A Little Light Listening

Stewart hails from Scotland and joined CDT PIADS in autumn 2020 having previously completed a BSc in Physics with The Open University, and a Masters degree in Theoretical Physics at the University of Glasgow.  Stewart has an interest in all areas of physics and engineering, and the practical applications of them and outside of university life, volunteers as a leader with his local Boys’ Brigade co...

In this special feature length episode we dive into the enchanting history of Christmas lights. We are joined by two incredibly distinguished guests: Dr. Niamh Wycherley, a medieval historian and Principal Investigator of a major Irish Research Council project on medieval Ireland, and Jamie Malanowski, a celebrated writer and editor with contributions to The New Yorker, Time, and Vanity Fair. Toge...

Mahrokh Avazpour was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions co-fund Sparkle Fellowship in 2022 under the supervision of Prof. Liam Barry. She is working in the Optical Communications laboratory in the School of Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University. Mahrokh’s current focus is on the generation of optical frequency comb using mode locked fibre laser. She has worked as a postdoctoral fell...

Serene is a final year Ph. D. candidate at Queen's University Belfast, specializing in the dynamic field of photonics and data storage. Serene`s research focuses on the intricate mapping of thermal variations on plasmonic nanostructures utilizing Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) techniques. Serene`s academic journey has been a diverse one, spanning continents and disciplines. With a Master's in...

Marcos joined the PhD program in Electronic Engineering with the Radio and Optical Communications Lab at Dublin City University, under the supervision of Prof. Liam Barry and Francisco Díaz in May 2020 graduating with his PhD in July 2024. His current research field includes spectrally efficient modulation for optical communications through fiber and free space. Marcos has also worked on Quantum R...

"Someone considering a PhD? Yes definitely go for it. More than a technical degree I think it teaches a lot of things in life." Hemalatha is a researcher in photonics, currently part of the opto-team in the EP-ESE group at CERN, focussed on developing radiation-hard optical links for high-energy physics using silicon photonics. Hemalatha`s role involves designing and characterizating radiation-ins...

"If you are interested in doing physics research, even if that's in a company, having a PhD under your belt is a huge boon both personally and career-wise." Oisin McCormack is an experimental physicist currently working in the field of nanophotonics and biosensors. Oisin is a MSCA Postdoctoral researcher in nanophotonics at Trinity College Dublin working on a project entitled "All-Dielectric Metas...

"Consider what your motivations are for doing a PhD, not just doing something for the sake of it." Dr Imanda Jayawardena is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – Science Foundation Ireland Research Fellow at the Irish Photonics Integration Centre (IPIC). Her current research focuses on developing a bone-on-a-chip device for monitoring osteogenesis with the use of non-invasive, label-free, n...

Coming Soon! Season 2 of a Little Light Listening launches on the 27th September. This season we explore what is a researcher, the winding paths to becoming researchers and the rewards. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. #STEM #Podcast #ResearchStories

In this episode we discuss how the use of a light is helping doctors to understand how the lungs of premature babies are functioning in way that can be done using a harmless light source, can be continuously so you can keep an eye on this at all times and which can help ultimately bring better outcomes for these babies futures. The technique this is all based on is as in Scattering Media Absorptio...

In this episode we discuss with Alfredo Carpineti about how light has enabled us to communicate and display images to each other across continents, locate yourself to within a few metres anywhere on earth and to look back in time and see images across the depths of space including black holes which were imaged for the first time in 2019.  Hosted by David McGovern. Special thanks to our guest...

In this episode we discuss how light has enabled us to communicate and display images to each other across continents, locate yourself to within a few meters anywhere on earth and to look back in time and see images across the depths of space including black holes which were imaged for the first time in 2019. Find out the answers and much more here! Hosted by David McGovern. Special thanks to our...

This special episode celebrates the World Quantum Day, April 14th, and will delve into what Quantum Technologies are, how they will impact our future and the quantum landscape in Ireland. Hosted by David McGovern with special guests Prof Seamus Davis from UCC, Prof Elena Blokhina from UCD and Dr. Emanuele Pelucchi from IPIC & Tyndall National Institute. This podcast is created by Irish Photoni...

In this episode we discuss LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging technology. How is LiDAR used in many aspects of everyday life including self-drive vehicles, land mapping, meteorology or looking back in time at how ancient civilizations lived? Find out the answers and much more here! Hosted by David McGovern. Special thanks to our guests Peter O`Brien and Nick Hogan. This podcast is created by Ir...