Profile
Niamh Disney
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About Me:
I’m a chemistry researcher from 9 – 5 but I love getting home to cook new dishes, watch my favourite minimal-living youtubers, and go for a run in the evening to reset and clear my mind of the day’s events. At the weekends I go hiking and do book clubs with my friends and visit my family as often as possible.
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My background is in Medicinal Chemistry which I studied at NUI Galway for four years and absolutely loved it. I decided to take a year out after my third year to work in Eli Lilly in Cork as a laboratory chemist. Based on my positive experience there and influenced by the many amazing people that I met while there, I decided to apply for a PhD programme.
I am now in my fourth and final year of a Chemistry PhD in UCD. Although I am challenged by it daily, it is a great way to learn about your chosen field and to push yourself to learn skills that will be so important for a future career in research (i.e. public speaking, teaching and critical thinking). You also learn a lot about yourself along the way!
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My pronouns are:
she/her
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My Work:
I am a chemistry PhD student based in Dublin. My research focuses on improving the chemistry we use to make medicine by making the process more efficient and safer.
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My research area is called ‘flow chemistry’. In this field we perform chemical reactions in tubing instead of in a standard round-bottomed flask. There are many advantages to this including quicker reaction times, no handling of nasty chemicals, and faster cooling or heating of the reaction mixture.
By doing the reactions in this way, we can have a constant stream of medicine available to us. This is like turning on a tap and instead of water coming out, we have medicine. What’s not to love?!
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My Typical Day:
My typical day involves getting up early and heading straight into the lab. I’ll first plan out my day at my desk before putting on my lab coat and getting started on the day’s experiments. It’s busy busy busy in the lab until I go home and wind down by doing a few of my favourite things.
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Most mornings I try to get to the gym before starting my day in the lab. Luckily the gym is right next door to the Science building so it doesn’t take too long to get to work! When I get to my desk at around 8 am, I start by planning the day for myself and reading any new emails. Then it’s time to get started in the lab. This usually involves setting up a new reaction, or analysing the previous day’s reactions. At 12:30, it’s lunch time. After that, it’s usually a mixture of lab work or desk work until I finish up and go home at about 4 pm.
In the evenings I like to take the time to do the things I love outside of my job. This usually involves taking the time to make a delicious meal and then talking to my friends and family on the phone. I also like to read in the evenings to wind down or to go for a walk with my partner.
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Education:
Secondary School – Newbridge College, Kildare, Ireland
University (BSc.) – National Univeristy of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
University (PhD) – University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Qualifications:
Junior Cert. (2013)
Leaving Cert. (2016)
BSc. Science (General). I chose modules in Pharmacology and Chemistry. (2021)
Currently I’m in my 4th year of a PhD programme. (2024)
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Work History:
Retail Assistant
Marks & Spencer, Kildare – 2016 – 2018
Waitress
Carton House, Maynooth – Summer 2018
Undergraduate Placement
Eli Lilly and Company, Cork – 2019 – 2021
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Current Job:
Final Year PhD student in University College Dublin (UCD).
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Employer
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) grant funded by SSPC (Irish research body) and Almac (pharmaceutical company).
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Goes with the Flow (Chemistry)
What was your favourite subject at school?
Chemistry and Physics
What did you want to be after you left school?
A nutritionist
Were you ever in trouble at school?
No
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Anything in fashion or interior design
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Dave
What's your favourite food?
Stir-fry
What is the most fun thing you've done?
I went inter-railing around Europe for three weeks after my leaving cert. with my two closest friends.
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
A healthy me, a healthy family, and unlimited time with them
Tell us a joke.
Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was out standing in the field.
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