Dr. Susan Kelleher
Susan completed her degree in Medicinal Chemistry in
Trinity College Dublin (2005), after which she carried out her PhD in
Organic Chemistry (2009), as well as a short post-doc in biodegradable
chewing gum, in University College Dublin (UCD). In 2010, she moved to
the Technical University Berlin, where she worked on the nano- and
micro- surface patterning of biomaterials and investigated the ability
of these surfaces to influence cell behaviour. In 2012, Susan joined
Dublin City University (DCU), where she worked for 2 years on the
functionalisation of surfaces and nanoparticles for use in point-of-care
devices, and in 2014, secured independent funding to begin her own
research projects in the areas of bioresponsive materials,
nanopatterning and biomimetic engineering. In October 2016, Susan was
appointed Assistant Professor of Soft Materials in UCD School of
Chemistry and set up the Nanostructured Biomaterials Group. In February
2021, the group moved to the School of Chemical Sciences in DCU. In October 2023, she was promoted to Associate Professor.
Research Interests
Susan's research interests lie at the interface of biology and chemistry, specifically in the area of functionalised surfaces for biomedical applications. With her training in chemistry throughout her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Susan approaches scientific problems from the point-of-view of a chemist, striving to understand the underlying functionality and reactivity of systems she works with. She works to integrate her fundamental scientific research into applied biomedical and engineering technologies.