Richard Roche is a Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University since 2021. He joined the university as a Lecturer in 2005 after postgraduate/postdoctoral work at Trinity College Dublin. His research focuses on cognitive neuroscience/neuropsychology, particularly memory, aging, dementia, stroke, brain injury, and synaesthesia. He has published 37 research articles, three books, and secured over €1.45M in research funding. Collaborations include Tallaght Hospital, Peamount Hospital, and the National Rehabilitation Hospital. He served on Neuroscience Ireland (2005–2014) and founded the Irish Brain Council (2013). He has supervised 9 PhD and 4 MSc students, advising additional 2 PhD and 1 MSc candidates. He advocates for neuroscience outreach and public engagement. Education: Postgraduate and postdoctoral studies at Trinity College Dublin. Research Interests: Cognitive neuroscience/neuropsychology Memory mechanisms and disorders Age-related cognitive decline (e.g., Alzheimer’s) Stroke rehabilitation and cognitive recovery Traumatic brain injury (TBI) effects Synaesthesia and sensory integration Collaborations: Maynooth University-Stroke Unit of Tallaght Hospital collaboration Peamount, Beaumont, and St. Vincent’s Hospitals partnerships National Rehabilitation Hospital (Dún Laoghaire) Grants & Funding: Over €1.45M in competitive research funding secured. Advocacy & Outreach: Longstanding commitment to neuroscience public engagement, including founding the Irish Brain Council (2013).
Professor Aphra Kerr is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Sociology at Maynooth University, transitioning to a full-time role as Professor of Information and Communication Studies at University College Dublin in August 2024. She leads research in AI governance, digital media ethics, and gambling industry impacts through her role in the SFI ADAPT Centre. Key projects include the Global Media and Internet Concentration Project (GMICP) and Algowatch, focusing on algorithmic literacy. Her work bridges social science with technology, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration. Education: PhD in Digital Media (DCU, 2000), postdoctoral fellowships at UNU/INTECH and University of Ulster. Extensive research on digital games, media policy, and media literacy. Research interests span AI ethics, digital game production, gambling regulation, media labor, gender equity in tech, and public engagement. Awards include the Distinguished Scholar Award from DiGRA and membership in the Academy of Europe. Collaborations span academia, industry, and civic organizations like ADAPT and Foroige. Recent articles address gambling marketing's societal impacts, smart city planning via digital twins, and trust in human-robot interaction. She advises on policy initiatives and chairs international research associations.
Richard Kavanagh is a Senior Lecturer at University College Cork (UCC) in the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, directing the Mechatronics Research Laboratory. He holds a PhD from UCC and is a Chartered Engineer listed in Marquis Who's Who in Science and Engineering. His research focuses on sensor design, advanced signal processing, quantization effects analysis, servosystem control, and VR-based mechatronics education. He has held roles including Senior Research Scientist at PEI Technologies and Senior Project Engineer at SPS Laboratories. Education: BEng (Electrical) 1984, MEngSc 1985, PhD 1998 – all from UCC. Professional affiliations include Senior Member of IEEE (1994-1999) and membership in ASEE and IEI. Research interests emphasize theoretical and practical advancements in digital signal processing for quantized signals, nonuniform sampling, and mechatronics visualization. His work includes novel algorithms for velocity measurement, FIR filter design for quantized signals, and compliant mechanism synthesis. Publications span over three decades, with key contributions in IEEE Transactions, ASME, and international conferences. He serves as Associate Editor for IEEE Signal Processing Letters and has contributed to projects like the Blue City initiative addressing urban hydrology and sea level rise in Cork. Teaching includes modules on Industrial Automation and Robotics. His lab develops test systems for complex industrial processes and mechatronic visualization tools.
