Who’s taking part: November 2018

I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! returns this November for two weeks from the 5th to the 16th. Scientists and school students across the country will be taking part in five different zones: Environmental Care, Genes, New Materials, Smart Data, and a general science zone.

For the latest news and announcements about the event find us on Twitter, @imascientist, and follow the hashtag, #IASIE.

Let’s meet the scientists and schools taking part…


Environmental Care Zone

The Environmental Care Zone is a primary school zone supported by Science Foundation Ireland

The Scientists

William McCarthy | PhD Student, Teagasc Food Research Centre

I study how the chemicals in cleaning products can break up and join together in different ways (kind of like Lego blocks), how these new chemicals can get into milk, and how to stop this from happening!

Roberto Ferrari | Postdoctoral, National University of Ireland Galway – Zoology Department

I work with honeybees and I ask them who they are and where they are from. I want to find the strongest Irish honeybee colony!

Karen O’Neill | PhD Student, Teagasc, KerryLIFE, and University of Dundee

The aim of my work is to protect Irish rivers and the endangered creatures that live in them!

Jasmine Headlam | PhD Student, National University of Ireland Galway

Investigations on harmful jellyfish species: from deadly venom to first aid treatment.

Ganga Chinna Rao Devarapu | Postdoctoral, Cork Institute of Technology

My work is to find bugs in the water to ensure water is safe to drink.

The Schools

  • St Molaga Senior NS, Dublin
  • St Marys Parish Primary School, Louth
  • Shandrum National School, Cork
  • Scoil San Lionard, Kilkenny
  • Scoil Ailbhe, Tipperary
  • S N Naomh Feidhlim, Cavan
  • S N Naomh Colmain, Kilkenny
  • S N Gort Na Huaighe, Tipperary
  • S N Baile Ui Ghiblin, Cork
  • S N Ath Na Lionta, Cork
  • Prosperous N S, Kildare
  • Our Lady Of Mercy N S, Sligo
  • Gaelscoil Na Cruaiche, Mayo
  • Deravoy National School, Monaghan
  • Belmayne Educate Together National School, Dublin

Genes Zone

The Genes Zone is supported by Wellcome

The Scientists

Remsha Afzal | PhD Student, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

I do loads of lab experiments to understand the workings of a very special type of immune cell, called the macrophage, so we can use it to treat a horrible disease called ‘multiple sclerosis’, where a person’s own immune cells are going crazy!

Oliver Feeney | Lecturer, National University of Ireland (Galway).

My work explores the ethical, legal, social and political impact that new genetic technologies might have in the future, such as genome-editing and human enhancement.

Lisa Dwane | Postdoctoral, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

I work in the lab looking for new ways to treat breast cancer and I use cancer cells taken from a patient to carry out all of my exciting experiments!

Kieran Meade | Lecturer, Teagasc

I study natural antibiotics that animals produce to protect them (and us!) from infection

Fiana Ní Ghrálaigh | PhD Student, Trinity College Dublin

I’m trying to find out how our DNA changes the way our brains work

David O Neill | Postdoctoral, Waterford Institute of Technology

I use animal poop and hair to get DNA fingerprints.

The Schools

  • St Joseph’s College, Galway
  • St Andrews College, Dublin
  • Scoil Chaitriona, Dublin
  • Mercy Secondary School Mounthawk, Kerry
  • Loreto Secondary School, Donegal
  • Heywood Community School, Laois
  • Community School, Kilkenny
  • Colaiste Pobail Setanta, Dublin
  • Coláiste Chill Mhantáin, Wicklow
  • Bridgetown College, Wexford
  • Abbey Community College, Roscommon

New Materials Zone

The New Materials Zone is supported by Science Foundation Ireland.

The Scientists

Tríona Kennedy | Industry and private sector, Stryker Ireland

I use 3D metal printers to make parts for the spine, hips, knees and other parts of the body

Simone Iadanza | PhD Student, Cork Institute of Technology

I build very small structures on pieces of thin flattened material that are then used to better trap light and release it as a laser beam

Kieran Joyce | PhD Student, CURAM, NUI Galway

I design medical devices to replace the discs in the spine when they wear down as we get older

Julia Savioli | PhD Student, Trinity College Dublin

I use supercomputers to simulate and investigate the behaviour of new materials that can convert oxygen (from the air we breathe!) into electricity.

