Dr. Kevin Daly receives over €1.5million in ERC Starting Grant

Dr Kevin Daly was awarded for his project HERDPATH, which will use DNA molecules from thousands-of-years-old sheep and goat remains to reveal how infectious diseases adapted to their hosts and how livestock adapted in return.

The domestication of livestock starting about 10,000 years ago brought many species together in and around human settlements for the first time. These early herding communities presented new opportunities for pathogens to spread from one animal to another, and between animal and human, leading to evolution of new infectious diseases.

HERDPATH will use DNA molecules from thousands-of-years-old sheep and goat remains to reveal how infectious diseases adapted to their hosts and how livestock adapted in return.

It's the stuff of dreams

Dr Kevin Daly said, "Animal-specific diseases have been neglected in our studies of how pathogens have affected human societies. This research will uncover how species adapted in the face of new pathogen threats and responded to developments in animal breeding. The project will shed light on how the diseases that blight livestock farming societies today evolved and adapted, allowing us to identify genetic targets for breeding disease-resistant animals and potentially new ways to proactively fight infectious livestock disease.

“This ERC Starting Grant will completely transform my research trajectory. Building a team of enthusiastic PhD students and talented postdocs, getting to engage together on big, discipline-spanning questions while working with an incredible group of international collaborators from many different fields - it's the stuff of dreams."

UCD has now secured 39 main ERC grants under the Horizon Europe Programme. Totalling approx €78 million, this constitutes approx 45% of the national ERC total for the programme. 

Professor Kate Robson Brown, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact, said, "Congratulations to the four UCD academics who have received ERC Starting Grants. Their innovative projects promise to make major contributions to their fields and address critical scientific and societal challenges. We are committed to supporting academic career development and ambitious research at every stage in UCD, and we look forward to following the progress of these outstanding researchers."