Laura Rascaroli is a Professor in Film and Screen Media at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. She specializes in film theory, documentary, European and world cinemas, and the intersections of cinema with space, architecture, and geopolitics. Her research focuses on experimental nonfiction, essay film, first-person cinema, and the post-cinematic medium. She co-directs the SENSA Lab, which explores semiotics, ethnosemiotics, nonfictional studies, and audiovisual practices. Rascaroli serves as Editor-in-Chief of Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media and holds editorial roles across multiple international journals. Her academic contributions include monographs like How the Essay Film Thinks (2017) and The Personal Camera (2009), as well as edited volumes such as Theorizing Film Through Contemporary Art (2020). She has delivered over 100 keynote lectures and masterclasses globally and her work has been translated into multiple languages. Rascaroli’s recent research examines essay film and borders, sound studies, and artist films. Awarded the CACSSS Research Achievement Award (2006) and President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2002), she has secured significant grants including projects on housing precarity ( Media Homes ), cinematic modernism ( Positively Modern ), and EU border imagery ( Unfolding Borders ). She actively participates in film festivals and academic networks, including roles in ECREA and AIM. Grants: Over €1.3M in funding from Irish Research Council, Horizon 2020, and others Editorial Work: 9 journal editorial/advisory roles internationally International Engagement: Teaching in Cuba, Italy, Spain; collaborations across 15+ countries
Tatsuma Padoan is a Lecturer in East Asian Religions at the Department of Study of Religions, University College Cork (UCC), and a Research Associate at SOAS, University of London. He holds a PhD from Ca' Foscari University of Venice and has held fellowships at institutions including Osaka University and SOAS. His research focuses on the anthropology of religion, semiotics, and pilgrimage studies, with a particular emphasis on Japanese mountain asceticism and the semiotics of space. Education: PhD in Religions and Anthropology of Japan (Ca' Foscari University, 2011), MA in Cultural Anthropology (Keio University, Japan), and extensive training in semiotics under Paolo Fabbri. Research Interests: Paris School Semiotics, Actor-Network-Theory, Japanese Religions, Pilgrimage, Ritual Apprenticeship, Religious Materiality, and Science and Technology Studies. Current projects include 'Aesthetic Communication: The Role of Senses in Social Interaction' funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation. Publications span books, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles on pilgrimage semiotics, Buddhist rituals, and urban space. Notable works include Towards a Semiotics of Pilgrimage (2026) and Semiotic Landscapes: Language Practices, Materialities and Agency (2026). Awards: Newton International Fellowship (2014), JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships (2015, 2017), and multiple grants from the British Academy and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Teaching: Coordinates BA/MA programs in Religions and Anthropology at UCC, teaching modules on semiotics, Japanese religions, and ethnographic methods.
Rachel Murphy is a Lecturer in the School of History and Geography at the University of Limerick since 2018, specializing in Irish history and digital humanities. She concurrently serves as Editorial and Mapping Assistant for the Royal Irish Academy's Irish Historic Towns Atlas program. Her academic roles include chairing the Irish Historic Towns Atlas Digital Working Group and membership on the National Library of Ireland's Genealogy and Heraldry committee. Education includes a PhD in History and Digital Humanities from University College Cork (2017), MA in History of Family from University of Limerick (2008), and BA from University of Oxford (1992). She holds a Higher Diploma in GIS from UCC and a Grad. Dip. Teaching, Learning and Scholarship from UL (2020). Research focuses on landholding history, urban history, family history, and digital tools like GIS. Notable projects include the 'Death and Burial Data: Ireland 1864-1922' (2020-2023) and 'Deep Maps: West Cork Coastal Cultures' (funded by IRC). She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, collaborating with computer scientists on data modeling and transcribathon initiatives. Teaching contributions include supervising 37 MA dissertations (2018-2024), directing the MA History of Family program, and lecturing in Irish history. Awards include 2023 UL Team Teaching Award and AHSS Award for collaborative pedagogy. She has held roles in international business prior to academia, including at eBay Ireland and Accenture. Publications span historical demography, digital humanities methodologies, and Irish social history. Current research explores intersections between historical data curation and emerging technologies, with a focus on open educational resources (OER) development.
Jürgen Simpson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Information Systems and a core member of the Digital Media and Arts Research Centre at the University of Limerick. His work bridges electronic music composition, live performance, and interdisciplinary art, with a focus on minimalism, live electronics, and cultural memory. He actively engages in collaborative projects such as air india [redacted] , an opera addressing the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, and reinterpretations of landmark works like Simeon Ten Holt’s Canto Ostinato . Research Interests: Live electronic performance, minimalist composition, screendance, and cultural heritage through digital mediums Key Projects: air india [redacted] , Canto Ostinato live electronics adaptation, and Spiral festival series His academic contributions include over 70 research outputs across performances, compositions, and exhibitions, with notable recognition including the 2002 Oberhausen International Short Film Festival Prize. Simpson frequently presents at conferences and serves on arts committees, including leadership roles at Limerick City Gallery of Art.
