Dr. Vijayakumar Nanjappan is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at University College Cork's School of Computer Science and Information Technology. His research integrates HCI, Human-Centred Design, Smart Textiles, VR, and Digital Fabrication to develop sustainable solutions enhancing user experience. Recent publications explore affective textiles, VR-enhanced creativity, and digital fabrication education, demonstrating cross-disciplinary innovation. His work spans virtual reality applications for cultural priming and rehabilitation, smart textiles for emotional interaction, and pedagogical approaches in makerspaces. Award trends are not mentioned.
Michel Schellekens is Professor at University College Cork's School of Computer Science and Information Technology, specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Algorithmics. His research develops mathematical frameworks for complexity analysis, including quasi-metric spaces and entropy-based approaches for algorithm evaluation. Recent work focuses on low-power computing designs, reversible computing principles, and static analysis methods for energy-efficient software and hardware systems. He maintains collaborations through the Complex and Adaptive Systems Laboratory (CASL).
Michael Prentice is a Professor of Medical Microbiology at University College Cork (UCC), where he conducts groundbreaking research in bacterial genomics and microcompartment biology. He is a principal investigator at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) and previously served as a Senior Lecturer at Bart's and the London Medical School, Queen Mary University of London from 1993-2004. His educational background includes: MB ChB (Medical Degree) from Birmingham Medical School (UK) in 1980 PhD from Queen Mary, University of London in 1998 Professional qualifications: FRCP (2021), FRCPI (2020), FFPRCPI (2007), FRCPath (1999) Professor Prentice's research centers on bacterial genomics, particularly Yersinia pestis and Yersinia enterocolitica genomes, and the role of horizontally transmitted genes in bacterial pathogenicity. His discovery of a horizontally-transferred metabolosome-specifying operon in Y. enterocolitica led to significant work on bacterial microcompartments (metabolosomes), which are present in approximately 20% of bacterial genomes. His research has shown these structures are important in E. coli urinary tract infections and has applications in renal failure complications and environmental bioremediation. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong pivot toward practical applications of microbiological research, particularly in infection control during the pandemic. His 2020-2023 work addresses airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, hospital infection control measures, and aerosol dynamics in medical settings, demonstrating how his foundational expertise in bacterial metabolism and genomics informed critical pandemic response research. His research has been supported by: Science Foundation Ireland (multiple awards totaling over €500,000 since 2012) Health Research Board Healthcare Infection Society Higher Education Authority Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFF) Professor Prentice has successfully supervised numerous graduate students including Karen McCarthy (PhD, 2016), Alan Barry (MSc, 2015), Tamara Ringwood (PhD, 2013), Kamila Knapik (PhD, 2013), and Olabisi Ojo (PhD, 2009). His laboratory has received continuous funding for innovative research bridging basic science and clinical applications. He maintains extensive collaborations with researchers at UCC (Dr. John MacSharry, Professor Barry Plant), University of Kent (Professor Martin Warren), Queen Mary University of London (Professor Richard Pickersgill), and international institutions including University of Versailles. His work with the APC positions him at the forefront of microbiome research in Ireland, with particular emphasis on the intersection of bacterial metabolism and human health.
Roles and Affiliations: Dominic O' Sullivan is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at University College Cork (UCC). He directs the Intelligent Efficiency Research Group (IERG), specialized in energy efficiency technologies. He is affiliated with the School of Engineering and has collaborated with industries like Intel, De Puy, and Xerox through projects such as I2E2 and FLEX4FACT. Education: BE (Civil) from UCC (1998), MEngSc (2000), and PhD in Engineering (2005), all from UCC. Research Interests: Focuses on intelligent efficiency in buildings and industry, including energy management systems, HVAC optimization, and renewable energy integration. His work emphasizes data-driven approaches for sustainability, such as fault detection in HVAC systems and industrial demand response strategies. Key Projects: Includes the EU-funded BIM4EEB (BIM-based renovation toolkit), DENIM (collaborative energy management), and FLEX4FACT (industrial flexibility in energy transition). Secured over €4.5M in research funding, including notable grants from Horizon 2020 and Science Foundation Ireland. Teaching: Delivers modules on energy systems in buildings, heating/ventilation design, and data analytics for engineers. Awards and Recognition: Contributions to UCC's Green Campus initiatives earned Green Flag and Gold Star awards. Recognized for advancing energy standards through Ireland's Energy Standards Consultative Committee. Grants and Collaborations: Led projects such as the Carbon Neutral Building Project (€500k), DENIM (€477k), and FLEX4FACT (€733k). Collaborates with organizations like IERC and Bell Labs.
