I have transitioned to my academic role in the Faculty of Science and Health having successfully directed the Bioscience Research Institute at TUS since 2012. I spent over 30 years partnering with stakeholders (healthcare, industry etc) to address complex societal challenges including unlocking/testing disruptive solutions. I have supported/enabled the advancement of medical device design, cleaning, processing & sterilisation. I have enabled development, testing and training of established & emerging innovation with companies across all TRLs (end-to-end) including embedding digital tools. I have supported social enterprise/outreach introducing STEM to 4,500 students across 53 schools with Galway University.

I have dedicated my career to educating/training researchers and developing innovation in cross-cutting domains (supervised 40 PhDs, 14 MScs and 17 Postdoctoral Researchers). Applied areas include applied microbiology, toxicology, biotech, risk mitigation, Sterilization, bioeconomy, onehealth, digital and green technologies. I hold an Adjunct Professorship to School of Medicine at University of Galway, and Honorary Professorship to School of Nursing and Public Health at University KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
I evaluate for European Innovation Council including Pathfinder Open for high risk/high gain deep tech, and evaluate for Prof Chair Appointments at University Malaya, Malaysia. I hold Funded Investigator role in CURAM SFI Medical Device Research Centre. I appeared on 2023 Stanford’s list of Worlds Top 2% Scientists.

My academic history is blended having started at Strathclyde University where I held a Senior Lectureship with a top 5* UK Research Assessment Rating. I have developed sustainable food processes, including IMTA (aquaculture) using peatlands for midlands just transition territory. I established “Empower Eco”, a multi-actor HUB platform for developing Green Deal Innovations . EU Funded via Interreg, Erasmus+, projects (MSCA RISE ICTHYS; MSCA ITN DIGI+; MSCA ITN MedTrain) for mobility/ training of companies. I helped review 18,000 ideas from communities for SFI’s ‘Creating Our Future’ (new national Research and Impact Strategy to 2030).