Rachel Feeney

I joined the Kennedy Institue in late 2018 as a Lab Technician for the Centre for Microbiome studies (CMS) and as part of the Powrie Group. I will be contributing to the development of the CMS which is still in its early stages and my role will involve providing technical support to researchers from various backgrounds who are interested in incorporating microbiome studies into their work.

Prior to starting this role, I completed my BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Leicester in 2015. During my studies, I developed a keen interest in microbiology and disease, which prompted me to undertake my final year research project within the Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation. The focus of my project was to investigate the possible impacts of varied storage conditions on microbiota and how this could skew quantitative analysis results.

While still holding a strong interest in microbiology and disease in general, in this role I hope to pursue my interest in the microbiome specifically and develop my understanding of how variation between our individual microbiomes impacts our health and our susceptibility to disease.