Shaun O'Boyle
{{about|the Irish scientist|the Australian composer|Sean O'Boyle}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Shaun O'Boyle
| citizenship = Ireland
| nationality = Irish
| alma_mater = NUI Galway
| thesis_year = 2008
| academic_advisors = Lucy Byrnes and Maura Grealy
| website = {{URL|https://www.shaunoboyle.org}}
}}
Shaun O'Boyle is a science communicator, podcast producer and activist, best known for his work to promote science and to improve representation of LGBTQ+ scientists. He was the chair and one of the organisers of the Irish March for Science and also founded House of STEM which aims to connect LGBTQ+ scientists in Ireland.{{Cite web|title=With Support in Trinity and Beyond, the March for Science Celebrates Evidence-Based Decision Making|url=http://www.universitytimes.ie/2017/04/with-support-in-trinity-and-beyond-the-march-for-science-will-celebrate-evidence-based-decision-making/|access-date=2018-07-04|website=www.universitytimes.ie|language=en-US}}
Early life and education
O'Boyle grew up in County Donegal, Ireland, and completed a BSc in Physiology at NUI Galway. He also carried out his PhD in Developmental Biology from 2003-2008 there, where he investigated the first genes to be 'switched on' in developing zebrafish embryo.{{Cite journal|date=2007-06-29|title=Identification of zygotic genes expressed at the midblastula transition in zebrafish|journal=Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications|language=en|volume=358|issue=2|pages=462–468|doi=10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.04.116|pmid=17490614|issn=0006-291X|last1=o'Boyle|first1=Shaun|last2=Bree|first2=Ronan T.|last3=McLoughlin|first3=Sarah|last4=Grealy|first4=Maura|last5=Byrnes|first5=Lucy}}
Career
O'Boyle completed a postdoctoral research position between 2009-2010 at University College Dublin, working with Kay Nolan on the evolution of genomic imprinting. He subsequently worked at Science Gallery Dublin from 2011-2016 in a variety of roles and also produced Futureproof for Newstalk radio station from 2010-2013.
O'Boyle set up the audio producing partnership Bureau with artist Maurice Kelliher in 2013. Bureau have made radio documentaries and podcasts, on a diverse range of subjects, for: BBC Radio 4, Documentaries on Newstalk, Science Gallery Dublin/International, Irish Design 2015, LGBT History Month UK, Inspirefest, Festival of Curiosity, UCD/Science Foundation Ireland, and BBC World Service. Their documentaries and podcasts feature a diverse range of voices and issues and have been widely commended.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/how-did-we-get-from-the-big-bang-to-crisis-in-ukraine-30072040.html|title=How did we get from the Big Bang to crisis in Ukraine? - Independent.ie|work=Independent.ie|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/ivan-yates-complains-about-people-who-complain-all-the-time-1.3546983?|title=Ivan Yates complains about people who complain all the time|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=2018-07-26|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/lgbt-pride-trans-life-ireland|title=Listen to this documentary and learn what it's like to be trans in Ireland|last=Burke|first=Elaine|date=2018-06-28|work=Silicon Republic|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en-GB}}
He established House of STEM in 2017 to connect and to address issues facing LGBTQ+ scientists in Ireland.{{Cite web|title=House of STEM|url=https://houseofstem.org/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=House of STEM|language=en}} In 2018 he helped set up LGBT STEM Day - in which a group of national and international organisations collaborated to create an initiative to raise awareness for LGBT+ people working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. LGBT STEM Day falls on 5 July annually.{{Cite news|last=silicon|date=2018-04-17|title=What's it like to be an LGBTQ person in STEM?|language=en-GB|work=Silicon Republic|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/lgbtq-house-of-stem|access-date=2018-07-05}}{{Cite web|title=Announcing the first International Day of LGBT+ people in STEM|url=https://www.rsc.org/news-events/community/2018/mar/lgbtstem-day/|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Royal Society of Chemistry|date=15 March 2018 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|last=Hoggard|first=Ellen|date=2019-07-05|title=What is LGBTSTEM Day?|url=https://happiful.com/what-is-lgbtstem-day/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-06-11|website=Happiful Magazine|language=en}} He also co-curated The Queer Variable, a collection of interviews with LGBT+ people in STEM, with Alfredo Carpineti, chair of Pride in STEM.
O'Boyle joined Dublin City University in 2021, where he works as a Research Fellow and part time Diversity and Inclusion Engagement Lead at the ADAPT Centre.{{Cite web |title=Shaun O'Boyle · ADAPT, the SFI Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology |url=https://www.adaptcentre.ie/experts/shaun-oboyle/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=ADAPT, the SFI Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology |language=en-US}} His work there includes the Irish Sign Language STEM Glossary, which seeks to address gaps in Irish Sign Language for technical terms in STEM,{{Cite web |date=2019-11-21 |title=People {{!}} ISL STEM |url=https://www.dcu.ie/islstem/people-isl-stem |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=www.dcu.ie |language=en}} and co-creating art and science frameworks for engaging deaf people with sign language technologies.{{Cite journal |last1=O'Boyle |first1=Shaun |last2=Mathews |first2=Elizabeth |last3=Brosens |first3=Caro |last4=Omardeen |first4=Rehana |last5=Van Landuyt |first5=Davy |last6=Jones |first6=Alvean |last7=Quigley |first7=Lianne |date=2024-08-26 |title=A deaf-centred art-science approach to community engagement with sign language technologies |url=https://jcom.sissa.it/article/pubid/JCOM_2305_2024_N04/ |journal=Journal of Science Communication |volume=23 |issue=5 |pages=N04 |doi=10.22323/2.23050804 |doi-access=free |issn=1824-2049}}
External sources
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7v50lrM7sg Shaun O'Boyle speaking] at Inspirefest 2018.
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Science communicators