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John Francis O’Grady is from a small beef farm in Killorglin, Co Kerry. Studying biology and ag science for the Leaving Cert furthered his agricultural curiosity as John recalls always being “interested in the interplay between agricultural science and biology.”
After completing his first year in the omnibus agriculture course in UCD, John decided to specialise in animal science. “In the animal science degree programme, there is a good amount of genetics. Most of it is the application of genetics for genetic improvement in animals,” he explains.
To get a better understanding of “the medical side” of genetics John went on to complete a master’s in genomic medicine and the application of genetics in Trinity College Dublin during the pandemic. This was the first year this new course was on offer.
John is currently completing a PhD which is different from traditional ones. He tells Irish Country Living: “I am part of the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research Training (CRT) in Genomics Data Science.” The SFI CRT in Genomics Data Science was open to all applicants.The application involved submitting a CV and personal statement. Candidates were then shortlisted for panel interviews. John was successful in his application, it is the same as the Walsh Scholarship in that it is fully funded.”
This PhD “creates an environment” where students can support and learn from each other. John explains he selected “integrative and comparative genomics of tuberculosis (TB) and livestock” as his thesis title, feeling this topic suited his skillset and experience.
“I had a good understanding of the application of genetics to both human and animal health from my undergrad and master’s,” he says.
“The purpose of the project is to try and use genetic techniques, genomics and functional genomics to understand the host-pathogen interaction in TB in cattle, to [better] understand how the disease works in humans. This early-stage research could identify potential biomarkers to develop new diagnostic tests for M bovis (the pathogen that causes bovine tuberculosis (TB)) infection and guide the breeding of livestock with enhanced bovine TB resistance.”
Conway festival
John was selected to compete in the Conway Festival competition, which highlights and acknowledges the research being carried out at UCD. Some 120 abstracts across three teams of the Conway Institute (one health, personalised medical research, and discovery research) are selected and judged.
John entered in the one health category, where he presented a poster of his work. He went on to compete against the winners of the other two teams. After presenting his findings to date, John won the overall gold medal for his research?.
John, now in the second year of his PhD aims to publish the first paper on his work in 2023. With good progress made in the first year, his research is being recognised at all levels and could result in many papers over time.
Advice for current students:
John advises people considering a PhD: “If you want to do it, just go and do it. Grab the bull by the horns.”
He said the experience has been invaluable to him and exposed him to a wide range of networking opportunities.
“It has been great for me to get to know people,” he says. “You gather a lot of technical skills when you’re finished – it shows a lot of employers you’re resilient.”
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