Hugh Manning | Postdoctoral, AMBER, Trinity College Dublin

I use lots of tiny silver wires that all connect together like spaghetti to make things like touch screens, solar cells, transparent heaters…

Emily Growney Kalaf | Postdoctoral, National University of Ireland Galway

How to train your robot – I am looking at how to make brain implants that can think and remember just like the brain does!

The Schools

  • The Kings Hospital, Dublin
  • St Caimin’s Community School, Clare
  • Scoil Mhuire, Galway
  • S N An Phairtin Mixed, Clare
  • Our Lady Queen Of Apostles, Dublin
  • Moyle Park College, Dublin
  • Mount Anville Secondary School, Dublin
  • Coola Post Primary School, Sligo
  • Coláiste Naomh Feichín, Galway
  • Coláiste Éanna, Dublin
  • Coláiste Chilliain, Dublin
  • Coláiste Bríde, Dublin
  • Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, Galway

Smart Data Zone

The Smart Data Zone is supported by Science Foundation Ireland

The Scientists

Sheila Castilho | Postdoctoral, ADAPT Centre, DCU

We build systems just like google translate and I have to tell if they are good or not, so people can use them!

Piyush Arora | Postdoctoral, ADAPT Centre, Dublin City University

My research focuses on making learning and searching for information through Web convenient and easy. Trying to make machine intelligent to understand humans and retrieve answers to our questions effectively and efficiently.

Natalia Resende | Postdoctoral, ADAPT Centre, Dublin City University

I help to improve the quality of texts translated by a translation engine such as Google translate

Gary Munnelly | PhD Student, ADAPT Centre, Trinity College Dublin

I try to teach computers how to read and understand documents like letters, diaries and books so they can help people who work in museums to get a better understanding of our history.

Dimitar Shterionov | Postdoctoral, Dublin City University, ADAPT Centre

I create computer programs that can understand your language and then can translate it into any other language and help people speak with each other all over the world.

The Schools

  • Trinity Comprehensive School, Dublin
  • St Gerard’s School, Wicklow
  • St Caimin’s Community School, Clare
  • Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Cork
  • Regina Mundi College, Cork
  • Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Kerry
  • Moneystown N S, Wicklow
  • Midleton College, Cork
  • Grange Community College, Dublin
  • Gaelscoil Na Cruaiche, Mayo
  • Gaelcholáiste An Phiarsaigh, Dublin
  • Coláiste Cholmáin, Cork
  • Bridgetown College, Wexford

Neon Zone

The Neon Zone is a general science zone supported by Wellcome.

The Scientists

Tiernan Henry | Lecturer, National University of Ireland, Galway

I’m trying to better understand how water works its way from rain to the ground to the sea

Sonia Lenehan | PhD Student, INFANT Centre & UCC

Using your eyes, I explore the way your brain builds the electrical roads and chemical bridges that allow you to think,feel,dream, and most importantly, make you,you!

Mossy Kelly | Lecturer, University of Hull

I create tiny fireballs on the surfaces of metals and watch them burn.

Maureen Williams | PhD Student, Trinity College Dublin

I work on parasites that control the behaviour of their hosts.

Bernard Leddy | Industry and private sector, Lismore

I appear as an expert witness in cases involving toxicology.

The Schools

  • St Molaga Senior NS, Dublin
  • St David’s C.B.S., Dublin
  • S N Naomh Feichin, Mayo
  • S N Mharcuis B, Cork
  • S N Colm Cille, Clare
  • Queen Of Universe N S, Carlow
  • Our Lady Of Mercy N S, Sligo
  • Muire Na Ngael NS, Louth
  • Mount Carmel Secondary School, Dublin
  • Le Cheile Secondary School, Dublin
  • Lackamore N S, Tipperary
  • Killinarden Community School, Dublin
  • Ennis Community College, Clare
  • Dún Na Rí College, Cavan
  • Coláiste Cholmáin, Cork
  • Coláiste Chilliain, Dublin
Posted on October 24, 2018 by ModJosh in News. Leave a comment

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