Aoife McLysaght, Chair of Evolutionary Genetics in Trinity and Fellow of the College, has been honoured by An Post with the release of a stamp in her likeness.
This is in recognition of her world-leading research in genetic evolution and duplication, as well as her advocacy for women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and her work on accessible STEM communications.
McLysaght serves as Government Science Advisor in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and appears often on national media in this role.
She obtained her undergraduate degree and her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Trinity, and has “led a research group of over 20 years” in College. She boasts “a cumulative research income from competitive awards of more than €5.5 million”.
Speaking on the release of her stamp, which features a drawing of her likeness alongside a DNA structure, McLysaght said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled to be featured in this special stamp series”.
“It is wonderful to see An Post celebrating the contributions of Irish women in STEM, even if the two stamps represent just a small sample of the vast body of amazing work to choose from”.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell, an acclaimed astrophysicist from Armagh, was also honoured by An Post. After receiving her PhD from the University of Cambridge, she is lauded for her initial observation of signals from radio pulsars, and her subsequent discovery of this type of star.
McLysaght continued: “Each person brings a unique perspective, and these stamps help highlight the value of diversity in STEM. I hope these stamps inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in STEM and to know that their contributions are valued and recognised”.
Provost Linda Doyle, formerly a professor in engineering, said that “it is wonderful to see the contributions of women in STEM celebrated in such a visual way”, adding that McLysaght and Bell Burnell “have already stamped their mark in their research areas”.
McLysaght’s grandfather, Edward MacLysaght, was a senator in the Free State Seanad during the 1920s. He was a genealogist specialising in researching native Irish surnames and was a noted Irish language activist. Born in Somerset, England, he eventually settled on Proby Square in Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
