Do My Genes Define Me?: Dr Niamh O'Sullivan at TEDxUCD

Dr Niamh O'Sullivan is a University College Dublin (UCD) lecturer in neuroscience and genetics in the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, UCD Conway Institute, whose TEDxUCD 2014 talk is entitled 'Do My Genes Define Me?'

News reports and articles frequently appear declaring that scientists have discovered a new gene which 'causes' various diseases or traits including heart disease, cancer or IQ levels... but what is the reality of these claims and how do they affect us in our day-to-day lives?

In her TEDxUCD talk Dr Niamh O'Sullivan discusses the current state of our understanding of genetic variations and, as someone who knows quite a lot about her own genetic code, looks at how her genes affect her physical appearance, her personality and her health and asks whether it can be argued that who she is, is determined by her genetic code.

Dr Niamh O'Sullivan is a lecturer in neuroscience and genetics in UCD's School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science in the UCD Conway Institute. She is also a principal investigator studying the mechanisms underpinning human neurodegenerative disorders such as motor neuron disease and Alzheimer's disease. Her laboratory makes use of the experimental model organism the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to better understand the functions of genes linked to the human diseases.

Niamh graduated with a BA (Genetics) from Trinity College Dublin before moving to UCD where she undertook a PhD investigating the genetic events that occur during memory formation. She continued to work on this successful project before receiving a Marie Curie Fellowship to study neurodegeneration using the fruit fly at the University of Cambridge. Her work at Cambridge suggested a new explanation as to why neurons are dying in some forms of human disease.

Niamh received a Junior Research Fellowship from Imperial College London to continue her research before being appointed to her academic position in UCD last year.

Niamh is passionate about science and is keen to raise the level of discussion on all areas of discovery.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)