Neuroscience Ireland Awardees 2025
The NSI Tom Connor Distinguished Investigator Award 2025
The 2025 winner of The NSI Tom Connor Distinguished Investigator Award is Prof. Mark Cunningham from Trinity College Dublin.
This award recognises an outstanding long-standing member of the neuroscience community of Ireland demonstrating international standing in academic and intellectual achievement.
Prof. Cunningham is Head of the Discipline of Physiology in the School of Medicine at TCD. His research uses electrophysiology to study the mechanisms by which neuronal microcircuits generate organised electrical activity in the brain. He has a particular interest in understanding how pathological electrical activity is generated by the epileptic brain and how this can help develop novel treatments for epilepsy. After reading Physiology at Queen’s University Belfast, he received his PhD in Physiology from Bristol University. He then undertook post-doctoral research positions at Bristol University, University of Leeds, Heidelberg University and Newcastle University.
Before joining Trinity, Professor Cunningham held a Professorship in Neuronal Dynamics at the Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University. His research has been funded by the BBSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust, Epilepsy Research UK, Action on Hearing Loss, Hadwen Trust, Innovate UK, Wolfson Foundation, The Royal Society and Taighde Éireann-Research Ireland. He has also had significant funding from several global pharmaceutical companies.
Professor Cunningham has previously sat on the Biomedical Resource and Technology Development Committee at the Wellcome Trust and the Scientific Advisory Committee for Epilepsy Research UK. He is a fellow of the Centre for the Advancement of Sustainable Medical Innovation (CASMI). He has also acted on numerous advisory boards and as a consultant to numerous pharmaceutical companies. In 2019 he was elected as a Professorial Fellow at Trinity College Dublin.
Learn more about Prof Cunningham’s talk at our Conference on 28–29 August in Belfast
The NSI Education in Neuroscience Award
The 2025 winner of The NSI Education in Neuroscience Award is Prof. Áine Kelly, Professor in Physiology at Trinity College Dublin.
The Education in Neuroscience Award pays tribute to a member of NSI who has made significant consistent and impactful contributions to education and training of neuroscientists at all career levels.
Prof. Kelly is a long-standing leader in the development and evolution of teaching of neuroscience and physiology at undergraduate and postgraduate level. She was Head of Physiology in Trinity College from 2010-2016 and served as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Science Education from 2018-2022. She has served as President of Neuroscience Ireland (2019-2021) and is a Trustee and Board member of The Physiological Society (2020-2025). She was a member of the Committe for Higher Education and Training of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (2020-2024) and sits on the Pan-European Regional Committee of the International Brain Research Association.
Prof. Kelly graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1995 with a first class honours degree and gold medal in Science, specialising in Physiology. She was awarded her PhD in Neuroscience in 1998, and conducted postdoctoral research in Trinity College Dublin and Université Paris-Sud (Paris Saclay) between 1998 and 2002. She was appointed to a lectureship in the Department of Physiology in 2002. Her research expertise lies at the interface between exercise physiology and neuroscience. Her specific research focus is an assessment of how lifestyle factors such as physical activity and fitness can enhance brain function throughout the lifespan and help to protect against age-related decline in cognitive function.
Learn more about Prof. Kelly’s talk at our Conference on 28–29 August in Belfast
Neuroscience Ireland Awards 2025
The NSI Early-Career Investigator Award
The NSI Early-Career Investigator Award will recognize a rising star (within 10 years of completing their PhD), who is employed at a higher education institution on the island of Ireland and has made significant contributions to neuroscience.
Criteria:
Have graduated with PhD within 10 years of the time the award is made
Have made significant contributions to the field of neuroscience
Employed at a HEI on the island of Ireland
The NSI Education in Neuroscience Award
The Education in Neuroscience Award is designed to pay tribute to a member of NSI who has made significant consistent and impactful contributions to education and training of neuroscientists at all career levels.
Criteria:
Have made significant and impactful contributions through education in the field of neuroscience
Employed at a higher education institution on the island of Ireland
The Tom Connor Distinguished Investigator Award
The Tom Connor Distinguished Investigator Award is designed to recognize an outstanding long-standing member of the neuroscience community of Ireland demonstrating international standing in academic and intellectual achievement.
Criteria:
Have evidence of outstanding lifetime achievements in neuroscience
The nomination period is now closed
Award recipients will be honoured and speak at the NSI Conference in Belfast (August 28th-29th).
The deadline for nominations was Thursday April 24th 12 noon.
Following the nomination deadline the nominees will be requested to submit a brief biographical statement (limit two pages) and a list of relevant achievements, experience, outputs and their impact (limit 2 pages).
In your nominations, please keep in mind the NSI commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
The NSI Distinguished Investigator Award is given in memory of our dear friend and former President of Neuroscience Ireland, Tom Connor, who passed away at too young an age in 2013. The Award is presented to an exceptional research scientist from Ireland or based on the island of Ireland who has made an exceptional contribution to the field of neuroscience.
“We have lost an exceptional academic and, more importantly, a wonderful person who was kind, considerate and respectful to everyone he met. We are very fortunate to have worked with him, been taught by him, mentored by him, befriended by him and inspired by him. He will be greatly missed.”
Previous Awardees
Tom Connor Distinguished Investigator Award
2022: Prof. Geraldine Boylan, UCC
2020: Prof. Orla Hardiman, TCD
2019: Prof. Ray Dolan, UCL
2017: Prof. John Cryan, UCC
2015: Prof. Paul Kenny, USA
2013: Prof. Marina Lynch, TCD
2012: Prof. John Foxe, USA
2011: Prof. Brian Leonard, NUI Galway
Early Career Investigator Award
The Award is presented to an outstanding research scientist who has made exciting basic science or clinical contributions to the field of neuroscience. Nominees for this award must be members of the Society, be within 8 years of receiving their terminal degree (PhD or MD), and not yet in an academic position.
2022: Dr Roisin McMackin, TCD
2020: Dr Peter Murphy, TCD
2018: Dr Kathy Ruddy, TCD
2016: Dr. Shane Hegarty, UCC
2013: Dr. Eric Downer, UCC
2012: Dr. Tobias Engel, RCSI