Biography:Shaun O'Boyle

From HandWiki
Shaun O'Boyle
NationalityIrish
CitizenshipIreland
Alma materNUI Galway
Scientific career
Thesis (2008)
Academic advisorsLucy Byrnes and Maura Grealy
Websitewww.shaunoboyle.org

Shaun O'Boyle is a science communicator, podcast producer and activist, best known for his work to promote science and to improve representation of LGBTQ+ scientists. He was the chair and one of the organisers of the Irish March for Science and also founded House of STEM which aims to connect LGBTQ+ scientists in Ireland.[1]

Early life and education

O'Boyle grew up in County Donegal, Ireland, and completed a BSc in Physiology at NUI Galway. He also carried out his PhD in Developmental Biology from 2003-2008 there, where he investigated the first genes to be 'switched on' in developing zebrafish embryo.[2]

Career

O'Boyle completed a postdoctoral research position between 2009-2010 at University College Dublin, working with Kay Nolan on the evolution of genomic imprinting. He subsequently worked at Science Gallery Dublin from 2011-2016 in a variety of roles and also produced Futureproof for Newstalk radio station from 2010-2013.

O'Boyle set up the audio producing partnership Bureau with artist Maurice Kelliher in 2013. Bureau have made radio documentaries and podcasts, on a diverse range of subjects, for: BBC Radio 4, Documentaries on Newstalk, Science Gallery Dublin/International, Irish Design 2015, LGBT History Month UK, Inspirefest, Festival of Curiosity, UCD/Science Foundation Ireland, and BBC World Service. Their documentaries and podcasts feature a diverse range of voices and issues and have been widely commended.[3][4][5]

He established House of STEM in 2017 to connect and to address issues facing LGBTQ+ scientists in Ireland.[6] In 2018 he helped set up LGBT STEM Day - in which a group of national and international organisations collaborated to create an initiative to raise awareness for LGBT+ people working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. LGBT STEM Day falls on 5 July annually.[7][8][9]

External sources

References

  1. "With Support in Trinity and Beyond, the March for Science Celebrates Evidence-Based Decision Making" (in en-US). http://www.universitytimes.ie/2017/04/with-support-in-trinity-and-beyond-the-march-for-science-will-celebrate-evidence-based-decision-making/. 
  2. o'Boyle, Shaun; Bree, Ronan T.; McLoughlin, Sarah; Grealy, Maura; Byrnes, Lucy (2007-06-29). "Identification of zygotic genes expressed at the midblastula transition in zebrafish" (in en). Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 358 (2): 462–468. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.04.116. ISSN 0006-291X. PMID 17490614. 
  3. "How did we get from the Big Bang to crisis in Ukraine? - Independent.ie" (in en). Independent.ie. https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/how-did-we-get-from-the-big-bang-to-crisis-in-ukraine-30072040.html. 
  4. "Ivan Yates complains about people who complain all the time" (in en-US). The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/ivan-yates-complains-about-people-who-complain-all-the-time-1.3546983?. 
  5. Burke, Elaine (2018-06-28). "Listen to this documentary and learn what it's like to be trans in Ireland" (in en-GB). Silicon Republic. https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/lgbt-pride-trans-life-ireland. 
  6. "House of STEM" (in en). https://houseofstem.org/. 
  7. silicon (2018-04-17). "What's it like to be an LGBTQ person in STEM?" (in en-GB). Silicon Republic. https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/lgbtq-house-of-stem. 
  8. "Announcing the first International Day of LGBT+ people in STEM" (in en-GB). https://www.rsc.org/news-events/community/2018/mar/lgbtstem-day/. 
  9. Hoggard, Ellen (2019-07-05). "What is LGBTSTEM Day?" (in en). https://happiful.com/what-is-lgbtstem-day/.