Tara Kenny

Tara Kenny is a second-year PhD student based at the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute at St James’s Hospital, passionate about women’s health and improving our understanding of menstrual and reproductive health.

Her PhD research focuses on investigating innate immune responses, particularly inflammasomes, within the female genital tract, with a specific focus on endometriosis and infertility. Through this work, she is interested in understanding the biological mechanisms that underpin reproductive health and disease, and in contributing to research that can ultimately improve outcomes for women. Beyond immunology, she has a strong interest in patient and public involvement (PPI) and science communication, and I am passionate about making research more accessible and engaging for patients and the wider public.

Prior to starting her PhD, she worked as a Biobank Research Assistant for the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), gaining experience in biobanking, research sample management and large-scale longitudinal research.

Tara holds a BSc in Biomedical Science (Physiology) from the University of Galway, completed in 2022, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Statistics from Technological University Dublin, completed in 2024.

She hopes to bring her interdisciplinary research experience, passion for women’s health, and interest in PPI and science communication to the Centre.