Last Friday I had a look into the courtyard at Trinity College Dublin to find out why there was a giant, white, geodesic dome there. I regularly guide tours around Dublin in my spare time and the construction of the dome was underway during the previous weekend’s tour. Needless to say, my interest had been peaked.
Tag Archives: science jobs ireland
The Top 5 Irish Companies Putting People in Space.
Dublin’s Newest Bridge to be Named After One of Ireland’s Nobel Prize Winners?
Visitors to Dublin’s city centre recently will probably have noticed that the River Liffey is expecting a new addition to its family of bridges at Marlborough St. which will allow the Luas to light rail system to cross.. Dublin City Council has just announced the shortlist of 17 names from 85 official nominations and will announce which one the bridge will be named after on June 12th. Among the names on the shortlist is Ernest Walton, Ireland’s only Nobel prize winner for science.
How pharma is breathing new life into old drugs.
A TED talk last week by geneticist and physician Francis Collins shed some light on a massive gulf that exists in the pharmaceutical world – that between the fundamental knowledge and the application of this knowledge. We currently know the molecular cause for 4000 diseases yet only have treatments for 250 of them. The main difficulty encountered on the path from discovery to the patient’s bedside is that of the lengthy ‘pipeline’ process which all drugs must follow if they are to gain approval.
Keeping your finger on the pulse (while not working)
So you’ve just graduated and are looking for your first job, or recently been made redundant? It’s important to keep that fire burning by staying in touch with current scientific issues. This will come across very well at interview when they ask you something along the lines of: “so what are your interests?” or “tell us about yourself.” If you can convey a passion for science and current issues, an organisation will be far more likely to believe you can grow and flourish with their organisation. Here are some resources to get you on your way:
Science Spin is both a podcast, mag and site dedicated to Science in Ireland. It’s aimed more towards environmental and discovery issues, but that’s science too isn’t it?! (apologies, I’m a medicinal chemist with tunnel vision!).
Twitter: I hate sounding like a broken record, but Science seems to be one of the major topics on here, along with tech, given that’s it’s bulging at the seams with geeks and nerds of all descriptions (along with some super cool people too!). Some humorous and / or interesting  scientists are here, here and here. By following these people and checking out who they follow, you’ll be in the loop in no time.
There are numerous video channels dedicated to science. TED (Tech, Entertainment, Design) brings together people from different walks of life who each give keynote speeches. Some very interesting scientific speeches can be found here. They are all remarkable in their own little way.
For more industry focussed information, B&F’s Life Science Review is excellent. It will give you a rundown of a number of companies operating in the Scientific space in Ireland, as well as some interesting articles. What a coincidence, we just had one published ourselves last month! But seriously, I would suggest its essential reading for anyone looking to pursue a career in science / medical devices in Ireland.
Podcasts are also a great way to keep in touch on the go. Stanford has a great series of “Entrepreneur Thought Leaders” talks which feature a number a high profile scientists.
Any more resources appreciated! Brian (bhc at lifescience dot ie)