Cara Daly

Cara Daly is a Lecturer in the Department of Land Sciences at South East Technological University (SETU), where she has worked since 2013. She serves as Programme Director for the SETU/Teagasc BSc in Horticulture and actively participates in the SETU Academic Council and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) committees.

Education:

• PhD in Plant Programmed Cell Death (2013), University College Dublin
• BSc (Hons) in Botany (2009), University College Dublin

Research Interests focus on plant programmed cell death (PCD) mechanisms and their role in stress tolerance. Her work investigates how PCD dynamics influence plant responses to abiotic (e.g., salt stress) and biotic stressors, alongside micropropagation techniques and exometabolite analysis via HPLC/mass spectrometry. Recent projects explore antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in wild plant extracts.

Publication Trends highlight consistent contributions to plant stress biology, with a emphasis on Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism, proline-mediated stress tolerance, calcium signaling in PCD, and chloroplast-dependent cell death pathways. Her research bridges fundamental plant biology with agricultural applications.

Scientific Recognition

• Winner of the SETU Vicky Phelan Equality, Diversity and Inclusion award (2023)

Teaching includes Plant Biology, Scientific Writing, Data Analysis, and Lab Skills for plant micropropagation. She also mentors PhD students and contributes to university governance through EDI initiatives.