Members of IGL Working Groups

Dr Behan has been a lecturer since 2005, in the School of Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences in TU Dublin, delivering modules in Analytical Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry and Quality Control on a number of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Her research interests include Analytical Method Development using modern analytical instrumentation for a range of food residues and environmental pollutants. Of particular interest is the use of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry mass/spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Dr Coady joined SETU as a lecturer in Pharmaceutical Science in 2019. She lectures in organic chemistry, natural products, spectroscopic characterisation, and pharmacology/ pharmacokinetics.  She is a member of the Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Network since 2019, promoting research in the undergraduate curriculum.

Dr Coady is also a member of the Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC). Her research interests include green and sustainable chemistry. More specifically the applications of enzymes for the biodegradation of synthetic polymers and subsequent conversion of the biodegradation products to produce value added products to achieve a circular economy. Other areas of interest include hydrolase catalysed biotransformations in flow chemistry and organocatalysis and anion recognition motifs. Dr Coady is currently supervising 3 postgraduate students.

Sam has led DCU’s sustainability efforts for over a decade working to embed across all activities within the university and broader community. Working with a broad range of stakeholder locally, nationally and internationally, Sam works to inform and engage everyone on our collective sustainability predicament.

Focusing on the collaborative development and implementation of holistic policies and practices to help navigate a pathway through this predicament to a fair, just and values-based future for all.

Dr FitzGerald is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and a funded Principal Investigator within CÚRAM, the SFI-funded National Centre for Research on Medical Devices. Her primary research area is Multipl Sclerosis (MS) (click this link for full profile: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/science-engineering/staff-profiles/unafitzgerald/ ).
In effort to reduce the negative impact that lab research has on the environment, Dr FitzGerald initiated the ‘Galway Green Labs’ effort at NUIG, triggering the implementation green practices the CÚRAM lab, in preparation for green lab certification’ which was awarded in late 2019.

See short documentary movie ‘The time to green our labs is now’ (https://vimeo.com/375847945).

This led to the a chairing role in SEAI’s working group for public sector labs (Jan 2020-Jan 2023). Out of the SEAI group, the Irish Green Labs network was formed and launched on ‘Earth Day’ 2022. Dr FitzGerald is the first Chair of IGL.

After completing a PhD at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Dr Gaughan took up a Lab and Programme Manager position at the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), University of Galway. She helped to manage the ADIPOA, AUTOSTEM, VISCORT research programmes, and a project with the Celtic Advanced Life Science Network (CALIN).

From 2020-2023, Siobhán was the Programme Manager in the Molecular Parasitology Lab, leading that group to its first Green Lab Certification – see IGL ‘Case Studies’ to learn more. Siobhán currently has a management role within the School of Natural Sciences, at the University of Galway where she continues to drive sustainability efforts .

Dr Jane Kilcoyne is an analytical chemist at the Marine Institute in Galway. She works in a My Green Lab certified (green) laboratory specialising in the monitoring and research of marine biotoxins. Jane is an advocate for climate and biodiversity activism, sustainability, and greening laboratories.

In 2022, Jane was lead author on a 2022 PLOS Sustainability and Transformation Research article, “Reducing environmental impacts of marine biotoxin monitoring: A laboratory report”. This work was recently featured in a Nature podcast, which can be accessed here: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02899-0.

Sarah is a Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the TU Dublin. She is co-chair of TU Dublin’s Green Campus committee.

In 2013, Claire was awarded a Phd on Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), moving on to postdoctoral work at Orbsen Therapautics (Galway), St. Michael’s hospital, Toronto, Canada, and TUS (Athlone).

Since 2018 she has worked as a Senior Researcher in Cúram, SFI’s Centre for Research on Medical Devices, and as a part-time lecturer in Biomedical Engineering (2022-2024). Claire helps to manage Green Lab Certification across campus, through My Green Lab’s Organisational Subscription Model.

Gerry is currently a Chief Technical Officer in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience in University College Cork. He has worked there since 2007 where his role is to support research in the Department. He received his PhD in 2014.

Before this he worked in St Vincents Hospital in Dublin. He has been Green Lab Officer in his Department since 2021.

Caroline is a PhD researcher in the Microbial Ecology Lab at the University of Galway, focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainability. Her PhD has focused on developing anti-methogenic compounds to reduce GHGs emitted by ruminants. Caroline also has experience working in the diagnostic sector, in Abbot and Randox.

Eoin has a BSc in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Chemistry from the University of Limerick, as well as an MSc in Biomedical Science from the University of Galway (2018). He has extensive experience of working in R&D and as a Lab Analyst, spending time at Merit Medical, Southern Scientific Services Ltd, and Connemara Sea Foods.

Since 2018, he has been employed as a Biotoxin Chemistry Analyst at the Marine Institute, Galway.