
Directors of the Science Learning Centre

Director Science Learning Centre
Claire O'Brien - MRes, PGDip, BSc(Hons), FHEA
Claire has been the Director of the Science Learning Centre (SLC) since 2022. Her duties include the management of the SLC staff and directing various activities at the Centre.
Claire's research background is in the Biological Sciences. Claire's professional background includes four years of lecturing at various HE institutions across the UK, as well as three years experience as a learning technologist due to her interest in the growing use of technology in the education sector.

Academic Director of the Science Learning Centre
Dr. Audrey O' Grady - Department of Biological Sciences
Dr. Audrey O' Grady is a lecturer in Biology and Science Education at the 黑料社 since 2010. Her research expertise are in the fields of Science Education and Ecology (particularly Ant Ecology).
Audrey commenced in the role of Academic Director in September 2022. Her duties include the facilitation of collaborative efforts between academic faculties and the Science Learning Centre, promoting Science Learning Centre support services to UL students, and recruitment of tutors.
Current SLC Tutors
Our SLC tutors are typically UL postgraduate students who are researching and teaching in Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Engineering. They often have previously studied on the modules that we support as undergraduates themselves. They may work in the Drop-in or as support tutorials tutors or both. They are the SLC's most valuable resource.
You can either drop-in to the centre at our scheduled times or book a session with one of our experienced tutors via our SULIS Site.
Please note: Students cannot request to meet a tutor outside the SLC. Any such queries should be sent to slc@ul.ie.
Becoming an SLC Tutor
Niamh Hickey

About Niamh:聽"I am currently pursuing a PhD in Computational Physics through the SSPC at the Bernal Institute in UL. My research focuses on simulating and modelling pharmaceutical materials through quantum mechanics and molecular modelling. I recently completed a BSc in Applied Physics at UL as well. I have experience in computational, general, atomic and thermal physics, as well as general and physical chemistry. "
Dinesh Barnana

About Dinesh:聽"I am聽currently pursuing a postgraduate degree聽in the Department of Physics. I have聽solid research and educational background, having earned a master's degree in Material Science and a B.Tech in Metallurgy. I have聽expertise in teaching Physics and Engineering, specifically Crystal Structures, Phase Diagrams, XRD, SEM, Raman & UV-Vis spectra, FTIR, TGA, and TEM. Dielectrics, ceramic coatings, and semiconductors are among my research interests."
Geetu Kumari

About Geetu: "I am a 3rd year PhD student in the Department of Physics. Currently, my research involves computational investigation. I'm utilizing high-throughput Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to assess numerous existing biomolecular crystals with the aim of identifying those exhibiting strong piezoelectric properties. I have a Master鈥檚 Degree in Physics. "
David O' Brien

About David:聽"I am a 4th year PhD student in the Department of Physics UL, and my research focuses on using machine learning to improve the resolution in optical microscopy. I also completed my BSc in Applied Physics at UL."
Tara Ryan

About Tara: "I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Department of Physics. I have a MSc in Biomedical Device Materials and a BSc in Physics and Chemistry Education. My current research focuses on component interfacing and characterisation of polycrystalline amino acids for piezoelectric device development."
Stephen Mullins

About Stephen: "I graduated from the BSc in Applied Physics in 2020 here at UL, and continued my studies with a PhD in Physics based on computational simulations of electron beam transmission through nanomaterials.
As part of my PhD, I have tutored for many Physics modules as a lab teaching assistant, including Mechanics, Thermal, 1st year labs. I have also supported Leaving Cert Physics students with group and 1-1 sessions."
Kristine O' Dwyer

About Kristine: "I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Department of Physics. My current research is experimental involving the poling of piezoelectric material and the consequent measurement of contact angles post polarisation. My undergraduate degree is in Medical Technology which I obtained from the Technological University of the Shannon Midwest."
Robert Leahy

About Robert: "I recently graduated from UL with a 1st Class Honours in BSc Applied Physics. For the final year of my undergraduate degree, I worked under Dr. Thorat investigating nanoparticles as drug delivery devices. I am currently studying on a Research Masters under Dr. Thorat, continuing similar work, with the goal of improving aspects of nanomedicine in the fields of therapeutics and imaging. My main interests in Physics concern nanotechnology and its medical applications, and Modern Physics. Interests aside, I have a good knowledge of thermal physics, physics of solids and medical instrumentation."
Maryam Tahertalari

About Maryam:聽"I am currently pursuing my PhD in Chemistry in Bernal Institute at UL. My current research focuses on developing new efficient materials as anode for Li Metal Batteries. I have a Bachelor in Thin Film Physics and a Master degree in Engineering Physics. Based on my background and also current degree studies I have experience in Physics as well as basic Chemistry."
Muqian Wen

