BSc Neuroscience Class of 2023 celebrate with Dr Olivia O'Leary, recently appointed Director of BSc Neuroscience programme

9 Jan 2024

The BSc Neuroscience class of 2023 were conferred with their BSc Neuroscience degrees at the College of Science Engineering and Food Science Autumn Conferring Ceremony on Tuesday November 14th 2023. 

Dr Olivia O'Leary recently appointed Course director BSc Neuroscience said that she was delighted to celebrate with the students, remarking that students displayed great determination, commitment, and enthusiasm during the four years of their degree. The Class of 2023 were in their first year of CK402 when their studies moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic, the students worked from home in isolation for the remainder of first year and all of second year and demonstrated remarkable resilience.  She said that the class of 2023 truly embraced their Neuroscience degree studies and are now looking forward to embarking on their exciting future careers. 

For one student Lauren Barrett Covid-19 was not to be her only hurdle to completing her BSc Neuroscience; In early June 2021 Lauren received a diagnosis of breast cancer. Taking a year out of her studies to complete gruelling chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation therapy all of this with the added complication of Covid 19, Lauren was declared in remission in March 2022 and recommenced her BSc Neuroscience studies in September 2022.  Lauren encourages all to be proactive about their health, not to take their health for granted and not to delay to have any unusual symptoms investigated. Lauren featured recently in the Echo live newspaper article ‘Getting the diagnosis saved my life’: Student urges people to seek advice if they suspect they may have cancer.

The variety of career paths that the graduates have planned are very diverse. Many of the students have chosen to follow masters programmes in areas such as radiotherapy, physiotherapy, graduate medicine, some planning to study locally at masters or doctorate level, some working in the Pharma sector while others have plans to travel. Other students have decided to take time to decide on their career plans and others are excited to take up employment. Dr O'Leary wished the students every success in their future careers, and she welcomed them to stay in touch with the department and each other to foster a strong Neuroscience Alumni.

Photo: BSc Neuroscience Graduates 2023: Senan Shorthall, Silvano Zuccarelli, Molly O'Grady, Emily O'Connell, Ciara McGrath and Aidan White.

Related Links

• View video of College of Science Engineering and Food Science Autumn Conferring Ceremony at 12:30pm on Tuesday November 14th 2023
• Congratulations to the BSc Neuroscience Class 2023
• Congratulations Dr Olivia O'Leary appointed Programme Director, BSc Neuroscience
• Congratulations BSc Neuroscience Class 2022, celebrating graduation with former classmate Lauren Barrett

• BSc Neuroscience UCC https://www.ucc.ie/en/anatomy/studyneuroscience/

Photos and news item Bereniece Riedewald