Academic Pathways: Reflections and Experiences
A professional roundtable where two academics talk about their career paths, experiences, and perspectives on working in academia.
The session will be an open discussion, offering the audience a chance to ask questions and interact with the speakers.
Stay with us after the Talk!
- Following the roundtable, everyone is welcome to stay for the Hamilton Seminar.
- The seminar will be delivered by Dr Marion McAfee, who will present her research work.
- Afterwards, join us for some snacks and networking.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
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- Seminar Room 317
- Hamilton Institute
- Maynooth, Kildare
- Ireland
- Building: Eolas
- Room Number: 317
- Starts 22 October 2025 11:00 PM UTC
- Ends 26 November 2025 12:00 AM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Dr. Abeer Eshra
Biography:
Dr. Abeer Eshra is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Maynooth University. Her research focuses on DNA computing and molecular programming, with a particular emphasis on renewable DNA computing devices. This research direction combines theoretical modelling with experimental validation. She is a principal investigator (PI) of a Research Ireland-funded project on automated and renewable DNA computers, advancing new approaches to molecular computation with potential applications in biotechnology. Previously, she worked as a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher at the Hamilton Institute on the European Innovation Council-funded DISCO project and lectured in Computer Science and Engineering at Menoufia University, Egypt. She received her PhD in Computer Science in 2019 through a collaboration between Menoufia University, Egypt, and Duke University, USA, and also holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering from Menoufia University. Her research interests include DNA computing, renewable molecular devices, thermodynamically favoured computation, and applications in biotechnology.
Dr. Marion McAfee
Biography:
Dr Marion McAfee, MEng, Ph.D., is a Senior Member of the IEEE and her research interests are in sensing, modelling and control in applications encompassing advanced manufacturing, medical devices, and autonomous systems. Current projects include development of Digital Twins and data-driven control systems for advanced manufacturing of complex products such as drug delivery systems and novel battery electrodes; biomedical sensing; perception systems for cobots and autonomous vehicles; and mathematical and computational modelling for sustainability.
She is a Funded Investigator in I-Form, the SFI Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, and Co-Director of MISHE, the ATU Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Intelligent Systems for Health and Environment. She is also a co-Lead of the first ATU Postgraduate Research Training Programme (PRTP): MOCHAS - Modelling and Computation for Health and Society. This is a doctoral training programme for a cohort of 15 PhD students across ATU.
She is currently Lead Investigator of the following externally-funded projects:
- SFI Frontiers for the Future project 'PROCEED 3D: Process Control for Extrusion Based 3D Printing of Personalised Drug delivery Devices at the Point of Care'
- I-Form project 'Data-driven control for sustainable Additive Manufacturing',
- EU MSCA project 'iGREENPHARM - AI for Sustainable Pharmaceutical Manufacturing'