Microbiology

Contact Us Department of Microbiology
Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine
School of Genetics and Microbiology
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin 2
Ireland

View the contact page for more contact and location information

magoverj@tcd.ie Gaeilge

About our Research

My research asks broad questions about how microbial communities evolve and function. In particular, I am interested in how intra-and interspecific interactions within these communities can drive evolutionary changes, and how evolution can in turn shape community context (e.g. see review papers: O'Brien et al 2013, O'Brien & Fothergill 2017). To tackle these questions, I experimentally evolve microbes in complex communities, with the goal of bridging the gap between the lab and the field.

Brief CV

  • 2019-2020: Faculty position (Tenure-Track), University of Liverpool, UK
  • 2018: Junior Fellow, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin
  • 2017-2018: ACE Independent Research Fellow, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (Based in the lab of Prof Greg Velicer)
  • 2015-2017: Wellcome Trust/C2D2 Research Fellow, University of York (Based in the lab of Prof Mike Brockhurst)
  • 2011-2015: Ph.D.: the University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Supervisors: Profs Angus Buckling and David Hodgson
  • 2010-2011: MSc: University of Exeter, Penryn Campus Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology
  • 2006-2010: BA (Hons.) Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin

RECOGNITION [AWARDS & FUNDING]

Awards

  • John Maynard Smith Prize for Evolutionary Biology from the European Society for Evolutionary Biology, 2018
  • Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution. Travel Award, 2017
  • National Academy of Sciences working group, California, USA. Travel Award, 2014
  • The University of Cambridge, Travel Award, 2014
  • Communication for Collaboration Workshop, Bristol, UK. Travel award, 2014.
  • Best Oral Presentation, University of Exeter Postgraduate Symposium, 2014
  • European Corporation in Science & Technology Award, 2012
  • European meeting for Ph.D. students in Evolutionary Biology, Finland. Travel Award, 2012

Funding

  • Research Boost Award, Trinity College Dublin 2020
  • BBSRC Discovery Fellowship 2020-2023
  • Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship 2018-2021 (gratefully declined)
  • Adapting to a changing environment (ACE) Full Research Fellowship, ETH Zurich 2017-2019
  • ACE Research Grant, ETH Zurich (Principal Investigator) 2017-2019
  • Wellcome Trust/C2D2 Research Grant, University of York (Principal Investigator) 2016-2017
  • Impact Accelerator Awards, University of York (Co-Investigator) 2016-2017
  • Research Priming Fund, University of York (Co-investigator) 2016-2017
  • Wellcome Trust/C2D2 Research Fellowship, University of York) Full Research Fellowship 2015-2017
  • The University of Exeter Bridging the Gaps Award (Principal Investigator) 2013
  • The full University of Exeter Ph.D. Studentship 2011-2014

EXPERTISE

MICROBIAL EVOLUTION, COMMUNITY ECOLOGY, MICROBIOMES, SOCIAL EVOLUTION, PSEUDOMONAS, CYSTIC FIBROSIS, ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, MULTI-STRESSOR ECOSYSTEMS, ADAPTATION, CYSTIC FIBROSIS

MEMBERSHIPS

  • Adjunct Faculty Member, University of Liverpool, UK.
  • Microbiology Society 2015- present
  • European Society for Evolutionary Biology 2011-present

Lab Work Microbiology

Lab Work at Microbial Ecology and Evolution