Mary Donnelly is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Law at University College Cork (UCC). She holds advanced degrees from UCD, Trinity College Dublin, and Cardiff University, with a PhD focused on healthcare autonomy and legal frameworks. Her expertise spans medical law (particularly capacity and consent), consumer protection, and financial services regulation. She has authored influential books such as Healthcare Decision-Making and the Law and The Law of Credit and Security , and co-edited critical volumes on mental health law and assisted decision-making. Roles: Chair of the Health Service Executive National Consent Advisory Group, member of the National Research Ethics Committee, and advisor to public health initiatives. Research: Prioritizes intersections of legal and medical systems, emphasizing supported decision-making for vulnerable adults and ethical frameworks for end-of-life care. Recent work addresses clinician conscience in abortion provision and statutory leave for pregnancy loss. Publications: Over 200 peer-reviewed articles and books, focusing on healthcare law, consumer rights, and mental capacity. Key themes include legal capacity assessment, reproductive rights, and pandemic legal preparedness. Awards: Includes the President's Award for Research on Innovative Teaching (2004) and an IRCHSS Grant (2004). Teaching: Leads courses on medical law, financial services regulation, and legal research methods, emphasizing critical evaluation and practical application. Her work bridges legal theory and practice, shaping policies on mental health, consumer protection, and healthcare ethics in Ireland and beyond.
Edicleia Oliveira serves as an Assistant Lecturer and PhD researcher at Technological University Dublin, where she investigates women entrepreneurs' interactions with Irish government agencies through a feminist phenomenological lens using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Her active engagement in international conferences and academic communities underscores her commitment to advancing knowledge in gender and entrepreneurship. Her educational foundation includes: Postgraduate Diploma in Management & Marketing Bachelor's Degree in Tourism and Events Management Edicleia's research centers on women’s entrepreneurship, feminist phenomenology, IPA, embodied leadership, and creative and cultural industries. She critically examines the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs, particularly their encounters with institutional practices, and advocates for feminist phenomenology to transcend Cartesian dualism in entrepreneurship scholarship. Her work extends to academic writing challenges faced by female early career researchers and sustainable models for creative industries. Analysis of her recent publications (2020-2024) reveals a cohesive trajectory exploring gendered entrepreneurial experiences through phenomenological methods. Key themes include rural women's emancipation linked to entrepreneurship training, impostor syndrome in academic writing, and reframing creative industries as ecological systems. Her scholarship increasingly bridges theory and practice, influencing policy development and leadership frameworks while maintaining a strong feminist epistemological stance. She actively participates in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Community of Practice at Technological University Dublin, the Theory-U Hub for Ireland, and the Entrepreneurship Group – Women of Brazil, Ireland. Additionally, she is developing an Entrepreneurial Embodied Leadership Course to translate research insights into practical educational tools.
Brendan Griffin is a Professor in Pharmaceutics at the University of College Cork (UCC) School of Pharmacy. He holds a BSc. Pharm. and PhD from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and has extensive industry experience with Élan and Servier. As Course Director of the MSc in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Systems, he focuses on training pharmaceutical professionals to become Qualified Persons (QP). His research centers on optimized drug delivery systems, including lipid-based formulations, nanoparticulate systems, and targeted delivery to the brain and intestinal lymphatics. He leads the InPharma EU grant, an Industrial Doctorate program aiming to eliminate animal testing in formulation development by integrating computational and in vitro tools. His work emphasizes collaboration with industry and preclinical models like pigs to predict oral drug absorption and food effects. Education: BSc. Pharm. (TCD), PhD in Pharmaceutics (TCD). Research Interests: Lipid-based formulations for solubility enhancement and bioavailability Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems Targeted delivery mechanisms Computational models for drug development Regulatory science and quality-by-design approaches Pharmaceutical education and training InPharma Project: This EU Horizon 2020 initiative replaces animal testing with predictive in vitro and computational tools, linking drug discovery to clinical trial modeling. Key focus areas include end-to-end drug development and model-based design. Grants & Collaborations: Coordinates InPharma consortium involving academia and industry partners to advance drug formulation science. Labs/Teams: Associated with APC Microbiome Ireland and the School of Pharmacy’s Pharmaceutics division, focusing on interdisciplinary research in drug delivery and biopharmaceutics.
