Introduction

I’m a researcher and science communicator from Kinsale in Ireland.

When I was a teen, my involvement in youth science (specifically the BT Young Scientist , EU Young Scientist and Google Science Fair) granted me a platform to develop my passion for science communication. I spent some time time travelling the globe, spreading the message that young people, if given the right tools and support, can change the world.

I did my undergraduate BSc in Genetics at University College Cork and an MPhil in Computational Biology at University of Cambridge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked with the Goldman Group at the European Bioinformatics Institute and the Cambridge Department of Chemistry to develop EvoCov, a pipeline for analysing the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 to develop variant-robust antibody treatments.

Now, I am a PhD Student at the Center for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a fantastic institute for the study of infectious disease and public health. I am interested in combining genomics and epidemiological models to curb the spread of infectious disease outbreaks, particularly arboviruses. Most recently I had the opportunity to attend the 78th and 79th UN General Assemblies to participate in meetings on pandemic preparedness and intergenerational collaboration as a We Are Family Foundation Ambassador. In advance of the 79th UN General Assembly I worked with members of The Elders on an Intergenerational Call To Action on Existential Threats, including Pandemics. This document was later cited by core group member Thomas Hale on stage in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations during the Summit of the Future Action Days.

My goal in life is to use science (specifically biology, maths and computing) to improve the lives of people worldwide, particularly in the area of human health.

For my PhD I am developing a program called EpiFusion, which is a tool for modelling infectiouse disease outbreaks using both epidemiological (case incidence) and phylodynamic (genomic sequence) data.

EpiFusion.org

Past Projects

Here are some projects I have worked on in the past

The Elders Intergenerational Statement

In 2024 I coauthored this call for long view intergenerational leadership alongside members of the Elders, including Mary Robinson and Ban Ki-moon. We launched the statement in New York City during the 79th UN General Assembly.

EvoCov

A pipeline for SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary analysis and epitope selection. Developed with the European Bioinformatics Institute and University of Cambridge.

SCAMP Pipeline

A pipeline that enables the automation of proteomic data on a website called Trips-Viz. Featured in this publication in Nucleic Acids Research

Oncosim

A cancer evolution and metastasis simulator for one of my assignments at Cambridge. You can try it out by cloning this Github repo.

YouthCorp

A global network that gives young people with big ideas the resources and guidance they need to turn them into reality.

Germinaid

An agricultural research company specialising in natural methods of increasing food productivity to aid the global food crisis.

The Bratislava Declaration

I coauthored the Bratislava Declaration of Young Researchers, which was commissioned by the Slovakian government in celebration of their term of EU presidency

Career Highlights

A summary of the key events that brought me to where I am today

NOW
PHD in Epidemiology and Genomics
Phd in Epidemiology and Genomics
I am currently undertaking a PhD at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. My PhD aims to develop methods of modelling infectious disease outbreaks that use both traditional epidemiological and pathogen genetic data. I am expected to finish in December 2024.
UNGA78
2023
UNGA78
I recently attended the 78th Assembly of the United Nations as a We Are Family Foundation Youth to The Table Ambassador, where I had the opportunity to attend many events and meetings on public health and pandemic preparedness.
2023
ECR internship at the UKHSA
ECR internship at the UKHSA
I did an internship with the infectious disease modelling team of the UK Health Security Agency where I worked on surveillance and assessment of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
MPhil in Computational Biology
2022
MPhil in Computational Biology
In 2022 I graduated from Cambridge with an MPhil in Computational Biology. For my masters thesis I worked with the Goldman Lab at the European Bioinformatics Institute on a pipeline for analysing the evolution of SARS-CoV-2.
2020
BSc in Genetics and Graduate of the Year
BSC in Genetics and Graduate of the Year
In 2020 I graduated from University College Cork with a BSc in Genetics. I held a Quercus Innovation Scholarship and academic scholarships for my four years at the school, and was awarded Graduate of the Year from the 2020 graduating class of the university.
APC Pharmabiotic Summer Research Bursary
2018
APC Pharmabiotic Summer Research Bursary
In 2018 I won a bursary from the APC Pharmabiotic Center to conduct summer research with the Claesson group. I did bioinformatic analysis using the QIIME pipeline.
2016
The Bratislava Declaration
The Bratislava Declaration
In 2016 I coauthored the Bratislava Declaration of Young Researchers. This was a statement commissioned by the Slovak presidency of the European Union.
The Google Science Fair
2014
The Google Science Fair
In 2014 I won the Google Science Fair, a global science fair of more than 100,000 entrants, with my teammates Emer and Sophie. We were awarded the Grand Prize for our project where we used a natural soil bacteria called Rhizobium to improve crop productivity.
2013
European Union Contest for Young Scientists
European Union Contest for Young Scientists
In 2013 I represented Ireland at the EU Contest for Young Scientists in Prague, Czech Republic, with my teammates Emer and Sophie. We were awarded overall first place and an additional travel award to attend the London International Youth Science Fair.
The BT Young Scientist
2013
The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
In 2013 I won the BT Young Scientist and Techology Exhibition, which is the Irish national science fair, with my teammates Emer and Sophie.
More detailed timeline