We had a great time at the Annual @isparasitology.bsky.social meeting at the @nmireland.bsky.social, Dublin, last week! Proud to see our PhD researcher Tadhg Kilbane present his work on thrombin inhibitors secreted by Schistosoma mansoni cercariae.👏👏🪱 Thank you to the ISP for a great meeting!

After his undergraduate degree at QUB, PhD at the University of Cambridge and a postdoctoral fellowship at UCD, we are lucky that our newest recruit Dr. James Rooney has brought all his know-how and expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology to Galway MPL. Welcome to the team, James!! 🎉 👏

We are very excited to see 'Parasite Tales' display at the Dead Zoo Lab tomorrow at the Irish Society for Parasitology Meeting! 🎉 This brilliant display features several parasite images from our very own lab members — what a fantastic opportunity to showcase our work to the public!🪱👏

Exciting news! 🎉 The Irish Society for Parasitology has partnered with the National Museum of Ireland on Parasite Tales — a new display in the Dead Zoo Lab uncovering the hidden world of parasites! Now open to the public! Read more here 👉: www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collec...

Céad míle fáilte! 👋 The Irish Society for Parasitology is now on Bluesky! We're here to share research and news, celebrate achievements, and connect the Irish parasitology community. Everyone welcome - follow us to stay connected! 🪱 #IrishParasitology #Parasitology #ISP

Last week, we had a fantastic time at the 4th Pathogen Biology Ireland Conference 2026. Our group showcased ongoing research during the parasitology session, highlighted by Dr. Sheila Donnelly’s keynote talk on host–parasite interactions. Thanks to the organisers for a great day of science and BBQ.

Last week, our PhD researcher Louise Jones attended the Peptide Therapeutics Forum 2026 at the University of Basel, hosted by the Swiss Chemical Society. She enjoyed learning about advances in peptide therapeutics and aims to apply these insights to her PhD research on parasite-derived peptides.

Goodbye, May! 👋 We're turning the page on another stunning image from the Irish Society for Parasitology (ISP) calendar, captured by our PhD researcher @aistevit.bsky.social 📸 But June brings something even more exciting - just 10 days to go until the Annual ISP Meeting! 🎉 See you soon in Dublin! 🤗

From starving parasites to burgers in the sunshine ☀️ At today’s Zoology Colloquium, our PhD candidate Eve O'Kelly presented her fascinating research investigating how blocking molecular feeding mechanisms could starve parasites to death🪱 Followed, of course, by a well-earned post-colloquium BBQ🍔

At today's annual Zoology Colloquium, our Research Ireland funded PhD candidate Saoirse presented a first look at transcriptomic results investigating Fasciola hepatica and the cellular immune response generated by vaccination and infection 🔎💉 @researchireland.ie @uniofgalway.bsky.social

Molecular Parasitology reaches across the globe!🌎 Big welcome to our new international summer student Felishia Enciletta who has come all the way from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, where she is studying Biotechnology.

Great Talk Eve! 👏 Presenting her work on blood-feeding Vampire Parasites at the 'Pint of Science' in Massimo pub, Galway. How do you combat vampire parasites? 🩸 🪱 With a cross?✝️ A garlic?🧄 Constant daylight?☀️ No - you starve them to death by blocking their molecular mechanism of feeding!!!

¡Ole! ¡Ole! ¡Ole! A big 'bienvenida' to our new postdoctoral recruit from Gran Canaria, Dr. Tara Pérez Hernández. We are looking forward to learning about ruminant vaccines & immunology from our second Spanish member (with Jesús López) and improving our Español. "Céad míle fáilte romhat"

Great meeting Dr. Dmitrii V. Kalinin this morning following his recent move to SBCS. Lots of overlapping research interests identified - looking forward to future collaborations. Best of luck setting up your new lab at @uniofgalway.bsky.social!

