DrJamie McGowan

I am a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Genetics at the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science (SBBS). I am an interdisciplinary scientist with a background in both Biology and Computer Science. My research spans bioinformatics, evolutionary genomics, microbiology, metagenomics, and single-cell genomics. I am particularly interested in the evolution of microbial eukaryotes (protists and fungi) which represent the most diverse yet poorly understood lineages of eukaryotes and include some of the most devastating pathogens of animals and plants.

I carried out my postdoctoral research at the Earlham Institute in Norwich, leading the analysis of protist genome sequencing data as part of the Darwin Tree of Life Project (DToL). This ambitious project aims to sequence the genomes of all 70,000 known eukaryotic species found in Britain and Ireland. Prior to this, I completed my PhD at Maynooth University where I applied a mix of bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics techniques to study genomic evolution in Phytophthora and other oomycete species. These microbial pathogens represent one of the biggest threats to global food security and natural ecosystems. I also obtained a Double Honours BSc degree in Biology and Computer Science from Maynooth University.

Bioinformatics | Genome Evolution | Microbial Genomics | Protists | Fungi