Padraig Ó Cathain

Dr. Padraig Ó Cathain is a Lecturer in the School of Enterprise and Irish at Dublin City University, where Irish is the primary language of instruction. His academic career includes roles as a postdoc at the University of Queensland (2012–2015), Aalto University (2015–2016), and as an Assistant Professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2016–2021). He holds a PhD in Mathematics (Algebraic Combinatorics) from the University of Galway (2012).

His research focuses on algebra, combinatorics, and their applications, including design theory, signal processing, and private communication systems. Notable contributions include work on Hadamard matrices, compressed sensing, and combinatorial cryptography. He was awarded the 2015 Kirkman Medal by the Institute of Combinatorics and its Applications for his early-career achievements.

Dr. Ó Cathain’s teaching spans discrete mathematics and algebra across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His research collaborations include projects with Prof. Darryn Bryant (design theory), Prof. Petteri Kaski (computational complexity), and Prof. Camilla Hollanti (mathematics for secure communication).