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letters when he was retiring. When I did genetics, there was a class of 12 people, and three of those have been his [ Dr Frewin ] students, and the year behind me we had another one,” said Aoife.
The role of the teacher is crucial, says Aoife, and she cited the example of the many people that say they can’ t do maths.“ The number of people who think they can’ t do maths is too high— there are a lot of people that have been put off maths. They stop trying because they think they can’ t do maths. The students underestimate their own abilities. Students should be allowed have a bit of fun with maths. Games and puzzles for example,” said Aoife.
Recently, Aoife received a prestigious European Research Council grant— which are only given to the top tier of scientists in Europe— to try and identify disease-causing genes. The aim she said is identify those genes that are vulnerable to changes in quantity. This might involved a reduction in the copies of genes, or too many copies. There is a certain amount of variation in the number of copies of genes between people, and it’ s common. However, in some people certain variations in gene quantities increase disease vulnerability.
This is an evolutionary approach to genetics, explained Aoife. The goal is to see which genes have tolerated changes in amount— high or low— over evolutionary time and which have not. The identification of those genes that have proven intolerant to change over evolution can provide a key to which genes are linked to disease today, the reasoning goes.“ There is variation in [ gene ] copies, because mutations happen,” explained Aoife.“ DNA is a chemical that copies itself in cell division, and this is an easy mistake that happens a lot.”
Once the sensitive genes that have been linked to disease have been clearly identified, then it becomes possible to develop better and more precise ways to diagnose disease. Following on from that, if there are improved methods to diagnose disease at an earlier stage, then
Aoife McLysaght talking to a packed house as one of the TedX events at the Bord Gáis Theatre in Dublin. Photograph, TCD Science Gallery.
it should become possible for medical scientists to develop better disease treatments and therapies.
Communicator
Aoife is also one of the best scientistcommunicators in Ireland, and is regularly invited to speak in schools and at public lectures about her work and its implications for society. She believes that it is important that some scientists communicate with the public, but she also acknowledges that although she enjoys this activity, not every scientist will feel the same.
“ It is important that some of us do it, and there is support for that. I mean that it is recognised as a valid part of the job. A valid activity, that it is respected. Sometimes people might think it is a trivial activity. I don’ t think that. I see science as part of our culture, we should all have access to that. A lot of people love music, but don’ t have the intention of being a musician. It’ s the same with science— people should have access to it,” she said.
For Aoife, science is about the ability to learn, to deduce, to understand something, even when it is not visible to the naked eye. It involves being able to think long-term, beyond our own lives. Science is exciting, interesting, dynamic, but it is a big mistake to try and push it onto people. It is also a mistake, she believes, for the Irish government, or any government to get too closely involved in deciding how funding for science should be spent. It would be better to fund the best people than to fund certain areas, she said.
She has some advice for young people that might be considering science as a career.“ When I was young, I didn’ t know you could be a scientist, I didn’ t know any scientists. I didn’ t know what I would end up being if I studied science. My mum said to me, do what you enjoy the job will follow. It’ s very optimistic, but I kind of subscribe to that,” she said.
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SCIENCE SPIN Issue 58 Page 17