17 June 2024

Fulbright-Teagasc Awardee announced

Following a ceremony in Iveagh House on June 13, John O’Grady has been announced the Fulbright-Teagasc Awardee for 2024-2025.

The Fulbright bilateral exchange programme has facilitated academic and cultural exchanges and strengthened Ireland-U.S. relations since 1957. The programme has a reputation for selecting exceptional candidates from across Ireland. Academics, professionals, students and scholars will research, study, teach and collaborate with experts at leading U.S. institutions.

John O’Grady, one of 21 Fulbright Irish awardees announced at the ceremony, holds a B.Agr.Sc in Animal Science from University College Dublin (UCD) and an M.Sc in Genomic Medicine from Trinity College Dublin.

Currently, John is in the third year of his PhD in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology at UCD. His work forms part of the SFI-CRT in Genomics Data Science PhD programme and focuses on integrative and comparative genomics of tuberculosis disease in humans and livestock. This project involves leveraging high-resolution genomic (DNA) and transcriptomic (RNA) data to understand the host response to mycobacterial infections that cause tuberculosis in humans and cattle.

As a Fulbright-Teagasc Awardee at the Department of Biomedical Informatics in the University of Colorado Denver, John will leverage machine learning approaches and high-resolution bovine transcriptomics data to identify diagnostic biomarkers indicative of bovine tuberculosis disease under the guidance of Prof. Casey Greene who has extensive experience in the characterisation of transcriptional biomarkers for cancer.

Speaking at the awards ceremony and extending congratulations to the 2024-2025 Fulbright Irish Awardees, Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and at the Department of Education, Thomas Byrne T.D: “The Fulbright Programme plays a crucial role in sustaining the close relationship that the United States and Ireland enjoy. As Fulbright Awardees across all disciplines embark on academic and cultural exchanges across the U.S., they serve as ambassadors for Ireland, forging academic links through innovative research, building global understanding, and representing the best of the island of Ireland.”

More information on the Fulbright Irish Awardees is available here.

Photo caption: Jane Kavanagh, Teagasc, pictured with Fulbright-Teagasc Awardee John O’Grady