Dr. Kamila Kwasniewska
Teaching Fellow, Botany
Email kkwasnie@tcd.ie Phone https://plantclimatelab.ie/kamila-kwasniewska/Biography
Kamila Kwasniewska is a Teaching Fellow in the Discipline of Botany at Trinity College Dublin. Her work combines plant science, ecology, education and public engagement, with a particular interest in translating research into practical applications that benefit both society and the environment.
Her expertise spans research commercialisation, ERC Proof of Concept projects, citizen science, science communication and the management of large interdisciplinary research programmes. She has developed innovative tools for controlled environment research, designed and delivered public engagement initiatives, and worked extensively at the interface of academia, industry and community stakeholders.
More recently, Kamila's research has expanded into the relationship between nature and human health. She investigates how nature-based interventions can support mental wellbeing while fostering stronger relationships between people and the natural world. Alongside her scientific research, she is interested in interdisciplinary collaborations that bring together ecology, art and environmental storytelling to engage diverse audiences with biodiversity and climate change.
Kamila completed her PhD in Plant Developmental Genetics at Trinity College Dublin, following studies in Biology and Botany at the University of Wroc"aw, Poland. Since then, she has worked across research, teaching and innovation, combining scientific expertise with a strong commitment to education, collaboration and public engagement.
Kamila is the project manager for the ERC-funded TERRAFORM project, where she coordinates and oversees every detail to ensure that students and staff can seamlessly carry out their research. As a Postdoctoral Researcher on the project, she is currently leading a small-scale day-length study using controlled plant growth chambers. Kamila also serves as an occasional lecturer for two Botany modules: Plant Molecular Biology and Plant Breeding & Biotechnology.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and a Master’s degree in Botany from the University of Wroclaw, Poland. In 2011, she moved to Ireland to join the Plant Developmental Genetics Laboratory at Trinity College Dublin as a research assistant. Simultaneously, she pursued external studies in Molecular Biology at the Jagiellonian University in Poland. In 2012, Kamila began her PhD at Trinity’s Smurfit Institute under Prof. Wellmer, where she explored the novel functions of a transcription factor involved in terminating floral meristem activity in Arabidopsis thaliana.
After earning her PhD in Plant Developmental Genetics in 2017, Kamila undertook a Postdoctoral position within the ERC Proof of Concept program led by Prof. McElwain. During this project, she developed and commercialized the first plant-based sensor kit for standardizing and calibrating controlled environment chambers. She also designed and implemented the Tephra Bag Citizen Science Experiment as part of a research commercialization initiative with iCRAG. This project introduced a “volcanic ash teabag kit,” which allowed school students to conduct pilot experiments. The initiative aimed to collect data on the chemical weathering of volcanic ash as a potential negative carbon emission technology, engage the public, and educate citizens about reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide.