Prof Maria McNamara, Professor of paleontology in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork joins me this week. Maria’s research focuses on the preservation and paleobiology of exceptionally preserved fossils with particular interests in soft tissues and fossil colour.
She speaks to me about her Granny's influence on her at a young age to explore the natural world and how she still considers herself a 'curious child'. Maria discusses leaving academia to work as a geopark geologist in the Burren, what that experience taught her and what drew her back into academic life.
Her passion for paleontology is evident from the first moment you listen to this episode. She explains why she wants to extract biological information from fossils, her interest in the evolutionary functions of feathers and the importance of insect colour in communication. Maria also discusses her latest projects on melanin and how this may have implications on human health.
Finally Maria also chats about her exciting new project 'Irelands Fossil Heritage' and her passion for science communication. This episode is bursting with interesting facts and inspiring advice, I really hope you all enjoy.
This is the last episode before Christmas - Back on Jan 4th!
Follow Maria: MariaMcN_palaeo
Follow me: MeganHanlon4
This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.
Episode 48: Provost Linda Doyle: Wireless Communications, Creativity & Making History
Episode 47: Dr Barry Moran: Flow Cytometry, Part Time PhD & Work/Life Balance
Episode 46: Prof Ellen Roche: Medical Devices, Soft Robotics & Collaboration
Episode 45: Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell: Pulsars, Astrophysics and Sexism in STEM
Episode 44: Dr Garret FitzGerald: Cardiology, Pharmacology and A Series of Accidents
Episode 43: Prof Margaret Murnane: Lasers, Microscopes and Accidental Discoveries
Episode 42: Prof John Cryan: Microbiome, The Brain and Fueling the Fire
Episode 40: Dr Ciaran Murphy-Royal: Stress, Astrocyte Metabolism and Language Barriers
Episode 39: Prof Muireann Irish: Dementia, Memory and Imagination
Episode 38: Prof Douglas Veale: Inflammatory Arthritis, Early Diagnosis and Determination
Episode 37: Dr Darragh Ennis: Ecology, Neuroscience and The Chase
Episode 36: Prof Rose Anne Kenny: Healthy Ageing, Vitamin D and Teamwork
Episode 35: Prof Kate Fitzgerald: Innate Immunity, Signalling and Academic Freedom
Episode 34: Dr Kieran Meade: Cows, Animal Science and Engagement
Episode 33: Dr Fred Sheedy: Macrophages, Infection and Visibility in STEM
Episode 32: Dr Katriona O'Sullivan: Education, Women in STEM and Imposter Syndrome
Episode 31: Prof Mark Cunningham: Epilepsy, Brain Rhythms and Discovery
Episode 30: Dr Ellen Gravallese: Arthritis, Osteoclasts and Serendipity
Episode 29: Prof Peter Gallagher: The Sun, Astrophysics and Curiosity
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