PhD Student Profile “Since I was a kid I have always wanted to be a researcher; I was interested in how the world worked and where I fit into it. When searching for the right PhD, I wanted to focus on an area important to me, with a supervisor who has a passion for student development and who was an expert in their field. The Hardiman Scholarship has given me a chance to achieve all of this with a PhD in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). In recent years small cells called Extracellular Vesicles have been found to play a pivotal role in both AD development and potential therapeutics, and over the next four years I have the opportunity to explore this exciting emerging field of medicine. Through this work I have the opportunity to explore an area of significant importance to me, coming from a family affected by Alzheimer’s and experiencing the way a disease can change a family forever. I understand what it’s like to feel like you can’t change anything at the time but, with the Hardiman Scholarship I could make a real difference in the lives of those diagnosed with AD in years to come as well as building a focused career in this
area. The Hardiman application process challenges the potential PhD student to refine their research questions into what is most important: what motivates you to do this research and what is the central research question. My advice to any potential applicants is to explore these and really home in on what is is that motivates you, this is what will keep you going for the next four years!” Cameron Keighron NUI Galway Hardiman Scholarship awardee and PhD student.
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