Profile
Cormac Bracken
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About Me
My name is Cormac Bracken and I am a fourth year PhD student currently studying in University College Dublin where I study organic chemistry. I love football and music, and I do my chemistry whenever I can in between them! I also like food and reading, and enjoy helping people to take part in science.
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I started my PhD in 2018 under the tutelage of Dr. Marcus Baumann. In this group, our research looks at new ideas that we can develop for making medicines in a fast and easy way. There are many ways that this can be done, but mine specifically looks at using Ultraviolet light. If you would like to know more about this then just ask me!
Outside of UCD, I am a sporty person and I also like relaxing and listening to music or watching movies. I love reading history, cooking and I’ve an interest in art as well. I like having a nice and different selection of hobbies, it makes the long days studying science that bit easier!
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When we design new ways for making our medicines, or parts that go into making that medicine, we always try to design the approach so that it is continuous. By continuous, what we mean is that each step in a process leads directly into the next. This removes the need to purify things from step to step, and it saves a lot of both time and money for someone who wants to use it! For my research, I try to get my chemistry to work I using UV light. This means that when I prepare my experiment, I use a lamp which makes UV light to shine on my reaction and this will hopefully start the process.
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My Typical Day
I wake up at 7:15 and have breakfast before I go into UCD. I am in UCd each day from 9 - 5/6 o'clock. I have dinner once I'm home before I go out and get some exercise and then call it a night!
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What I'd do with the prize money
If I was voted the winner, I would use that money to buy some new equipment for my lab. That way I hopefully design some cool new processes and bring some people in to see it in action!
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Education:
UCD. St. Benildus College
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Qualifications:
Bachelor of Science. School Diploma.
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Work History:
Next. Lifeguard. Furniture mover (USA). Barback (Canada)
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Current Job:
PhD researcher at UCD
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Fun-loving guy
What did you want to be after you left school?
A Scientist!
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Absolutely not
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
What's your favourite food?
Italian
What is the most fun thing you've done?
Chemistry, of course
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
Loads of money, free football/rugby tickets, a nice car when I'm older
Tell us a joke.
I quit my job when my boss started paying me in vegetables. Can't be living off that celery!
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Work photos:
The first photo is a picture of me. The second is me with my research group in UCD. The third photo is of some machines we have in our lab that help us to do our research.