Recognised for his outstanding contribution to the UoG CSE and Molecular Parasitology, our Research Fellow Richie Lalor received the 2026 Innovation Award presented by the University of Galway Innovation Office 🏆👏 Congratulations, Richie, on this fantastic achievement!👏🎉 @researchireland.ie

Fantastic to attend the @uniofgalway.bsky.social College of Science and Engineering Research & Innovation Day 2026 and showcase our research. ✨ Our PhD student Tadhg’s poster presentation hit the jackpot by winning the Best Poster Prize 🏆👏 Well done, Tadhg! 🎉 @researchireland.ie

Refuelling between inspiring talks at the @uniofgalway.bsky.social College of Science and Engineering Research & Innovation Day 2026 🍽️✨
So many exciting ideas and impressive research shared today 🙌

Kicking off the College of Science and Engineering Research & Innovation Day 2026 with a fascinating talk by Prof Sheila Donnelly on exploiting the immune regulatory mechanisms of helminths to design a new class of precision therapeutics. What a way to start this exciting day!👏

🎉 Congrats to Sienna Stucke from all in MPL for winning third place in the Threesis Grand Finale 2026! 🎊 Awarded for her brilliant 3-min, 3-slide talk on Healing Helminths: Investigating Parasitic Proteins for Neuroinflammatory & Neurogenerative Diseases - supervisor Prof. Eilís Dowd. Well done! 👏

Passing on skills in the MPL! PhD student Eve is training our newest team member, David, in immunolocalisation techniques on fixed liver fluke parasites, soon to be imaged using the confocal microscope.🪱 Dave is already coming into focus - great job! 🔬🔍👏 @researchireland.ie @uniofgalway.bsky.social

Doing our part for greener lab practices by recycling our plastic tip boxes thanks to Cruinn Diagnostics🌱 Perfect timing as Natalia returns from her research placement at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social! Something tells us these boxes won’t stay empty for long as she puts her new skills into action!💚

A big welcome to our newest MPL member, David Greaney - cell biologist, an Annaghdown farmer, a GAA fan, and now all fluked up and ready to go! 👏👏🪱

Congratulations to @aistevit.bsky.social once again!! - this time for her @researchireland.ie Government of Ireland postgraduate award to study the application of 3D spheroid cultures for parasite growth in vitro (www.researchireland.ie/news/governm...). 🥳👏🪱

Like mother, like son 🧪 It was such a pleasure having Grace’s son Conor visit our lab today! A future parasitologist in the making… even if he doesn’t quite know it yet! 😉🔬

✨ Tadhg Kilbane enthralled the Microbiology Society with his research on the Serpins (serine protease inhibitors) of the tropical parasite Schistosoma mansoni and their potential as vaccine targets and biotherapeutics!!🪱💉 Well done Tadhg - we can't wait for further up-dates! 👏 @researchireland.ie

☘️ Even @aistevit.bsky.social pet worms go green on St. Patrick's Day! ☘️ A very happy St. Patrick's Day from everyone at the MPL! 🪱💚 This festive fun is made possible thanks to funding from @researchireland.ie! @uniofgalway.bsky.social

A Prof’s work is never done! JohnD teaching the MSc module in Vaccines (Director of the MSc: Dr. Sheila Donnelly). Great to teach such enthusiastic students!! @uniofgalway.bsky.social

Our PhD candidates Saoirse (pictured) and Tadhg teaching first-year medicine students the basics in their Biochemistry practicals 👩‍🔬 This week they were running gels to diagnose sickle cell anaemia 🩸🧬 Interesting fact: the sickle cell trait also provides protection against malaria 🦟

Great Lab meeting today - so many exciting things happening so stay tuned for future publications! 🤗 @uniofgalway.bsky.social @researchireland.ie

✨Fáilte mhór roimh ár mbainisteoir cláir nua! A big welcome to our new Programme Manager, Dr. Grace Davey! Welcome to our parasite world! 👏👏 @researchireland.ie @uniofgalway.bsky.social

Today Prof Dalton gave an overview of our recent parasite research to final year Microbiology students - let's hope this inspires them to pursue a career in Parasitology!! 🪱🦠🔬 @uniofgalway.bsky.social @researchireland.ie

Yesterday at the inaugural TSD Symposium in Galway, Prof Dalton presented how we use microscopy, immunology and -omics to combat parasitic worms of humans and livestock worldwide. Many thanks to TSD for the collaboration and service, and to @researchireland.ie for their support and funding.