Emer O'Beirne is an Associate Professor in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at University College Dublin (UCD), where she specializes in contemporary French and Francophone literature. Her academic journey began with a BA (Mod.) in German and French from Trinity College Dublin, followed by postgraduate studies at the University of California (Irvine) and a DPhil from the University of Oxford. She held teaching positions at the University of Exeter before joining UCD in 1999, where she has since advanced to Associate Professor. BA (Mod.), Trinity College Dublin DPhil, University of Oxford Her research centers on contemporary fictional narrative forms, particularly the representation of urban space, the interplay between music and narrative, and the dialogue between visual arts and literature. She has published extensively on authors such as Jean Echenoz, Georges Perec, Marc Augé, and Assia Djebar, exploring themes of alienation, non-places (non-lieux), and the formal innovations in modern French fiction. Her work often bridges literary analysis with cultural theory, anthropology, and art criticism. The 15 most recent publications reflect a sustained focus on 20th and 21st-century French authors, with recurring interests in narrative structure, temporality, and intermediality. She frequently examines how literary works respond to urban modernity, consumerism, and the fragmentation of identity, drawing connections between literature, visual art, and music, particularly in the context of postmodern and contemporary aesthetics. Scientific Awards and Honors: French Embassy bursary (2018) Module innovation support grant (2009) UCD Seed Funding - Comparative Literature (2007) UCD Seed Funding - Marc Augé (2006) IRCHSS Government of Ireland Research Fellowship (2004–05) Université Paris-Sorbonne & Oxford University study bursary (1992–93) Hutchinson-Stewart Postgraduate Literary Scholarship (1989–1992) Oxford University postgraduate research scholarship (1989–1992) TCD University Gold Medal (1988) University of California postgraduate scholarship (1988–89) O'Beirne has been actively involved in academic advising and grant-funded research. She received IRCHSS and UCD seed funding for projects on contemporary French fiction and Marc Augé. She has coordinated key modules such as 'French Fictions', 'Narratives of Place', and 'Proust', indicating her central role in curriculum development. Her professional service includes editorial work for the Irish Journal of French Studies , committee memberships in the Society of French Studies, and leadership roles in ADEFFI. She has also organized academic events, such as a conference on Georges Perec, demonstrating her commitment to fostering scholarly exchange. O'Beirne has contributed to academic communities through her involvement with ADEFFI (Association des études françaises et francophones d'Irlande), where she served as Secretary from 2007 to 2010, and the Society for French Studies in the UK and Ireland, where she was Publicity Officer and Executive Committee member from 1998 to 2002. She has also served on numerous interview panels and review committees at UCD, contributing to institutional governance and academic leadership.
Nuala Brady is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at University College Dublin. She holds a B.A. (Hons) in Psychology from Trinity College, Dublin, and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Cornell University. Her research focuses on visual and social cognition, including face perception, biological motion, and perception-action integration. She has held academic roles at UCD since 2000, including Vice Principal for Graduate Studies (2018-2021). Her teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate courses like 'Visual and Social Cognition' and directs the MSc in Behavioural Neuroscience. Awards include the Aurora Leadership Programme for Women (2019) and the President's Research Fellowship (2007). She leads grants on topics such as motor imagery in Parkinson’s disease and embodied social processing. Brady's work bridges experimental psychology with clinical applications, particularly in autism, dyslexia, and neurorehabilitation. She is involved in Widening Participation initiatives to promote educational equality. Education: B.A. (Hons) Psychology, Trinity College Dublin Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, Cornell University Research Interests: Visual perception, social cognition, face recognition, biological motion, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, motor imagery, and Parkinson’s disease. Active in translational research addressing psychological outcomes post-acquired brain injury. Awards: Aurora Leadership Programme for Women (2019) President's Research Fellowship (2007) Foundation Scholarship in Psychology (1985) Grants: Includes projects on digital training for Parkinson’s motor-cognitive strategies, embodied social processing, and access to education equity. Over 13 grants spanning cognitive neuroscience and applied psychology.
Dr. Sarah Cooney is an Assistant Professor at University College Dublin's School of Psychology and Director of the UCD Body Lab. She holds a PhD from University College Dublin and has postdoctoral experience at Trinity College Dublin. Her research focuses on body image, interoception, perceptual cognition, and eating disorders, with a particular interest in how these factors interact across diverse populations. She has secured grants including the Ad Astra Start-Up and the HRB-funded BodyWise project. Dr. Cooney actively contributes to public engagement, including events on body image and mental health, and serves on committees such as the EDIP (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Psychology). She teaches courses like 'Brain & Behaviour' and coordinates advanced research methods modules. Her work bridges experimental psychology with educational technology, exemplified by her development of the Cartesian-Garden VR tool for teaching mathematics. PhD: University College Dublin Postdoctoral Fellowships: Trinity College Dublin (2017–2019) and UCD (2018–2019) Her research interests include: Body representation and sensorimotor integration Interoceptive awareness and its clinical implications Developmental spatial-numerical cognition Multisensory learning in immersive environments Dr. Cooney's articles explore topics ranging from body image disturbances in adulthood to the influence of sports/music experience on motor imagery. She has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and actively participates in academic conferences, including the Psychonomic Society and Spatial Cognition events.
Jens Rauch is an Assistant Professor at the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, and serves as Group Leader at Systems Biology Ireland. His research focuses on understanding drug resistance mechanisms in malignant melanoma, particularly through RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) signaling pathway dynamics and scaffold protein interactions. He employs proteomics, CRISPR/Cas9, and computational modeling to identify network adaptations and develop personalized therapeutic strategies. Research Highlights: Investigating eIF4F complex's role in MAPK pathway regulation Decoding RAF kinase dimerization mechanisms and drug resistance Developing combination therapies for BRAF/NRAS mutant melanomas Exploring spatial regulation of signaling pathways via subcellular localization Professional Involvement: Member of multiple scientific committees (Systems Biology Ireland, BSc Biomedical Health Committee) Active participant in Society for Melanoma Research and European Association for Cancer Research Recipient of research grants including SBBS MSc funding and Biotech Research Projects
