Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin

Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin is an Associate Professor in the School of STEM Education, Innovation & Global Studies. She is a member of CASTeL, Ireland’s largest Research Centre in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education at DCU, and a PI of Rinn, Ireland's inter-institutional research centre on Data Science and AI. Her research focuses on Mathematics Education, in particular on Teacher Education and on equity of access and achievement of all learners.

She was nominated as Chair of the Independent Advisory Committee on Nature Restoration, whose work concluded with consensus recommendations made for Ireland's national Nature Restoration Plan  (submitted in September 2026) and future Nature Strategy. In 2022 she was appointed by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) as Chair of Ireland's Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, who returned their report and recommendations to government in 2023.

She is an award-winning science communicator and educator and was previously named as a European Young Leader, a group nominated to facilitate and create a more equal, innovative and inclusive Europe. A renowned moderator and facilitator, she has interviewed leading international scientists and researchers such as Sir Demis Hassibis, Alphabet & Google Deepmind, and the late Dame Dr Jane Goodall. 

She is experienced in contributing to policy having participated in, for example, the Project Maths Policy Review Group, the STEM Education Policy group 2017-2026 (with associated action plan), the Mathematics Leaving Certificate Development Group, and in the Education & Research sections for the 2020 Programme for Government.

(3 maternity leaves >10 months each taken between 2019 and 2025)