No January blues in our lab! ✨ 🧪 Our @researchireland.ie -funded PhD student Saoirse Ellis is hard at work applying -omics to study immune responses to liver fluke infections in sheep 🐑 🪱 🧬 With some great behind-the-scenes support from Novogene Europe helping move this project forward 🙌

✨Exciting news!✨ Our PhD student Natalia will be spending four months on a research placement in Dr Yvonne Dombrowski’s lab at the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast. During her stay, Natalia will be learning advanced techniques in immunoneurochemistry.🧠

🎉 New year, new beginnings in the MPL Lab! We’re excited to welcome our new PhD student, Louise, who will be working on Schistosoma-derived peptides and their potential as treatments for inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis.🪱 Welcome aboard, Louise! 🥳 @uniofgalway.bsky.social @researchireland.ie

Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir (Happy Xmas to everyone) from the MPL in Galway! 🎄☃️❄️

Wrapping up a busy and productive year at MPL with our final lab meeting and a yummy festive Christmas lunch 🎄🎉 Huge thanks to all MPL members, funders, and colleagues around the world for a fantastic year - we're excited for the cool science the new year will bring! 🪱💉🧪🧬 @researchireland.ie

Congratulations to Natalia on graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Biology & Biopharmaceutical Science from Atlantic Technological University, Galway 🎓🔬 We’re proud to celebrate her achievement and excited that she’s now pursuing her PhD in our lab - best of luck in this next chapter! 👏 🙌 🍀

Our students had an amazing time at this week’s RNA-seq workshop! 🧬 Huge thanks to Prof. Sara Farrona and Prof. Christophe Tatout from Université Clermont Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand, France) for such a practical and very useful course 🔬 Time to put the new skills to work in the lab! 🙌

Starting a PhD with a bang! 🔬🐑 Well done to Saoirse Ellis, who presented her work at the celebratory 1-year Seminar of the Institute for Health Discovery & Innovation on accessible blood-based diagnostics for liver fluke in Irish sheep, improving early on-farm detection. 👏🌱 @researchireland.ie

📢 Don’t miss the chance to hear our PhD candidate Saoirse Ellis present her exciting research at tomorrow’s Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation November Seminar! 🗓 Thursday 13 November 2025 📍 Biomedical Science Building Seminar Room, University of Galway 🕚 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Great to meet our Peruvian collaborators Pedro Ortiz & Miguel Cabada in Lima at the Neglected Zoonotic Parasites of Peru conference! Huge thanks to Prof. Cesar Chucan for the superb organisation, excellent fasciolosis sessions, and wonderful Peruvian hospitality. Gracias amigos!

Great to visit Cajamarca in the Andes and meet with the brilliant team of Prof. Pedro Ortiz in the National University of Cajamarca Veterinary Medicine School. Lots of work, fun and discussions about Fasciola. Good luck with the wonderful work. MPL look forward to continuing our collaborations.

What a fantastic Scandinavian-Baltic Society for Parasitology 2025 meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland 🇮🇸! @aistevit.bsky.social presentation was very well received and earned the Young Scientist Audience Award for Best Oral Presentation 🏆👏 Thanks to the SBSP and the Ryan Institute for the support! 🎉

🎓conGRADulations to Tadhg Kilbane, who graduated last week with his Research Master’s degree! 🎉 Tadhg’s work focused on novel Fasciola hepatica serine protease inhibitors (serpins) - advancing our understanding of parasite biology and host–parasite interactions. 🪱👏 @researchireland.ie

Meet Mary, a final-year Zoology student carrying out her research project in our lab! 🧫 She’s investigating the anthelmintic properties of mushrooms 🍄 - exploring how natural compounds might help fight parasitic worms. 🪱 @uniofgalway.bsky.social

🎉 We’re delighted to welcome Natalia, starting her PhD in the MPL with Prof. Sheila Donnelly/ JohnD to explore the therapeutic potential of parasite-derived peptides. Exciting science ahead! 🔬✨ Thanks for the cake, Natalia - we could get used to this very quickly 😉 @uniofgalway.bsky.social

🎉Congratulations to our outstanding PhD student Eve O'Kelly on receiving the ISP Prof. William C. Campbell Postgraduate Award 2025! She shares her research & career journey on the @universitypress.cambridge.org blog post👇 Thanks to the journal Parasitology for sponsoring the award! shorturl.at/StDL1

What are great morning talking Parasitology to our future generation of scientists, veterinarians and physicians from Notre Dame who are visiting Galway on summer school!! It was great fun meeting you all. Thanks Jennifer. Good luck and enjoy the rest of your stay.

Wishing a very happy 95th birthday to Prof. William C. Campbell from all of us in the MPL! 🎉 His discoveries changed lives and continue to guide and encourage our work. We’re proud that our PhD students Aistė (2024) & Eve (2025) received the ISP Postgraduate Award in his name. shorturl.at/BUDWi