Departmental Secretary, Síle Mhic Dhonncha
E-mail: Síle Mhic Dhonncha
Office: C311, Aras de Brún
Tel: 353 91 49 2340 (mornings only 09.15-12.45).
FAX: 353 91 49 4535

Research Fellows (Postdocs)

Dr. Mark Donoghue; CS group

Dr. Channa Keshavaiah; CS group

Dr. Srinivasan Krishnamoorthy: CS group (in collaboration with Brandon Products Ltd)

Dr. Olivier Leroux; ZP group

Dr. Wei Li; CS group

Dr. Peter McKeown; CS group

Dr. Sorcha Ni Longphuirt; DS group

Postgraduate (PhD) Students

Girum Azmach (2010-); CS group (IITA:NUIG PhD Scholar with Dr. Abebe Menkir, IITA)

Martin Braud (2010-); CS group

Brendan Canning (2008-); with EV; MSS group

John Durcan (2007-); with EOS and Marine Institute; DS group

Dorota Duszynska (2007-); CS group

Christine Eschmann (2008-); DS group

Antoine Fort (2010-); CS group

Beatrice Ghilardi (2008-); Paleoenvironmental Research Unit (PRU)

Niall Higgins (2007-); DS group

Rory Hodd (2007-); MSS group

Udo Nitschke (2009-); DS group

Simrat Kaur (2010-); CS group

Mercy Kitavi (2010-); CS group (IITA:NUIG PhD Scholar with Dr. Jim Lorenzen, IITA)

Caitriona Maher (2006-); with EV; MSS group

Péter Majkut (2009-); Paleoenvironmental Research Unit (PRU)

Hollydawn Murray (2009-); with EOS; DS group

Anna Pielach (2009-); ZP group

Sandra Raimundo (2011-); ZP group

Sandesh Rao (2010-); CS group

Peter Ryder (2011-); CS group

Caroline Sullivan (2005-); with EV; MSS group

Reetu Tuteju (2011-): CS group (collaboration with Prof Rajeev Varshney ICRISAT)

Merry Zacharias (2008-); DS group

Postgraduate (Research Masters) Students

Aurelie Comte (2010-); CS group

Research Associates

Kristina Rehmet; CS group

Julia Baer; DS group

Angela Mina Vargas; CS group

Visiting Scientists & Researchers

Research Interns

Highly motivated undergraduate students or others with a keen interest in research are encouraged to contact the heads of each research group within Botany and Plant Science if they are seeking internships.

Research Group Principal Investigators

ZP - Dr Zoe Popper
MSS - Dr Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington
CS - Prof Charles Spillane
DS - Dr Dagmar Stengel

Academic staff

Professor Charles Spillane
Tel: 353 91 49 4148 or 49 2674. Email: charles.spillane_at_nuigalway.ie
Office: C306 Aras de Brun

BPS Discipline, School of Natural Sciences and University responsibilities: Head of Discipline of Botany and Plant Science; Chair of Plant Science; Leader of SNS Research Cluster on Plant and AgriBiosciences; Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Principal Investigator; Head of Genetics and Biotechnology Lab; Biosafety Committee NUIG. SNS Research and Strategy Committee, SNS Executive Committee. Coordinator of 3rd year Botany and Plant Science.

Research specialisations: Fundamental and Applied genetics, epigenetics and biotechnology. Plant and agricultural biosciences and biotechnology. Plant Biosciences for Sustainable Development and Food Security, especially in developing countries. Science and Technology Policy.

Dr Zoë Popper
Tel: 353 91 49 5431. Email: Zoë Popper
Office: Martin Ryan Institute, Room 319.

BPS Discipline, School of Natural Sciences and University responsibilities: Member of Exam Security Group; Member of College of Science Committee for Promotion of Science, Coordinator of 1st year Biology/Botany and Plant Science course.

Research specialisations: Cell wall carbohydrates; plant and algal evolution.

