Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- An inborn passion for engaging with the general public on topics of scientific nature describes Professor Luke O’ Neill the best. His full name is Luke Anthony John O’Neill FRS. FRS means he has a Fellowship of the Royal Society of London, which is granted to people who have made exceptional contributions to improving natural knowledge.
- Prof. Luke is a professor of biochemistry in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin.
- He often features in a weekly science slot with Pat Kenny on the Irish national radio station Newstalk.
- An avid lover of music, Prof. Luke acknowledges the fact that his life would have been in bits without music.
Family :
- Luke was born on 17th June 1964.
- Little is known about Prof. Luke’s family. From interviews and publications, we can piece together an understanding of the relationship he shared with his family members.
- Luke narrates this story of how his father, Kevin, was incapacitated with a stroke in the year 1996. He asked Luke to help him end his life. Kevin later contracted pneumonia and died of complications resulting from it.
- Professor O’ Neill had a son at the age of 33 and was the victim of an episode of depression.
Education : Qualifications, High School & College Info
- An exceptional background in education, Luke was educated at Trinity College Dublin, where he was awarded an undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry) in 1985.
- In 1988, he was awarded a PhD in Pharmacology, having completed his postgraduate study at the University of London. His research investigated the characterization of interleukin-1-induced prostaglandin E₂ release in human synovial cells.
- After completing his PhD, Prof. Luke went on to become a postdoctoral researcher at the Strangeways Research Laboratory in Cambridge, funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Interesting Facts, Height and Trivia :
- Luke is an awardee of the Royal Dublin Society & The Irish Times’ Robert Boyle Medal for scientific excellence in 2009
- In the year 2019, Luke published a book of science for children, The Great Irish Science Book with Gill.
- He also has the distinction of being awarded by The Royal Irish Academy Gold Medal for Life Sciences in 2012 and the European Federation of Immunology Societies (EFIS) Medal in 2014.
- Another of his notable achievements include being elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA) in 2004 and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) in 2005.
- In 2016, O’Neill was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
- Throughout 2020, he wrote a lot for The Sunday Independent about the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland.
- He is a be part of a band called The Metabolics, with whom he has been on numerous gigs. In the year 2020, the band performed in Tanzania as a fundraiser for a cancer charity.
I like Prof Luke O Neill very much and would like to attend one of his lectures, is this possible. Could you please let me know. Thank you!