Susan Kelleher

Biography

Susan completed her degree in Medicinal Chemistry in Trinity College Dublin (2005), after which she carried out her PhD in Organic Chemistry (2009), as well as a short post-doc in biodegradable chewing gum, in University College Dublin (UCD). In 2010, she moved to the Technical University Berlin, where she worked on the nano- and micro- surface patterning of biomaterials and investigated the ability of these surfaces to influence cell behaviour. In 2012, Susan joined Dublin City University (DCU), where she worked for 2 years on the functionalisation of surfaces and nanoparticles for use in point-of-care devices, and in 2014, secured independent funding to begin her own research projects in the areas of bioresponsive materials, nanopatterning and biomimetic engineering. In October 2016, Susan was appointed Assistant Professor of Soft Materials in UCD School of Chemistry and set up the Nanostructured Biomaterials Group. In February 2021, the group moved to the School of Chemical Sciences in DCU.

Research Expertise

Susan's research interests lie at the interface of biology and chemistry, specifically in the area of functionalised surfaces for biomedical applications. With her training in chemistry throughout her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Susan approaches scientific problems from the point-of-view of a chemist, striving to understand the underlying functionality and reactivity of systems she works with. She works to integrate her fundamental scientific research into applied biomedical and engineering technologies.