The Family Factor

Sleep disturbances are common in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and a disrupted night’s sleep can impact all the family.

Dr Lorna Lopez, an associate professor in the Department of Biology and researcher in the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, is examining the role of sleep disturbances and their relationship with autism spectrum disorders in families. 2020 was an important year for Dr Lopez – she received a €1.5 million European Research Council (ERC) grant for her genetic research examining circadian rhythms in families, and accepted a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Early Career Researcher of the Year Award. “I look forward to leading this project from Maynooth and working with esteemed academic and community collaborators within Maynooth University, across Ireland and internationally.” Dr Lopez said.

Read more:

https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/ news-events/dr-lorna-lopez-awarded-15meuropean-research-council-erc-grant

2009 From Longford to LA TikTok’s Thomas Dalton is hiring for the “It” social media company of the moment

2009 BSc Head of Recruitment North America - Content, Ops & Corporate Functions

It takes a special talent to find employees who will fit into a corporate culture with a mission “to inspire creativity and bring joy.” And yet, social media “It” company TikTok has found just the man in MU Computer Science and Finance grad Thomas Dalton (BSc 2008). As Head of Recruitment for North America, Los-Angelesbased Dalton holds responsibility for the daily management and recruiting operations across Content, Ops and Corporate Functions in the region. No small challenge for the County Longford native, but he’s clearly got a knack for it. TikTok (in case you somehow haven’t heard) is currently the most downloaded app in the world and one of the world’s fastest growing social media platforms. TikTok allows users to create short videos with music, filters, and other features. It’s available in 155 markets, in 75 languages and has 600 million monthly active users. Its parent company ByteDance is the world’s most highly-valued privately-held startup, comprised of several social platforms allowing users to share videos and post content with millions of users around the world. “You work alongside so many talented and creative professionals, it keeps the job very interesting. We are solving problems for the first time in the company’s history - and on a world stage,” Dalton said. “We push ourselves to raise the standards each year and the company gets increasingly better with every new hire.” After graduating from Maynooth in 2008 with a degree in Computer Science and Finance, Dalton, like many, jumped around a bit between jobs in Ireland: a year at Microsoft, three years managing the Red Cow Moran Hotel, a year working events at Punchestown Racecourse. Then, it was off to new shores, where he found his niche. Dalton landed a position recruiting for tech roles at Robert Half in Philadelphia. “I fell into recruiting really by accident,” Dalton said. “Having had a portion of my degree focused on Computer Science gave me a competitive edge. I was able to understand requirements quickly and form strong bonds with clients and candidates. The work was very challenging at first but got easier over time.” Three years later he was off to another recruitment position at Amazon Web Services in Seattle. And in July 2020, Dalton was named to the Forbes Human Resources Council, an invitationonly community for senior-level human resource leaders across all industries.

2017 A trailblazer in the Seanad Independent Senator Eileen Flynn

2017 BA Community and Youth Work

Thirty-year-old Eileen Flynn is making history as the first Traveller ever appointed to the Seanad, and the first Traveller woman in the Oireachtas. And capping an eventful year, the BBC has listed Flynn among the top 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020.

A trailblazer in her community, Flynn graduated from Maynooth University with a BA in Community & Youth Work in 2017, and is among 167 Travellers of a population of 40,000 to have obtained a third-level qualification. Flynn grew up in Labre Park in Ballyfermot, which was one of the first Traveller halting sites built by a local authority in Ireland. Now she is one of Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s 11 nominees to the Seanad.

One of Flynn’s lecturers in the Department of Applied Social Studies, Dr Oonagh McArdle, has described Maynooth University as a “learning lab” for the recently appointed Senator. Flynn agrees, saying that while in the Seanad, she is intent on applying the skills and knowledge she learned while studying at MU. “I do it with the heart and the eyes of a community development worker,” she said. In her first speech in the Oireachtas, Flynn expressed hope that she “would be that person that would break down barriers for Travellers.” And she is already making headway, as the newly-appointed chair of the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community. The key issues under considerations are Traveller health, including suicide levels, which are six times higher than the general population; school completion rates and educational attainment; labour market participation -- Traveller unemployment rate is 80% -- and access to housing and accommodation. Additionally, Flynn has firmly in her sight new hate crime legislation, as well as the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill to include Traveller history and culture as part of the education curriculum. With thanks to Naoise D’Arcy and The University Times