Ellen is speaker at Dublin science conference

Ellen in 2023 pictured with her poster display on her TTV research at the International Pediatric Transplant Association conference in Austin, Texas.

Kilcullen scientist Ellen Kelly will be one of the speakers at the BioMedica 2025 conference in two weeks' time in Dublin, writes Brian Byrne. The event, organised by the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine, runs on 19-20 March in the Convention Centre Dublin and is the largest scientific meeting for professionals involved in clinical laboratories in Ireland.

Ellen is the daughter of Joe and Gillian and is Senior Technical Officer in Molecular Virology at the National Virus Reference Laboratory, which she joined in 2017 after graduating from UCD the year before with a Pharmacology degree. 

She earned a master’s degree in Biomedical Science (Medical Microbiology) from Ulster University with a project investigating Torque Teno Virus loads as a marker of immunosuppression in paediatric kidney transplant recipients. Essentially, that project was to establish 'biomarkers' that could help make sure that babies and small children who need kidney transplants get the correct dosages of anti-rejection treatment. Her findings were presented at Biomedica 2023 and at the International Pediatric Transplantation Association Meeting in Austin, Texas, in 2023 and her literature review on that subject was recently published in Pediatric Transplantation.

Ellen's current work involves performing diagnostic tests and ensuring a rapid turnaround of test results to the NVRL service users. Performing verifications and validations of diagnostic tests and equipment is also a significant part of her workload, along with the training of new staff.

Ellen did her Leaving Cert in Cross and Passion College in 2011 and credits her initial interest in biology to encouragement by her ‘fantastic’ teacher Marguerite Carmody. While in 6th year in CPC she received the Principal's Award for contribution to school life, in recognition of her work and involvement in the school during her six years there. She was also a recipient of a Scholar's Award during her first year at UCD for her Leaving Certificate achievement of 540 points or higher, which placed her among the top 4pc of LC students in the country. 

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