Principal Investigator
Associate Professor Paul Leonard
Paul is the Associate Dean for Industry Engagement (ADIE) at the Faculty of Science and Health, an Associate Professor in the School of Biotechnology, the LSI Commercialisation and Industry Liasion and the previous MSc in Diagnostics and Precision Medicine programme chair at DCU. Paul is the head of the BioInnovation Group (BIG) and established the group in September 2023 to tackle two key challenges, our environment and our health. Paul has a track record in both academic and industry-led research.
As ADIE, Paul works to strengthen and expand collaboration between the Faculty and industry. His role focuses on building strategic partnerships, connecting industry needs with DCU expertise, supporting collaborative research and innovation, and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, funding, researcher engagement and talent development.
Current Group members
Dr. Tommaso Rossi
Roozbeh Sanaei, PhD student
Marta Albin, MSc student
Tommaso is an Enterprise Ireland-funded postdoctoral research scientist leading research in the development of a new diagnostic test for colorectal cancer, CASPDx. He has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Bologna, complemented by
a Master’s degree in Molecular
Biotechnology and over four years of hands-on laboratory exper
Tommaso is an Enterprise Ireland-funded postdoctoral research scientist leading research in the development of a new diagnostic test for colorectal cancer, CASPDx. He has a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Bologna, complemented by
a Master’s degree in Molecular
Biotechnology and over four years of hands-on laboratory experience. His research expertise is deeply rooted in
molecular microbiology, and protein biochemistry, with a particular focus on developing new technologies for
biotechnological applications.
Marta Albin, MSc student
Roozbeh Sanaei, PhD student
Marta Albin, MSc student
Marta is a Masters by Research student working on a EU funded project entitled AquaBioSens:
On site biological sensing for aquatic pollutants and biohazards. This project is co-led and supervised by Prof Fiona Regan, a leading environmental researcher and director of the DCU Water Institute.
Dr. Sara Sadr, PhD Student
Roozbeh Sanaei, PhD student
Roozbeh Sanaei, PhD student
Sara is a medical doctor who also graduated first in her Masters in Diagnostics and Precision Medicine class. She is an Enterprise Partnership Scholar working on a industry collaboration in the drug delivery space. She previously worked on an Enterprise Ireland-funded project in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin and DCU. The proj
Sara is a medical doctor who also graduated first in her Masters in Diagnostics and Precision Medicine class. She is an Enterprise Partnership Scholar working on a industry collaboration in the drug delivery space. She previously worked on an Enterprise Ireland-funded project in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin and DCU. The project involved the development of a diagnostic assay for colon cancer.
Roozbeh Sanaei, PhD student
Roozbeh Sanaei, PhD student
Roozbeh Sanaei, PhD student
Roozbeh is a DCU Bioterapeutics programme funded PhD student working on a project entitled '
Biotherapeutics for Inflammatory Skin Diseases'. This project is co-led and supervised by Dr Mike Freeley in the School of Biotechnology at DCU.
Kayla Bruno, PhD Student
Marika Kanjuga, PhD Student (TCD)
Marika Kanjuga, PhD Student (TCD)
Kayla is a PhD student within RAPID institute, working on a SFI funded project focusing on developing microfluidic and molecular techniques for epigenetic analysis. Particularly interested in advancing DNA methylation workflows and assay miniaturisation. This project is co-led and supervised by Dr. Paul Leonard, Prof. James Landers and Dr. David Kinahan in the School of Biotechnology at DCU.
Marika Kanjuga, PhD Student (TCD)
Marika Kanjuga, PhD Student (TCD)
Marika Kanjuga, PhD Student (TCD)
Marika is a PhD student based in Trinity College Dublin, funded by Attracta O’Regan Scholarship in partnership with Breakthrough Cancer Research. Her research in the field of molecular medicine focuses on biomarker discovery and assay development for early detection of ovarian cancer. This project is supervised by Dr. Sharon O’Toole and P
Marika is a PhD student based in Trinity College Dublin, funded by Attracta O’Regan Scholarship in partnership with Breakthrough Cancer Research. Her research in the field of molecular medicine focuses on biomarker discovery and assay development for early detection of ovarian cancer. This project is supervised by Dr. Sharon O’Toole and Prof. John O’Leary, in collaboration with Dr Leonard in DCU on development of antibody binders through phage display.
Victoria Sherwood, PhD Student
Marika Kanjuga, PhD Student (TCD)
Maria Bradley, Research Assistant
Victoria is a PhD student based in the School of Biotechnology at DCU under the co-supervision of Dr. Paul Leonard, Prof. Christine Loscher, Prof. Richard O'Kennedy and Dr Denise Harold. Victoria finished top of her class in DCU's MSc in Biotherapeutics and undertook her MSc research project in the BioInnovation Group looking at developin
Victoria is a PhD student based in the School of Biotechnology at DCU under the co-supervision of Dr. Paul Leonard, Prof. Christine Loscher, Prof. Richard O'Kennedy and Dr Denise Harold. Victoria finished top of her class in DCU's MSc in Biotherapeutics and undertook her MSc research project in the BioInnovation Group looking at developing recombinant antibodies to a biomarker for colorectal cancer in collaboration with a European Biotech company. Victoria's PhD involves combining AI and in silico discovery tools with wet lab techniques.
Maria Bradley, Research Assistant
Marika Kanjuga, PhD Student (TCD)
Maria Bradley, Research Assistant
Maria Bradley is a Research Assistant in the BioInnovation Group, working on the Enterprise Ireland-funded SERENA project to develop innovative technologies for functional cell selection and cell therapy discovery. Maria holds an MSc in Diagnostics and Precision Medicine and a BSc in Genetics and Cell Biology from Dublin City University.
Maria Bradley is a Research Assistant in the BioInnovation Group, working on the Enterprise Ireland-funded SERENA project to develop innovative technologies for functional cell selection and cell therapy discovery. Maria holds an MSc in Diagnostics and Precision Medicine and a BSc in Genetics and Cell Biology from Dublin City University. Her MSc research in the BIG laboratory focused on developing recombinant chicken antibodies for colorectal cancer diagnostics using phage display. She has practical experience in antibody-library construction, biopanning, recombinant scFv expression and purification, ELISA, PCR, molecular cloning, microbiology and mammalian cell culture. Maria also brings valuable biopharmaceutical industry experience from Eli Lilly, where she worked in a GMP environment as a Process Microbiologist Intern.