Profile

I was born and raised in Orlando, Florida 🇺🇸. I got hooked on aquatic ecology (studying lakes, rivers, and the oceans) during secondary school and then was infected by a true love for parasites during my studies at University. 

I am a scuba diving instructor, I love to cycle and hike, and I LOVE roller coasters. I also grow my own pineapples, occasionally dog sled, and take care of exotic pets, like geckos. I love Irish Rugby, American football, and I’m trying to learn the rules of hurling (it’s so complicated!).

Out on a hike with my friends in Achill

I’m a roller coaster addict! I’m on the front right

Here I am dogsledding in Canada!

This is Puca, she’s a lovable python.

I love cycling! This was on a break by the Cliffs of Moher.

I grow my own pineapples- they’re small but delicious.

My research focuses on the knock-on effects of parasites in their ecosystems. Most people think parasites are bad, and they can be, but they also do a lot of things to keep nature working! I study parasites that hijack their hosts’ brains to increase their own health and keep their own life cycle going. These parasites have huge impacts in their environments and can actually help stabilize their ecosystems, keeping them running even when disturbances happen. I run experiments in lakes and rivers to see how these parasites work and what hosts do in their environments when they have parasites. I also check to see how these relationships work when the environment gets hotter.

I work in the field, in the lab, and on the computer to check what our results mean. You can watch me explain my research here:

No two days are the same for me!

Some days, I’m out in the field, checking how the rivers and lakes are changing over time. We also sometimes set up experiments in the field.

Some days, I’m in the lab. We set up controlled experiments to check what happens to hosts when they have parasites at different temperatures.

Some days, I’m on the computer, running simulations or statistical analyses to see what our results might mean in the future.

Other days, I get to teach, talk to students, and do outreach!

Lab Experiments are a lot of fun!

Here I am taking samples for analysis underwater. SCUBA allows us to measure things we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.

Some days I get to show people all the cool things about parasites at fun events like TCD’s PROBE.

Here I am with some of the wonderful undergraduates I work with and their results posters!

Here I’m checking up on a laboratory experiment.

Here we are about to put an experiment into the River Shannon

Many students don’t get the chance to interact with real scientists on a personal level. I’m a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here does a great job of bridging the gap between scientists and students, but a more long-term outreach option is possible. I believe that the Letters to a PreScientist model (http://www.prescientist.org/) could be adapted for use in Ireland. I would aim to pair students with scientists for a year-long letter writing project. During this time, students and scientists would get to know each other on a personal level and make meaningful mentoring connections. The money would go towards postage, letter supplies for the schools, and any necessary Garda vetting.