About Muqian: "I am a first year PhD student in physics. My current research focuses on developing a novel coherent Raman microscope that can be faster than the state of art. I have a BSc in Applied Physics from a university in China, a MSc in theoretical physics from another university in China and a research MSc from Waterford. My previous research experiences from my previous studies include, Fourier transform spectrometer, density functional theory, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, etc."
Muhammad Usaid Memon

About Usaid:聽"I am a PhD student at the Dep of Physics studying design and simulation of biomolecular piezoelectric arrays and developing a Piezoelectric tile for energy harvesting at macro level. I hold a BSc in Electrical Engineering, and a MSc with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. As such, I have a strong background in Electrical Engineering and Physics."
Frederick Crowley

About Frederick: "I am a 1st year PhD student studying the surface characterisation of medical devices to fight infection and increase the sustainability of 鈥榮mart implants鈥. I previously studied Biomedical Engineering at UL and have experience in the areas of Engineering Science, Mechanics and Biology."
Matthew Ryan

About Matthew: "I am currently studying the Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. I have experience studying a variety of engineering modules including statics, dynamics, mechanics of solids, vibrations, and fluid mechanics"
CJ Govindappa Jagadish

About CJ: "I am currently pursuing an MSc in Project Management at UL, with a strong foundation in Engineering from my undergraduate studies in Electronics and Communication. I have over 3 years of experience as a cloud engineer and QA professional at AWS, which has honed my technical problem-solving skills and understanding of complex systems. I am excited to support students in engineering subjects and bring a collaborative, goal-oriented approach to tutoring."
Zia Rehman

About Zia:聽"I am a PhD researcher in Computer Science, affiliated with the Biocomputing and Developmental Systems (BDS) Group, under the supervision of鈥疨rofessor Conor Ryan. I am focusing on cutting-edge research in鈥疐ederated Learning, Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), Ensemble Learning, and related domains in machine learning. My current research aims to develop transparent, privacy-preserving, and interpretable machine learning frameworks that integrate ensemble methods with federated architectures."
Ellen Kennedy

About Ellen: "I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Chemical Sciences Department. My research focuses on the synthesis of a customised hydrogel to support the development of an in-vitro intestinal model. I completed my BSc in Industrial Biochemistry here in UL, and then completed my MSc in Biotechnology in UCC."
Manoj Palabathuni

About Manoj: "I am a 2nd year PhD student in the Department of Chemical Sciences. I鈥檓 a material chemist with a Master鈥檚 Degree in Nanotechnology. Presently, I am working on Transition Metal Dichalcogenide materials for green energy conversions."
Bhawna Kumari

About Bhawna: "I am a 2nd year PhD student at the 黑料社. My research focuses on organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and inorganic chemistry, allowing me to delve into complex, interdisciplinary topics.
In addition to my research, I have practical experience mentoring final-year project students and summer students, guiding them through their academic and research challenges. My role as a teaching assistant at UL has further honed my ability to convey complex concepts clearly and effectively, making learning accessible and engaging for students."
Paul Tasker

About Paul: "I am a 3rd year PhD student studying water purification via application of novel adsorbent materials. I graduated with BSc (Hons) Pharmaceutical and Industrial Chemistry, and I am in possession of an exceptional understanding of all aspects of chemistry, ranging from organic and inorganic synthesis, physical modelling, process scale-up and troubleshooting, and analytical methods and applications. I have also have experience in 1-1 private tutoring and lab demonstration in Process Technology."
Juliana Valentina Diaz Reyes

About Juliana: "I鈥檓 currently in the middle of my third year of PhD in electrochemistry, particularly I use electrical techniques to synthesize conductive polymers between liquids that do not mix with each other. As a tutor, I鈥檓 happy to help you with topics related to chemistry and physics. "
Daniel Maldonado Garzon

About Daniel: "I am a PhD researcher working on the colloidal synthesis of multinary nanocrystals and their applications. I hold degrees in chemistry (BSc) and chemical engineering (BEng), and have solid experience in materials characterisation techniques, including TEM, XRD, and instrumental analysis using optical spectroscopy and chromatography. I also have 7 years of experience teaching, training, and helping people understand complex topics."
Jessica Smith

About Jessica: "I am a PhD researcher at Miche谩l鈥檚 Scanlon research group. My work is focused on the electrochemical synthesis of conducting polymers to further applications as biosensors, energy and solar devices. Additionally, I have a master鈥檚 degree focused on high level analytical chemistry and electrochemistry. I posses a strong background in statistics, data analysis, simulations, linear and no linear regressions."
Rami El Berjawi

About Rami: "I graduated with a Bachelors (BS) in Chemistry in 2023. In that same year, I worked as a research assistant in the American University of Beirut for 2 years before I came to Ireland and officially joined UL. In UL, I am a PhD student/PGR in my 1st year, and I specialize in the field of catalysis/energy/sustainability. I conduct my research work in the Lonsdale Building, and I am supervised by Prof. Witold Kwapinski."
Process Technology/Chemical Engineering Tutors
Cliona Riordan

