Celebrating the inspiring journeys of our postgraduate and postdoctoral students from our Hub committee for International Women's Day.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself
Hi, my name’s Gráinne Tyrrell. Originally from Cork, I moved to Limerick in 2018 to study BSc in Product Design and Technology in UL. I love knitting and crochet, as well as digital and physical art. I also love exploring nature through hiking and climbing. 

Can you tell us about your current research and its potential future impact on health?
I’m pursuing a PhD in biomedical design, focusing on human factors for women in cardiology. I’ve designed custom test rigs to gather real-time user force data from participants. Current datasets which reference user force data are not suitably applicable and in particular severely lack data for women. The data I’m gathering will inform the design of devices that suit the force capabilities of all users. The impact of this would be reduced discomfort for cardiologists when operating cardiovascular devices, mitigating the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. This in turn has a positive impact on the patient experiences and outcomes. 

What challenges have you faced in your career to-date, and how have you overcome them?
I have found when making big life decisions that I often wonder what things would be like if I had chosen a different path. Choosing to pursue a PhD was a significant decision, and it’s easy to get carried away with ‘what ifs’. However, acknowledging that a lot of others in academia and across other careers also have similar feelings has been reassuring. There is no single 'right path' for me; as long as I'm happy and inspired, I can find meaning in the path I’m on right now. 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received, and how has it influenced your career?
“Find a way to balance your career with your life.” It's easy to get caught up in work, especially when you're passionate about it. This advice has come from different people in different ways, but it always reminds me to step back and gain perspective. My career is an important part of my life, but it's not everything; other aspects of my life deserve my time and attention too.

Is there a woman researcher who has supported you during your career or someone inspirational?
I began working with Donna Curley, Pr. Human Factors Design Engineer, during my undergraduate work placement with Medtronic Aortic, and since then she has supported me through my early career. She has mentored me throughout my PhD and always has faith in me even when I feel unsure of myself. Researching to improve design of products and spaces for women is important to both of us and has helped motivate me in my research.

Gráinne Tyrrell

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Tell us a little bit about yourself
Hi, My name is Emma and I am from the USA! I am very passionate about reading and literacy, and heavily involved in the book community.

Can you tell us about your current research and its potential future impact on health?
My research is focused on the use of social support in osteoarthritis management programmes. This research has the potential to contribute to the non pharmacological treatment approaches. My main focus is on OA and older adults with the goal of decreasing feelings of loneliness and social isolation. 

What challenges have you faced in your career to-date, and how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges has been finding funding and funding opportunities. It can be extremely discouraging when you get told no, after no, and my way of overcoming is it just telling myself, no is just the starting point. 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received, and how has it influenced your career?
One of the best pieces of advice I have ever gotten was on my first day of the PhD... and that was, 'Comparison is the thief of joy.' It really is great advice in academia and research, but at also really beneficial life advice. 

Is there a woman researcher who has supported you during your career or someone inspirational?
I wouldn't be here today without my mother. A force of nature in the business world and a champion of women and women's right. She has truly made me believe that I can do this, and I hope that I can prove her right. 

Emma Craven

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Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Jade, I am originally from Longford but have been living in Limerick now for the past seven years. My PhD is in the field of psychology, but outside of that my interests include playing Gaelic football, dancing, musical theatre, and travel.

Can you tell us about your current research and its potential future impact on health?
My research explores social-emotional interventions to support the wellbeing of adolescent migrant girls, aiming to develop a scalable school-based narrative intervention. Using a participatory health research approach, this study actively engages adolescent migrant girls, educators, and the wider community in co-designing an intervention that addresses adolescent migrant girls’ specific wellbeing needs. By centring the migrant youth voice and fostering meaningful collaboration with a youth advisory panel, this research will potentially have a profound impact on the mental health and wellbeing of adolescent girls from migrant backgrounds living in Ireland. The findings from my research have the potential to inform school-based mental health policies, ensuring more effective, sustainable support for migrant youth in the Irish education system.

What challenges have you faced in your career to-date, and how have you overcome them?
I started my PhD without funding, which meant working evenings and weekends to keep everything going. Juggling work and research was exhausting, and at times, burnout felt inevitable. It was tough, but I kept pushing forward, knowing how important my research was. Thankfully, I was lucky to receive Research Ireland funding, which took a huge weight off my shoulders and allowed me to focus fully on my work. That experience taught me a lot about resilience and the importance of balancing ambition with self-care.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received, and how has it influenced your career?
The best advice I’ve ever received came from my supervisor - she always says, ‘It will all get done in the end.’ That simple reassurance has been a lifeline whenever I’ve felt overwhelmed or on the edge of burnout. Working in wellbeing research can be ironic—you’re so focused on helping others that you forget to look after yourself. Her advice reminds me to take a step back, trust the process, and prioritise my own wellbeing too. It’s made a huge difference in how I approach my work.

Is there a woman researcher who has supported you during your career or someone inspirational?
Both of my supervisors, Dr Jennifer McMahon and Dr Anca Minescu - they do such amazing work in their areas and have been great mentors throughout my time in UL.

Jade Gill

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Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Siobhán O’Reilly, and I am from Limerick. I completed my BSc. Physiotherapy course in the University of Limerick in 2023 and was then awarded an IRC scholarship to complete a PhD. I like to spend my free time listening to music, knitting, and going to art exhibitions. 

Can you tell us about your current research and its potential future impact on health?
My PhD project involves designing and examining the feasibility and acceptability of an intergenerational movement to music programme for the health and wellbeing of older adults and adolescents. Movement to music programmes, or dance programmes, can be an enjoyable way of promoting physical activity for both older adults and adolescents. Intergenerational programmes can foster supportive and meaningful communities between age groups. These programmes can also break down age-related stereotypes and prejudice towards other age cohorts. Therefore, this intervention aims to address physical activity, loneliness, and ageism through intergenerational practice and dance. A pilot study was recently completed to refine the intervention content. I am currently recruiting for the feasibility trial.

What challenges have you faced in your career to-date, and how have you overcome them?
Occasionally, at conferences or similar events, imposter syndrome can raise its head.  However, I have a supportive network of friends and colleagues who have helped me through moments of self-doubt. I believe that it is important to acknowledge the work that leads to participating in conferences and seminars and to enjoy learning from and listening to others.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received, and how has it influenced your career?
“Mistakes are an opportunity to learn.” It is inevitable that certain things will not go as intended or mistakes will be made. It is important to view these as learning opportunities rather than dwelling on them and allowing them to impact the rest of your project. This advice has really helped me both during my undergraduate degree and now during my PhD studies. 

Is there a woman researcher who has supported you during your career or someone inspirational?
During my undergraduate degree, I completed a HRB student summer scholarship with Professor Amanda Clifford and Dr Orfhlaith Ní Bhriain as supervisors. They were inspiring role models who gave me an insight into what research was really about. They continue to encourage and support me in my PhD research development work Dr Ní Bhriain shared her expertise with me on dance and dance pedagogy, from which I learned a great deal. Professor Clifford has offered invaluable guidance and through working with her, I have come to appreciate the importance of organisation and thoroughness in research projects. I feel grateful to have two inspirational researchers as supervisors and I am looking forward to continuing my PhD journey with them. 

Siobhán O’Reilly