“If science is your passion, I believe you should go for it”

My name is Dagmara Niedziela and I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, where I work on a project looking at how genes in blood cells respond when a sheep is infected with a parasite called liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica).  

My PhD, also in the UCD Vet School, looked at how cattle respond to infection by a bacterium that is an important cause of mastitis as well as skin and soft tissue infections, Staphylococcus aureus. My main research interests are in host-pathogen interactions, comparing the immune response to bacteria or parasites in humans and animals and looking at the way the infectious microorganisms defend themselves from our immune system. 

Prior to my PhD, I obtained an MSc in Food Science and Nutrition in the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and I have a BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dublin Institute of Technology. I also worked as a course coordinator and lecturer in nutritional science for a company teaching personal training courses, and continued lecturing part-time during my PhD. I was a course coordinator for two years, during which I learned leadership and organisational skills through managing course schedules and logistics for a group of 20 teachers and working with the students. These skills became very useful during my PhD. 

“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The reason why I chose research for a career was because learning new things was always my passion, and I’ve been interested in microbiology and genetics since secondary school. Working in research means that I learn something new every day, and I get to share what I know with others. If science is your passion I believe you should go for it.