UCD experts share their research at UCDxExplorium Spring Series

Fifteen UCD experts will share their research with the public this Spring, as part of the UCDxExplorium collaboration. 

The collaboration brings UCD’s vibrant community of researchers to (opens in a new window)Explorium, Ireland's National Science Centre, connecting world-class academic expertise with Explorium's audience of families, schools and the wider public through a series of interactive demonstrations and workshops.

Since the initiative was established in 2024, 44 researchers - ranging from Masters to Professor level across multiple schools and colleges, have delivered engaging events to children of all ages in Explorium Science & Junior, reaching up to 20,000 visitors.

Taking place 29 March-10 April, this is the fourth series of UCDxExplorium and features researchers working in diverse areas from engineering and mathematics, to psychology and environment. The initiative gives new audiences an opportunity to learn about the cutting-edge research going on at UCD, while offering researchers a chance to develop their science communication and public engagement skills.

Oscar Falconer (pictured above), a PhD student at UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, took part in the Spring Series this year. His research investigates how earthworms influence and shape the soil ecosystem and he is designing new devices for field-sampling. He experiments with using artistic imagery and storytelling to communicate his research to audiences.

On taking part in this series, he said, “UCDxExplorium is an amazing opportunity to engage with the public and present your research in a relaxed and fun setting. The sheer delight felt when your audience learns and engages with a new piece of knowledge is part of the reason I love research. 

“Additionally, it isn't a one-way relationship as an audience with no preconceptions often come up with some of the best questions. The Bluesky questioning by children in particular can create remarkably fun and interesting conversations. I highly recommend researchers of all fields engage with UCDxExplorium as to truly understand an idea yourself you must be able to communicate it to both professors and the public alike.”

UCDxEplorium runs throughout the year, researchers who would like to take part in future series can sign up (opens in a new window)here.

More about 2026 UCDxEplorium Spring Series researchers: 

Babra Adiama Akello (pictured above), Teagasc & UCD School of Biosystems and Food Engineering
Babra’s research focuses on the environmental impact of pig production in Ireland and how we can support farmers to make climate-smart decisions.

Dr Thomas Legrand, (opens in a new window)Insight & UCD Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Thomas’s research focuses on how the brain knows where our limbs are without us having to look. Research insights could help us develop better support for people with movement disorders.

Dr Hananeh Younesian, (opens in a new window)Insight & UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science
Hananeh is a sports scientist who uses data to bridge the gap between daily-life activities and clinical or sports performance tests for a healthy life. She works with people and sensors to figure out what collected data can tell us about a person’s health.

Eímear Quinn, UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, (opens in a new window)JEDI Project & Alexandra Broderick Khan, UCD School of Psychology, (opens in a new window)JEDI Project
Eimear works at the (opens in a new window)CDL Lab in UCD and the Junior Engineer Development Initiative (JEDI) project, analysing how environmental factors shape young people’s development from childhood to adolescence. Alexandra has a background in Psychology and is a Research Manager with JEDI, her research focuses on STEM  technology-use and disability. 

Lucy Blennerhassett, (opens in a new window)iCRAG, UCD School of Earth Sciences
Lucy is a geoscientist with a background in peatland chemistry and environmental change. She is starting conversations around why raw materials are important for the energy transition.

Elspeth Sinclair, (opens in a new window)iCRAG
Elspeth is a science communicator with a passion for promoting women in science. She is the education and public engagement manager at iCRAG, helping people understand the Earth’s past, present, and future and how people are connected to it.

Shannon Rosbotham, UCD School of Psychology, (opens in a new window)Babylab
Shannon is a PhD student focusing on how environmental factors can cause changes in the brain and what this means for education. Her research looks at the development of spatial & maths skills in children from different backgrounds.

Kate Duffy, UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science
Kate’s PhD research looks at how tiny particles called extracellular vehicles (EVs) released by cells in the body might help some diseases spread. She collaborates with patients who guide her on the real-life aspects of her research.

Brian Rice, UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science
Brian is a PhD student researching the restoration of the native oyster, a species that once played a vital role in Ireland’s coastal ecosystem. He is trying to understand how oysters can be successfully reintroduced to Irish waters, to improve water quality, support marine biodiversity and strengthen coastal resilience.

Cillian Jennings,  (opens in a new window)i-Form, UCD Mathematics and Statistics & Michael Golden, (opens in a new window)i-Form
Cillian is a PhD student in I-Form and uses data to improve 3D printing and other manufacturing methods. He is developing ways to spot unusual events in fast moving sensor data, as they happen. Michael is Education and Public Engagement Manager at I-Form, where he is developing and designing ways to connect manufacturing research with different audiences. He is passionate about building the future talent pipeline for science and engineering, and making emerging technologies accessible to all.

Abhishek Singh, Teagasc & UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science & Karuna Shrestha, Teagasc
Abhishek’s PhD research is part of the (opens in a new window)AshforFuture Project. He investigates the molecular biology of Ash dieback disease, which is caused by a fungus. By understanding how the fungus and tree interact, he hopes to learn how to protect our Ash trees. Karuna is a PhD student at Teagasc & University of Goettingen (Germany). She works on the (opens in a new window)ElmAsh project, where she is finding ways to breed disease-tolerant Elm trees for the long-term conservation of native trees.

Visit UCD Engaged Research to learn more about how UCD researchers are engaging with communities.