Gavin Duffy is a Lecturer in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Dublin Institute of Technology since 2002. He holds a PhD in Spatial Thinking in the Engineering Curriculum from DIT (2018), an MSc in Applied e-Learning (2009), and a Chemical Engineering degree from University College Dublin (1995). His research focuses on spatial cognition's role in STEM education, particularly addressing gender gaps in spatial ability and its impact on STEM participation. He coordinates the €4M MSCA ITN SellSTEM project, involving 10 European universities and 15 PhD students. External roles include External Examiner at the University of York (2021-2024) and Visiting Scholar at Ohio State University (2016-2017). His work bridges educational innovation with cognitive science, emphasizing spatial skills development through problem-based and maker education approaches. Research interests include: spatial literacy, STEM pedagogy, gender studies in education, and interdisciplinary curriculum design. His projects often involve international collaboration and practical interventions to enhance spatial abilities in K-12 and higher education contexts.
Robert Johnson is an Associate Professor at the School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, specializing in electrochemistry and nanoscale sensing. His interdisciplinary research bridges fundamental studies of ion transport phenomena with applied developments in food safety, drug safety, and medical diagnostics. He leads projects funded by grants totaling circa €1 million over three years, including initiatives for early pathogen detection in food production and rapid identification of antimicrobial-resistant hospital pathogens like MRSA. His group's work leverages finite element modeling and experimental approaches to optimize nanopore-based sensors under low-electrolyte conditions. PhD, University of Southampton (2011) MChem, University of Southampton Robert's research focuses on nanoelectrochemical systems, particularly conical nanopores and carbon electrodes. Key areas include ion current rectification , piezoelectric-plasmonic sensors , and chiral separation technology . His team's innovations in nanopore functionalization and biomimetic transport channels address challenges in pharmaceutical analysis, environmental monitoring, and infectious disease detection. Recent publications highlight advancements in nanoscale sensor design (2025), including enantiomeric analysis and trace metal detection . Collaborative studies on finite element modeling and biomimetic nanochannels demonstrate his group's technical rigor and interdisciplinary impact. Scientific contributions include: Marie Curie Fellowship (2013-2016) EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship (2011-2012) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Royal Society of Chemistry membership International Society of Electrochemistry membership As a dedicated educator, Robert teaches electrochemistry and thermodynamics at UCD. Previously at the University of Lincoln, he developed physical chemistry curricula and achieved Royal Society of Chemistry accreditation for undergraduate programs. His research supervision includes multiple PhD students, and he actively engages in institutional committees like the Teaching & Learning Committee and College Timetable Committee.
Muhammad Haris Kaka Khel is a part-time lecturer at Atlantic Technological University's Department of Computing in Ireland while pursuing his Ph.D. in pedestrian trajectory prediction. His research focuses on developing adaptive systems that analyze human behavior, social interactions, and environmental dynamics to forecast multiple possible pedestrian paths using the PATHS framework. He works under supervisors Dr. Kevin Meehan and Dr. Paul Greaney at ATU Donegal, with additional guidance from Dr. Marion McAfee (ATU Sligo) and Dr. Sandra Moffet (Ulster University). B.S. in Electrical Engineering (Communication specialization) from UET Peshawar, Pakistan (2019) Research master's at University of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (completed 2022) with Erasmus exchange experience at Politecnico di Torino, Italy Ph.D. candidate at Atlantic Technological University (expected completion 2026) Research Interests Khel's work addresses critical gaps in pedestrian trajectory prediction by modeling multiple possible paths rather than single deterministic outcomes. This approach enhances robustness in dynamic environments like urban streets and public spaces, with applications in: Autonomous vehicle navigation safety Urban planning and walkability improvements Event crowd management systems Smart surveillance for anomaly detection Accessible navigation for visually impaired Public transportation optimization Teaching & Collaboration As a part-time lecturer at ATU Donegal, he contributes to computing education while maintaining external collaborations including: Sponsored research with Saudi Arabia's Deputyship for Research and Innovation Graduate research assistant role at University Kuala Lumpur-British Malaysian Institute Former intern at Center of Intelligent Systems and Networks Research
Dr. Charlotte Carrier-Belleau is a PhD researcher at the Department of Zoology , School of Natural Sciences , Trinity College Dublin , Ireland. Her work focuses on understanding multiple stressor interactions, legacy effects, and tipping points in aquatic ecosystems through experimental approaches. Primary research areas include stressor synergy/antagonism, salinity variation, global warming, nanoparticle impacts, and eutrophication Specializes in sub-arctic and arctic bivalve ecology Member of the Piggott Lab group Recent publications highlight her work on non-additive stressor effects across biological scales. She investigates how local and global stressors interact to influence ecosystem thresholds and ecological processes, particularly in marine and freshwater environments.