For details see Zoë Popper

Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington Tel: 353 91 49 2682. Email: Micheline Sheehy Skeffington
Office: C308, Áras de Brún

BPS Discipline, School of Natural Sciences and University responsibilities : Fourth year Botany course (BT401); Director, Vascular Plant Herbarium; Member, Steering Committee, BSc Env. Sci. denominated degree course; Member, Equality Committee, NUI, Galway

Research specialisations: Plant ecologist with specialist interests in environmental management.

For details see Micheline Sheehy-Skeffington

Dr Dagmar Stengel
Tel: 353 91 49 3192. Email: Dagmar Stengel
Office: 318, Martin Ryan Institute

BPS Discipline, School of Natural Sciences and University responsibilities: SNS Stream Leader (Environment & Biotechnology Stream); Theme Leader (Algal Biosciences) in SNS Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Cluster; Member of Steering Committee of BSc Marine Sci. denominated degree course. Coordinator of 2nd year Botany courses (BT216 and BT217); Disability Liaison; Member SNS Teaching and Learning Committee; Vice-Dean for Teaching and Learning in College of Science (2008-2010); NUI Galway Bologna Advisor (2010-).

Research specialisations: algal and marine biology, climate change impacts on algae; algal metabolites; ecophysiology and toxicology; algal-fungal relationships; plants and algae in biomonitoring.

For details see Dagmar Stengel

Research Staff (Postdocs)

Dr Sorcha Ni Longphuirt
Tel: 353 91 49 3197
Office: Martin Ryan Institute, Room 311
Research interests: Biogeochemical cycling and primary production of benthic macro- and micro-algae
Funding: IRCSET EMPOWER Fellowship

Dr Peter McKeown
Tel: 353 91 493655
Office: Genetics and Biotechnology Lab, Aras de Brun
Research interests: Plant reproductive genetics and epigenetics
Funding: Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food Stimulus Grant (C. Spillane)

Dr Mark Donoghue
Tel: 353 91 93655
Office: Genetics and Biotechnology Lab, Aras de Brun
Research interests: Plant bioinformatics, molecular evolution and systems biology reproductive genetics and epigenetics
Funding: Science Foundation Ireland PI Grant (C. Spillane)

Dr Channa Keshavaiah
Tel: 353 91 493655
Office: Genetics and Biotechnology Lab, Aras de Brun
Research interests: Novel plant genes; plant reproduction; abiotic stress biotechnology
Funding: Science Foundation Ireland RFP Grant (C. Spillane)

Dr Srinivasan Krishnamoorthy
Tel: 353 91 493655
Office: Brandon Products & Genetics and Biotechnology Lab, Aras de Brun
Research interests: Novel compounds from algae which confer growth enhancing & pathogen tolerance in plants. Plant biotechnology. Funding: Brandon Products Ltd, Tralee

Adjunct Lecturers

Dr Robin Govier
Email: Robin Govier Dr Robin Govier is Editor of the Irish Naturalists' Journal. This long-established, scientific journal covers all aspects of natural history with particular reference to Ireland. It is the official journal of the established Irish field clubs. It is sponsored by academic institutions, government bodies and museums. Papers and notes on topics relating to the natural environment of Ireland, including botany (e.g. rare species, plant communities), zoology (e.g. invertebrates, fish, mammals, birds) and geology (e.g. hard rock, Quaternary, palaeontology), are welcomed. All contributions are peer reviewed.
The Irish Naturalists' Journal is distributed to libraries throughout the world, as well as the contents being abstracted and quoted in other journals. Manuscripts should be submitted in the recommended format to: Dr Robin Govier, The Editor, Irish Naturalists' Journal, Botany and Plant Science, School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway Galway, IRELAND; or in electronic format to Robin.Govier

Botany and Plant Science
National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
Phone: +353 (0)91 49 2340, Fax: +353 (0)91 49 4535,
E-mail: Botany and Plant Science
This page was last updated Saturday, December 03, 2011