Profile
Kellie Horan
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About Me:
Hi, my name is Kellie! I was born in Ireland , and now live in Edinburgh. I’m a science student researching energy in the brain. I love reading, travelling, the beach and hot chocolate!
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I grew up near the seaside in Ireland, so I love swimming in the sea and relaxing walks on the beach. I love to read, and I’m a big fan of Harry Potter! I enjoy going to the gym and I’m learning how to climb. I love visting new countries, and trying new foods there – especially their desserts!
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My pronouns are:
she/her
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My Work:
I research energy in the brain! I look at the little ‘powerhouses’ that make our energy, and how important they are to keep our brain healthy.
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In every cell and part of our body, we have ‘powerhouses’ or ‘batteries’ that make us energy from the food we eat. I look at these powerhouses (called mitochondria) in nerves in the brain.
Nerves send signals all around our body so we can remember smells, move so we can play football, and speak to our friends. Nerves need a lot of energy to do all these jobs every day!
Nerves have a warm blanket (called myelin) which helps them make and keep energy in. I research how the nerves and their batteries make energy when this myelin blanket is gone or damaged.
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My Typical Day:
I wake up and have toast with juice for breakfast. I get to work at 9am and start my experiments in the lab. I go for lunch with my friends and then finish my lab work. I usually do some writing before going home at 5pm.
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I wake up, have breakfast and take the bus to work. I get to work at 9am, and have a coffee while planning my to-do list.
I start my experiments in the lab and I put on my lab coat and gloves. I usually do an experiment called ‘staining’. I add colourful dyes to my samples which stick to special parts of the cell. I can then look at the pretty colours down a microscope! This is my favourite part of my work.
I usually have lunch with my friends at 12:30pm. After, I will finish my experiments for the day in the lab. I will go to my desk in the office and write about my experiment results. I leave at 5pm and take the bus back home.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would put the prize money back into Community Engagement here at my university. We have a great Community Engagement team, which work with groups from the local primary and secondary schools. I would give the prize towards the ‘Science Buddies’ programme, where we visit primary schools and run fun science-based activities. This shows them that all types of people can be scientists, and promotes their curiousity and love of science!
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Education:
I started school at the Mercy Primary School in Waterford, Ireland. I was always interested in science, especially things about biology, DNA and dinosaurs! However, we didn’t have many science classes so I learnt about it from books.
I then went to the Mercy Secondary School where I studied lots of different subjects because I wasn’t sure what I enjoyed the most. I studied science subjects like Biology, Chemistry and Maths. I finished secondary / high school in 2018 and decided to study science at university.
I moved to Dublin to study Sciences at UCD (University College Dublin). After 2 years, I chose to focus on Genetics (studying DNA, the recipe book that makes us unique). I studied in Germany for a summer – so cool! I finished in 2022, and I moved to Edinburgh to study Neuroscience and learn all about the brain
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Qualifications:
At 15, I got my Junior Certificate (which is what we called the National 5s/ GCSes in Ireland). We did 11 subjects.
At 18, I got my Leaving Certificate (which is what we call Highers / A levels in Ireland). I did 7 subjects: English, Irish, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, French, History.
At 22, I graduated from university with a Honours Bachelor Degree in Genetics (4 years).
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Work History:
Before I turned 18, during summers I ‘worked’ at the company my mother worked for. The boss would give me money for answering phones, posting letters and printing documents.
I got my first proper job at 18. I worked in my local McDonald’s. I spent most of my time making McFlurrys, pouring drinks and serving customers!
At 20, I spent a summer working in the office of a science company. I was excited to be doing something in the lab. However, COVID happened and I got moved to an office role. I spent a lot of time filing paper, emailing and printing!
At 21, I worked in a lab in Germany for the summer. This was one of the most fun jobs I’ve had! I worked during the week, and travelled around Europe on trains during the weekend.
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Current Job:
Now, I am a PhD student at the Univeristy of Edinburgh. I study Neuroscience, so all about the brain works! I’m in my second year, so I should hopefully be a doctor by 2026.
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Employer:
The University of Edinburgh
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My Interview
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What did you want to be after you left school?
I wanted to be a scientist! Either a researcher or a Forensics Scientist
Were you ever in trouble at school?
I once got in trouble for singing too loud in the yard at lunch (I'm not the best singer!)
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I would probably try be a writer or science journalist
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Taylor Swift
What's your favourite food?
Cheesecake
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
1. Finish my degree 2. Become amazing at climbing 3. Travel the world
Tell us a joke.
Why did the scientist take out his doorbell? He wanted to win the No-Bell prize!
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