PhD researcher Áine Varley from the University of Galway explains her stem cell research which aims to unlock the secret to immortality in jellyfish-like sea creatures.
“As a young child, I was a massive fan of the Horrible Science books written by Nick Arnold and illustrated superbly by Tony de Saulles,” explains PhD researcher Áine Varley of her inspiration to become a scientist. She describes the series as her “first temptation into research”. It was educational “in an entertaining way”, she says. “From then on, I wanted to be a biologist and my pursuits became more specialised as I progressed through my education.”
Varley graduated in 2019 with a BSc in Genetics and Cell Biology from Dublin City University. She then worked as a research assistant in the Frank lab at the University of Galway and soon began her PhD in stem cell research. In May 2023, her PhD work was published as a cover article in the international journal Current Biology.