About Cliona: "I am currently in my final year of my Bachelor鈥檚 in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. In my degree so far, I have studied areas such as process technology, thermodynamics, bioprocess engineering, process design and computational methods."
Isabel Andersson

About Isabel:聽"I am a 2nd year PhD student with a MSc in Engineering from Lund, Sweden. I have specialised in biotechnology and have experiences within biotechnological and chemical process engineering. In my PhD project I am working on characterisation of the male reproductive system for the generation of accurate preclinical models and am focusing mainly on mechanical, biophysical and transport properties."
Amravati Gode

About Amravati: "I completed a Master's in Technology 鈥 Chemical Engineering from IIT-BHU in 2009. After completing this, I worked in the industry sector at a superalloy manufacturing unit (MIDHANI) in India. I also worked as an Assistant Professor at MITAOE, Alandi, India before joining UL as a PhD researcher.
My current work at UL focuses on controlling polymorphism and properties using solid solutions. This involves the synthesis of solid solutions using top-up and bottom-down approaches and investigating their end properties.
Beyond my scientific pursuits, I also hold a profound interest in science communication and endeavours to actively contribute to the educational dimension of scientific discourse."
Erin Reardon

About Erin:聽"I am a 2nd year PhD student studying the role of the brain-meninges interface in traumatic brain injury. I previously studied Biomedical Science (Pharmacology) in the University of Galway and went on to study a Masters of Research in Integrative Neuroscience in the University of Edinburgh."
Jishnu Padacherri

About Jishnu: "I am a 3rd year PhD Student in Biomedical Engineering at the Bernal Institute. My research is on merging molecular biology and biomedical engineering, via microfluidic chip development to utilise as a disease progression model. I specialise in molecular biology, cell biology and essential microbiology. I hold a Master鈥檚 degree in molecular biology and human genetics, and have prior experience as a research assistant in cancer epigenetics."
Katelyn O' Grady

About Katelyn: "I鈥檓 a PhD student working in the Bernal Institute. I have a BSc in Chemistry from UCC and a MSc in Biomolecular Sciences from UL. I have also worked as a Research Assistant in Dr. Andreas Grabrucker鈥檚 team researching zinc absorption in the gut and the effect inflammation has on this absorption to further the understanding of the gut-brain axis and how it is implicated in autism spectrum disorders. I was awarded an SDG Sustainability Scholarship from the Doctoral College and have recently started my PhD - the title of my project is 鈥淒elivery of zinc-homeostasis targeting nano-formulations for prevention and treatment of prostate cancer鈥.
Mahdi Nohtani

About Mahdi: "I am a final year Ph.D. student; my research revolves around unravelling the intricate role of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in various cancers. My academic journey began with a BSc (Honors) in General Biology, providing me with a comprehensive understanding of the foundational principles in the biological sciences. Building upon this, I pursued a two-year master's program in Cell and Molecular Biology.
My background enables me to teach biology related modules and some chemistry modules like organic chemistry and biochemistry."
Ruchita Khakhariya

About Ruchita: "I am a 1st year PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences. I completed my master's degree in Dairy Microbiology from KU in India. My current research focuses on examining how new processing methods affect the properties of oat and oat okara proteins. I am particularly interested in understanding the potential implications of these changes on the nutritional and functional characteristics of these proteins. My work aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of food science and nutrition."
Jack Quirke

About Jack: "I am a 1st year PhD student in the School of Engineering. I have a strong background in both engineering & biological sciences having earned a 1st class honours in my master鈥檚 degree in Biomedical Engineering. I have expertise in teaching both biology & engineering modules, with experience in presenting lectures, running laboratorial experiments & teaching tutorial sessions to students. My current research involves developing a first-generation implant for reconstructive surgery."
Natalie Kosiuk

About Natalie: "Hello! My name is Natalie Kosiuk, and I鈥檓 originally from Ukraine. I moved to Ireland in February 2024. I hold a Bachelor's degree from the Department of Cytology, Histology, and Embryology, as well as a Master's degree with Honors from the Department of Zoology and Ecology. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD at the Department of Biological Studies at the 黑料社 (UL). My research focuses on ecological entomology, specifically examining the dynamics of ant assemblages across different habitats. Additionally, I have a specialization in phycology, particularly the study of diatoms."
Contact the Science Learning Centre
Our Location: Science Learning Centre, Room B0-021A, Main Building, 黑料社, Limerick, Ireland.
Email: slc@ul.ie
Phone: Off-campus/Mobile/International: +353 (0)61 202933 | Campus Landline: ext no. 2933