Group members

Current Postgraduate Students

Stephen first joined the group in 2014 as a third year undergraduate placement student during which he carried out projects in the area of nanochemistry and DNA binding interactions using time resolved infrared spectroscopy and transient absorbance spectroscopy.

After receiving a first class honours B.Sc in Science with Nanotechnology (DIT), he returned to the Quinn group in 2015 continuing to work on the binding interactions and cellular uptake of boron azadipyrromethene modified single walled carbon nanohorns. His research currently consists on the profiling and real-time monitoring of surface binding events on optically trapped functionalised particles.

Judit joined the group in 2016 and is also a member of the Philips group. Her PhD research involves the synthesis, electrochemical and spectroscopic studies of Ru(II) complexes incorporating the bis(arylimino)acenaphthene ligand and its derivatives, which have the potential for biological applications due to their cytotoxicity. Judit's research is funded by the School of Chemistry, UCD.

Dorottya undertook a summer placement in the Dawson group, CBNI where she investigated the reproducibility and synthetic modification of gold stellated nanoparticles. She then carried out her undergraduate thesis project in the Brougham group in UCD, working towards next generation dispersible magneto-plasmonic nanoparticles. After earning an honours B.Sc in Chemistry, Dorottya joined the Quinn group. She now works on the development of ruthenium complex-modified carbon nanodots.

Mark's masters research project focused on assessing fluorescent probes for their binding affinity to Amyloid beta for the diagnostics of Alzheimer's disease. He now has joined the Quinn group and is investigating the photodamage of non-conical DNA structures.

Recent Group Members

Katie joined the group in February 2019 as a Master student. Her research is focused on functionalisation and modification of carbon nanohorn and gold nanoparticle composites for applications in radiosensitisation.

Eleni is a summer research student who is currently working towards getting her Bachelors degrees in Biology, Health & Society, and French at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She is assisting in the study of molecular probes of non-canonical DNA structures where she is working under Dorottya Krizsan and Mark Stitch.

Caroline is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Michigan studying biochemistry. She is currently working under Katie McGarry and Stephen Devereux in the Quinn Group as a summer research intern focusing on the development of carbon nanohorn based therapies.

Clara joined the group in 2014 following a fourth year project on the synthesis and characterization of zwitterionic silica nanoparticles, and a third year summer placement synthesizing transition metal dichalcogenides (MoS 2 ).

Her PhD research is on the synthesis and functionalization of novel 1D luminescent carbon nanomaterials towards multi-colour emitting carbon nanofibers, and their use as environmental pH and metal ion sensors.

In her spare time Clara coaches competitive trampoline for national level gymnasts.

Hi I'm Mona. I joined the group in January 2017 as a Research Master Student, my project is about Carbon nanohorns functionalisation and Modification for Cell Imaging and Delivery Applications in nanotechnology. I had my B.Sc. in chemistry From Umm Al-Qura University in 2014.

Paul is a 4th year undergraduate student in the Quinn group, currently working on the functionalisation and modification of Carbon Nanohorns with Ruthenium Polypyridyl complexes for cell imaging.

Evan is currently completing his final year project in the Quinn group . His work is focused on the binding interaction of metal nanoparticles and surface functionalised micron scaffolds.

Martin is a third year student from Dublin Institute of Technology on work placement in the group, where he is working under Clara Deeney.

He is working on the synthesis and characterisation of luminescent carbon nanofibers and carbon dots, which includes work on the emission of the carbon particles, both alone and with dye, and their emission in various solvents.

Cillian is a second-year undergraduate student working in the group for a few weeks during the summer. He is focusing on the spectroscopic properties of carbon nanofibers and how their properties change with the addition of gold nanoparticles.

Past Postgraduate Students

2018 Dr. Clara Deeney

2017 Dr. Samir Belhout (UCD Chemical Engineering Post Doctoral Fellow)

2017 Dr. Frederico Baptista

2016 Dr. Rochelle Ford

2016 Ms. Hayam Alomain (MSc)

2015 Dr. David Hinds (Irish State Laboratory)

2014 Mr. Ivan Caffrey, MSc (postgraduate student TCD)

Past Post Doctoral Researchers

Dr. Paraic Keane (St. Vincents's Hospital Laboratory)

Dr. Miguel Magno (Intel)

Dr. Gerard Doorley (Consultant)