of “blind trust” in artificial intelligence (AI). AI models are ubiquitous tools that are increasingly being used to aid decision making, including how someone is hired or granted a loan or mortgage. Anything that can be used against you will be used against you
What worries Abeba Birhane about her field is the prevalence of “blind trust” in artificial intelligence (AI). AI models are ubiquitous tools that are increasingly being used to aid decision making, including how someone is hired or granted a loan or mortgage.
Last year Ireland rugby captain Johnny Sexton missed the game against Argentina because of his. Leinster flanker Dan Leavy had major surgery - and was ruled out for most of the season - because of his. Connacht’s Stephen Fitzgerald had to retire on medical grounds because of his. Knee injuries truly are the bane of the professional rugby player’s life. Indeed, of any sports player’s life. Machine learning to improve sports injury detection and performance
Last year Ireland rugby captain Johnny Sexton missed the game against Argentina because of his. Leinster flanker Dan Leavy had major surgery - and was ruled out for most of the season - because of his. Connacht’s Stephen Fitzgerald had to retire on medical grounds because of his. Knee injuries truly are the bane of the professional rugby player’s life. Indeed, of any sports player’s life.
Rising Stars 2020 - 2021
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