Mayo researchers are US-bound

Mayo researchers are US-bound


TWO Mayo natives will take up the chance of a lifetime when they take to America as part of the FÁS Science Challenge Internship Programme.
Aoife Kelly from Ballinrobe and Belmullet’s Damian Lally (both pictured right) will head to the States in the coming weeks to embark on a six-month research programme.
Ballinrobe native, Aoife Kelly, who graduated in bio-medical science from NUIG, said she is looking forward to working on a project related to ‘Polyomovirus SV40 and Pathogenesis of Human Disease’ with Janet Butel, PhD, in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. 
“I got the offer letter at the beginning of summer and it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. I was thrilled to find out I had been chosen so now it’s just a case of heading off. It certainly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said.
“The project I am researching is in the area of microbiology and it is something I find interesting so I’m hoping to delve into it further,” she added.
Her classmate, Belmullet-native Damian Lally, will travel to North Carolina, where he will be researching ‘Identification of Drugs for the treatment of hormonally responsive breast cancer’ in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University Medical School under the supervision of Donald P McDonnell, PhD.
The FÁS Science Challenge Internship Programme provides for unique research opportunities for 42 graduates, postgraduates and apprentices in the areas of Applied Science and Engineering. The initiative serves to enhance the skill sets of these individuals, strengthen linkages with world ranking institutions in various countries, broaden the research base in Ireland and nurture the future generation of leaders in industry.