Growing up, my father, as a civil engineer, was a huge influence on me. I always wanted to be an engineer and was very much supported in this. Luckily, I was never exposed to the perception or stereotype that a woman can’t be an engineer. I also had a strong desire to help people, leading me to focus my research career on photonics sensors for biomedical applications

I am a Royal Society – Science Foundation Ireland University Research Fellow, leading a team that focuses on the development of optical fiber-based sensor systems for the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of cancer tumors. I am also the coordinator of a European research project, “ORIGIN,” which is developing a multipoint photonics system for real-time in vivo dosimetry and radiation source localization for brachytherapy.

Being awarded the Royal Society – Science Foundation Ireland University Research Fellowship has been one of my greatest career achievements to date, providing me with the freedom to establish my research agenda and explore new areas of interest to me.

As a mother of two, I work part-time, which has provided plenty of obstacles in trying to balance a research career and family. I have learned over time to understand the limitations on my time, and that it is important to set priorities.

I always enjoy organizing outreach events in schools and find it so rewarding to watch the children learn new things and explore the world around them in a new light. It is important that we break the stereotype of scientists and engineers at a young age and show young girls the variety of careers available to them.

My advice to anyone interested in STEM is pursue your passion; don’t be afraid to fail or make mistakes; and remember that gender does not define your abilities.

Sinead O'Keeffe
Research Fellow, Dept. of Electronic & Computer Engineering / Health Research Institute, University of Limerick
Born in Ireland / Resides in Ireland
Educational Background: BEng and PhD in Electronic Engineering, University of Limerick, Ireland