BSc (Hons) Microbiology, PhD
I was a budding scientist from a very early age. My questioning mind and love of science was definitely influenced and nurtured by my family. This nurturing continued when I joined UCD in 1993. The wide range of experiences (both in and out of the lecture theatre!) enriched my college years so that I always look back fondly on them.
I studied Microbiology (Industrial Microbiology as it was then called) and graduated in 1997. In second year I took Zoology and Chemistry, and in third year I studied Chemistry and Biostatistics as my minor subject.
In final year of Microbiology, we undertook our final year project in an industrial placement. I carried out my work in Wyeth Medica. After I graduated, I undertook a PhD in Molecular Microbiology on Virulence Gene Regulation in Rhodococcus equi.
This led very nicely to a postdoc on the molecular detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and human papilloma virus as a detection method for Cervical Cancer. I currently work as a Forensic Scientist at the Forensic Science Laboratory at Garda Headquarters. It is an extremely interesting and challenging job involving practical science, logical thinking, report writing and giving evidence in court as an expert witness.
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