Ibrahim Saana Aminu is a Materials Scientist and Principal Investigator at the Bernal Institute, University of Limerick. He holds a position within the Department of Chemical Sciences and leads research focused on advanced nanomaterials for battery energy storage systems and electrocatalysis. As a module leader for Laboratory Calculations (CH4021), he contributes to the academic teaching mission of the university while maintaining an active research program. His educational background includes a BSc in Materials Engineering from KNUST-Ghana (2008), a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Wuhan University of Technology (2017), and recent qualifications in Data Science and Analytics (2024) and Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence (2025, in progress). His research interests span multiple cutting-edge areas in energy storage and materials science. Dr. Aminu's research focuses on energy convection and storage in various battery systems (Li, Al, K-ion, and Zn-air), electrocatalysis processes (HER, OER, ORR, CO2RR), and the application of computational methods including DFT and machine learning for materials design. His work increasingly incorporates GenAI for new material frontiers and emphasizes deep materials characterization techniques. His publication record shows consistent output with an h-index of 44 (Google Scholar), focusing primarily on lithium-ion battery anode materials, nanowire networks, and novel synthesis approaches. The research demonstrates a clear progression toward more complex materials systems and increasingly sophisticated characterization and computational methods. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (€197K) SFI-Industry Research & Innovation Fund award (€160K) for FAMASES project SFI-IRC Pathway Project funding (€566K) for CANFIBAT Enterprise Development funding (€57K) Participation in €8M Horizon Europe SiGNE project Participation in €700K SEAI R-CUBE project Invitation to 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (2022) Dr. Aminu has secured substantial independent research funding exceeding €980K and contributed to major collaborative projects totaling over €8.7M. His research program includes supervision of PhD students and collaboration with industry partners including Analog Devices International. His work at the Centre for Battery and Energy Materials Research positions him at the forefront of next-generation battery technology development, with applications in electric vehicles and sustainable energy systems. His recent participation in the prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting underscores his standing in the international research community.
Gabriel Leen serves as a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering within the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Limerick. His research integrates optical engineering, acoustics, and biomedical applications to develop advanced sensing technologies for medical diagnostics and industrial processes. Dr. Leen's primary research focuses on optical fiber sensor systems for pressure, temperature, and refractive index measurements, with significant applications in urodynamic analysis, radiotherapy dosimetry, and respiratory monitoring. His pioneering work in acoustic levitation enables contactless sample manipulation for X-ray crystallography, reducing sample consumption while enabling time-resolved structural studies of biological macromolecules. This interdisciplinary approach bridges physics, engineering, and clinical medicine through innovative device fabrication and signal processing techniques. Analysis of his recent publications (2023-2025) reveals three dominant research trajectories: 1) Acoustic droplet manipulation systems for X-ray light sources enabling new crystallography methodologies; 2) Miniaturized optical fiber sensors with biocompatible designs for in vivo medical applications; and 3) Laser-based processing techniques for flexible electronics and sensor fabrication. These themes demonstrate consistent innovation in translating fundamental physical principles into practical biomedical instrumentation with clinical impact.
Professor Paula Bourke is a faculty member at the UCD School of Biosystems & Food Engineering within the University College Dublin College of Engineering and Architecture . She specializes in cold plasma technology with dual applications in food safety and biomedical fields. Co-leader of tripartite project (UCD, QUB, Jefferson University) for plasma-based bone infection therapies Develops plasma-activated liquids for antimicrobial applications Advocate of the One Health agenda connecting human, animal, and environmental health Her research spans food safety , antimicrobial resistance , and medical implant infection control . The work explores both gaseous plasma and plasma-activated liquid approaches, with potential applications in cancer therapy and surgical infection prevention. Scientific recognition includes: 2020 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher (top 1%) SFI US-Ireland Research Partnership Programme award (2020) SFI-BBSRC Programme award for EnvironSafe project
Sean Tanner is a Marketing Lecturer in the Department of Management and Marketing at Cork University Business School, University College Cork. He is based in ORB 2.73 O'Rahilly Building and can be contacted at sean.tanner@ucc.ie. Dr. Tanner's research focuses on consumer behaviour and consumer information usage in decision making scenarios, particularly examining how digital communication channels interact with traditional mediums. His work incorporates eye-tracking methodology and qualitative techniques to understand how consumers acquire and process consumption-relevant information. His key research interests include self-quantification and self-tracking, omni-channel communication strategies, risk communication, sustainable consumption patterns, technology's impact on consumer wellbeing, consumer trust mechanisms, and innovative approaches to marketing education.
